Gemstone Webquest

CREATED GEMSTONES: THE REAL THING?

Introduction Soon it will be your mother’s birthday, and you have decided to buy her a birthstone ring. You know your mother’s birthstone is an emerald because she was born in May. When you visit a jewelry store, you discover a vast assortment of emerald rings. Some of the emeralds are set in gold, some in silver. Many of the emeralds have a deep and clear green color, while others have more interesting cuts that make the stone sparkle. You also notice that some of the rings are in your price range, whereas others are so expensive you do not even ask to have them taken out of the case. When you ask a salesperson why there is such a difference in emerald prices, she replies that the less expensive emeralds were created in the laboratory. How can you create an emerald in a laboratory? Why are natural emeralds and other gemstones so expensive? Why do some of the emeralds have a deeper green color? In this WebQuest you’ll find out the answers to these questions as you do some research into the nature of the minerals called gemstones.

Task Your job in this WebQuest is to decide whether a gemstone created in a laboratory is the same as a gemstone that occurs naturally. You will have to find out how natural gemstones form and what their chemical, physical, and optical properties are. You will find out how natural gemstones are treated to correct their flaws or bring out their colors. You will find out the different processes used to create gemstones in a laboratory. Then you will have to compare the prices and properties of created gemstones to those of naturally occurring gemstones and decide if created gemstones are the same as their natural counterparts. Once you’ve done your research, you will make a decision about what kind of ring to buy your mother. You will have to prepare a statement in which you give your reasons for your choice. You must be able to justify the amount of money you plan to spend on the birthstone ring. Your goal is to choose a beautiful emerald ring that will retain its value for a long time to come.

Objectives  Describe the geologic processes that result in the formation of natural gemstones.  Summarize how and why natural gemstones are subjected to chemical or physical treatments.  Compare the chemical compositions of created gemstones with those of natural gemstones.

Resources Look at the web sites given here to find the information that will enable you to make an informed decision about which type of emerald ring to purchase for your mother’s birthday. In the process of doing your research answer the following questions.

What are natural gemstones and how do they form?

Natural Gemstones Geologic Environment At this USGS site you can find out how natural gemstones form and where they are found. A Primer of Gemstones This site includes a general guide to natural gemstones. Crystals: More than meets the eye: Gems Here you can learn more about how natural gemstones form and where they can be found. Diamonds At this site you can find out how diamonds formed underground. Emerald Guide Here you will find how emeralds are formed and what some of their properties are.

What are the chemical, physical, and optical properties of natural gemstones?

Chemical Formulas of Gemstones Visit this USGS site to find out the chemical formulas of natural gemstones. Electronic Gemstone Library This site is a source for information on natural gemstones and their properties. Physical Properties of Gemstones This site gives information on physical properties of gemstones and their chemical formulas. Gemdepot This site gives information about properties of gemstones Gemstone Properties

Gemstone - Chemical & Physical Properties

How are natural gemstones treated to reveal color or eliminate flaws? Gemstone Treatments and Enhancements Gemstone Treatments - Enhancements Gemstone enhancement

Colored Gems

How are gemstones created in the laboratory?

Created Gemstones This is the web site for the Chatham Company. Carroll Chatham discovered how to create emeralds in a laboratory setting in 1938. Explore this site to find out when different gemstones were created in laboratories. Lab created This site gives a brief explanation of how gemstones are created in the lab. Hight and Randall Personal Jewelers - Buying Gems This site explains the processes for creating synthetic gems and how to treat gems to get colors. It also warns buyers of differences in quality between different synthetic gems. Emerald gemstones: faceted lab grown created emeralds - synthetic jewelry gems

What are the chemical, physical, and optical properties of created gemstones?

Created Gemstones At this Chatham Company website, click on comparison to see how the chemical composition of created gemstones compare to those of natural gemstones. GEM COUNTRY USA - INFORMATION - LAB CREATED INFORMATION. My experiene with Synthetic Gemstones This site explains differences between synthetic and natural gemstones and some things to watch out for when buying them.

How do the prices of natural and created gemstones compare?

Amulet: Emerald Scroll down to see the prices for natural emeralds at this web site. REALGEMS, Quality Gems at competative prices. This site has prices for both synthetic or natural emeralds and other gemstones.

Time 1 class period in the computer lab for research and answering questions (Jan. 14th for chemistry and Jan. 15th for honors chemistry) Final product is due on Jan. 17th

Final Product Now that you have completed your research on the Internet, decide what you think about the differences between natural gemstones and gemstones created in a laboratory. If a created gemstone has the exact same chemical and physical properties as a natural gemstone, can it be considered the same as a natural gemstone? If not, why not? Is a natural gemstone really "natural" if it has received treatment to enhance its color or correct tiny fractures? What is the difference in price between natural and created gemstones? Should a jewelry store tell customers when they are looking at created rather than natural gemstones? Now that you know more about gemstones, write a paragraph or two in which you state your preference for buying your mother a ring with a natural or a created gemstone. Justify your preference by discussing price, quality of the gemstone, and what the value of the gemstone will be in the future. Be sure to support your preference with factual information from your Internet research and the questions listed above in this paragraph. Your final product to be turned in should include the answers to your research questions and your discussion about what type of ring you would buy for your mother and the reasoning behind your decision.