Our Latest Research Findings
Over the weekend, our Founder and President, Eric Braunwart, presented his latest research at The Jewelry Symposium in Detroit, focusing on a growing concern in the gemstone industry: synthetic and imitation stones entering the supply chain and being sold as natural.
As more people seek products that are both transparent and responsibly sourced, the need for traceable gemstone supply chains is more important than ever.
Eric’s research paper explores key questions:
- Are synthetic or imitation stones being mixed with natural ones?
- Which gem types are most at risk—and to what extent?
- How do consumers feel when they learn a stone they bought as natural is actually synthetic or imitation?
- And what do we do about it?
While screening for diamonds is well-established, colored gemstones—especially smaller or lower-value stones like quartz, ruby, sapphire, and emerald—often don’t get the same attention. That’s where the risk lies and continues to grow.
If you’ve encountered this challenge firsthand or have stories that shed more light on the topic, we’d love to hear from you—your insight could help guide our next steps.
This is a serious issue, but one we can begin to take on together.
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Posted on May 23 2025