At Aloha Estate Jewelry we want our customers to be comfortable with their selections so we are pleased to provide these definitions to prevent any ambiguity of terms.  When we describe jewelry items as Antique we are saying that our estimate of the item's age is approximately 75 years or more.  Where we have a more accurate date, we will provide that date.  When we describe an item as Vintage, we are saying that the item has an approximate age of 30 to 75 years.  Again, if we have a more definitive date, we will provide that date.  When we describe an item as Estate we are placing the item on a timeline of within approximately the last 30 years.  If at any time you have a question about the dating of any piece of jewelry offered by Aloha Estate Jewelry, please do not hesitate to drop us a note.    

Before answering, a word of caution.  Collectors of Estate Jewelry very often want the piece left "as-found" with tarnish and all.  Often the tarnish, or patina, lends an effect to a piece of jewelry that is desirable and represents, in part, the character of the item after years and years of wear and ownership.  So before committing to cleaning away the tarnish or patina, ask if that's really what you want to do.  Also, if purchasing an item from us with patina, and that you choose to remove, then the item is considered altered and, therefore, not returnable.
That said, where we find a tarnished piece of jewelry and it is clear to us that removing the tarnish will enhance, not detract from, the beauty of the item, we use a jewelry cleaning cloth.  These cloths are embedded with a cleaning solution that gently removes the tarnish with no or minimal abrasion.  Our choice are the Sunshine Jewelry Polishing Cloths for Sterling, Gold, Brass, Copper, and etc.  These can be inexpensively purchased at Amazon.com.

We have many, many satisfied clients who are most ardent collectors of fine estate jewelry.  Over and again we hear that they are moved to estate jewelry for the classic styling, design, and expert craftsmanship that is, frankly, no longer found in a mass-production jewelry marketplace.  And yes, estate jewelry is most appropriate for gifting.  Nothing can express your sentiment more than the care and thoughtfulness of searching for and finding a perfect and timeless keepsake celebrating and commemorating life events, special occasions, or holidays.

First, Some Definitions

• Synthetic – Synthetic gemstones are gemstones that are man made in a laboratory but have a natural counterpart. They possess the same physical, chemical and optical properties as a natural stone.  In many cases the quality of synthetic gemstones is so very good, that it is impossible outside of a laboratory environment to distinguish between synthetic gems and their natural counterpart.
• Imitation or Simulant – These are gemstones that try and look like real natural gemstones but are made of an entirely different material.  They do not possess the same physical, chemical, or optical properties as their natural counterpart.  For example, Red Glass is often used as Imitation Ruby.
• Natural - These are minerals that have been mined from the ground and cut into gemstones.
  

​Natural Gemstones
Natural gemstones are minerals that have been mined from the ground and cut into gemstones. They can be treated with different techniques to improve the color and clarity such as heating, but the main mineral must come from nature. Natural gemstones can take millions of years to create and people have been mesmerized by their beauty since the beginning of time.

Synthetic Gemstones
Synthetic (opposed to Imitation or Simulant) gemstones are those which exactly mimic and are chemically identical to natural gemstones but are man made in a laboratory.   Gems grown in a lab are identical to naturally occurring stones in every sense: chemically, physically, and optically. Costly and rare natural jewels, such as sapphire, emerald, and ruby, are favorite lab-created stones. 

• About the Creation Process 

The mineral composition of lab-created stones is created with a process similar to what nature does beneath the earth over millions of years. However, it is done in a lab in a fraction of the time and for a fraction of the cost of mining. 

• What’s the Benefit? 

The average person would be hard-pressed to tell the difference between most natural and lab-created stone. It takes a trained eye, high magnification, and other instruments. The result is a high-quality, lab-created stone at a price that’s significantly lower than the natural gemstone counterpart.  

Whatever your consideration when buying jewelry, lab-created gems are always an excellent option. 
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Imitation or Simulant Gemstones
Imitation or simulants are gemstones that attempt to look like the real thing. The most common simulant or imitation gemstone found on the market are those that try to replicate a Diamond. Simulants such as synthetic Rutile or Strontium Titanate have been used for decades to try and replicate the sparkle of Diamond. Even though these gemstones are man made they do not have a natural counterpart and this is why they are not classified as high quality synthetics. Glass and plastic are other common imitations that can be found. Blue glass is often offered as blue Sapphire to unsuspecting buyers while plastic beads can be sold as natural pearls.

Aloha Estate Jewelry Policy
At Aloha Estate Jewelry where diamond is the principal gem, or the jewelry item advertised to be diamond, the piece will include only genuine, natural, earth mined, diamonds.  Never synthetic, simulant, or imitation diamonds.  

Where small "accent" stones, typically 1 millimeter in diameter or less, were used to highlight a colored gem (e.g., Ruby, Emerald, Sapphire, Topaz) and found to be other than natural we will fully disclose this in the item description.

For colored gems (e.g., Ruby, Emerald, Garnet, Citrine, Amethyst, etc.) we test each stone "in the setting" in-house.  Only where we can confirm that the gem is natural and earth mined will we include in the item description that it is natural.  All of our colored gemstones will either be natural, and so described, or true synthetic (chemically and optically identical to natural), and not described as natural.  We do not sell any simulant or imitation colored gemstones.

Our 14 day no-questions-asked return policy assures your complete satisfaction with every selection and acquisition of fine estate jewelry.