Imitation gems, also called gem imitations, refer to gems used to imitate the color, 外観, and special optical effects of natural jewels and jade. They can be artificial gems or natural jewels. しかし, these materials do not have all the chemical and physical properties of the imitated gemstone. Imitations are generally cheaper artificial gems.
Beautiful gems are longed for by everyone, but because they are expensive, not everyone can get them easily, so they are very similar in appearance and cheap imitation gems came into being.
The record of imitation gemstones can be traced back to more than 5,000 数年前. 古代エジプトでは, there were quartz-based talc and ceramic composite stones, which were used to imitate turquoise and other opaque gemstones after being glazed. Glass can be used to imitate many gems, and colored glass can imitate any transparent or opaque gems. Glass has been used since the ancient Egyptian era and is still used as the main imitation gemstone and decorative material today.
Some natural gem materials are also used as imitations of other gems. 例えば, natural colorless sapphires are often used to imitate diamonds. Synthetic gems, such as synthetic spinel and synthetic corundum, are often used to imitate other gems. 例えば, synthetic color-changing corundum is often used to imitate natural alexandrite.
Gems made up of two or more natural and/or artificial components are also used as imitations. 例えば, transparent glass, plastic sheet, opaque glass are glued together to imitate opal.
The national standard GB/T 16552 “Names of Jewelry and Jade” stipulates that the name of an imitation gem should be prefixed with the word “imitation” before the name of the natural jewellery jade to be imitated, such as emerald. Should also try to give the specific name of the jewelry and jade, such as imitation crystal (ガラス), indicating that the material used is glass.