Could a synthetic stone "blow up" when set into a mounting?

[katealt]

I just went to a jeweller to try to get a loose blue diamond set into a new mounting. I was told they don''t take any loose stones that have never been set before in case they are synthetic and "blow up". She said they had a lady bring in a ruby that was appraised three times as being genuine only to have it "blow up" under the heat of the torch because it was some kind of extremely good ''paste'' stone. I couldn''t beleive my ears! I have a faux alexandrite I want to set so am now worried about it. And I bought what was listed as a heated pad saphhire (but could be a synthetic??) and am now worried about it, too. Is this true or just paranoia?

 

[EEFranklin]

If you have a real lab-grown blue diamond (not a simulant, imitation, etc.) you shouldn''t have any issues. We have had hundreds set by our jewelers, and many of our customers had their blue diamonds set by their own jewelers. The as-grown blue diamonds require no special treatment beyond the reasonable care used to set any diamond, though some customers have come across jewelers that refuse to set them, for one random reason or another.

The only reason I could foresee anything like you described would be from large, obvious inclusions ("I" clarity or lower). Most inclusions in synthetic diamonds are metal and if the diamond is heated up, the metal could potentially expand, fracturing the diamond. It wouldn''t explode or blow up, rather just crack. I have never heard of that happening before, but is a remote possibility for heavily included diamonds.

My suggestion, ask them to set the diamond without heat, or find a different jeweler to set it.

 

[katealt]

Date: 3/11/2010 9:43:39 AM
Author: EEFranklin
If you have a real lab-grown blue diamond (not a simulant, imitation, etc.) you shouldn''t have any issues. We have had hundreds set by our jewelers, and many of our customers had their blue diamonds set by their own jewelers. The as-grown blue diamonds require no special treatment beyond the reasonable care used to set any diamond, though some customers have come across jewelers that refuse to set them, for one random reason or another.

The only reason I could foresee anything like you described would be from large, obvious inclusions (''I'' clarity or lower). Most inclusions in synthetic diamonds are metal and if the diamond is heated up, the metal could potentially expand, fracturing the diamond. It wouldn''t explode or blow up, rather just crack. I have never heard of that happening before, but is a remote possibility for heavily included diamonds.

My suggestion, ask them to set the diamond without heat, or find a different jeweler to set it.

I think they were idiots- or rather the woman at the front desk was. I asked her to just put a diamond tester to it so they would see it is genuine- hello- but she just went on and on about this fake ruby that blew up! I am not worried about this diamond, but then it got me thinking about an alexandrite I got that is supposed to be a doublet, with genuine alex on top and lab sapphire underneath- I worried what if that blew up?

Having said that, now you''ve got me thinking about this blue diamond b/c it is an I grade with obvious inclusions- I love the color and it is dark enough it seems to hide most of them. If it cracked about broke it wouldn''t be a big deal, it as so cheap. I would love to get an SI grade but haven''t found one (colour enhanced) .

 

[MonkeyPie]

Jared''s told me this, too. They don''t set synthetics (or known synthetics) because they can shatter under the heat and pressure, and it''s a liability issue both for the owner of the stone and the setter (they could be injured).

 

[innerkitten]

Paste isn''t the same as a lab gemstone anyway right? It''s glass. If a stone is a lab created diamond, sapphire, ruby, etc then it should react exactly the same under heat.