On this page
UnderstandWhat it is, what people ask, how far this page goes
Artificial products / Manufactured products · Artificial product type · Imitation; record actual material
Plastic
Also known asArtificial Resin (conditional name) · Resin (conditional name)
Man-made polymer material. GB/T 16552-2017 Annex A Table A.5 lists it as a basic name for artificial gem products, and it must not be sold as a natural or synthetic gem. Also known as Resin, Artificial Resin. This page compares how the major standards and institutions name it, what must be disclosed when selling it, whether it can be worn every day, how it is treated and identified, and which source each conclusion comes from.
Price, rarity and origin are outside the scope of this wiki.
What this page can answer
This page covers
- How Plastic forms and what gives its colourFormation setting, process and timescale, each finding graded and sourced
- How to identify PlasticHow far lab testing can go
- Caring for and wearing PlasticCleaning, heat, chemicals and light, as the cited sources give them
- Hardness, density and refractive index of PlasticEach value with its source and check date
- Plastic in English, Chinese and Japanese; national standard namesNames in four languages, the GB/T standard name and the suggested listing name, names in national standards; and: Which of GIA, FTC, CIBJO and Gem-A have a name for it on record, and do those agree?
- Listing and disclosing PlasticThe listing name to use; what must be disclosed before sale
- Standard clauses that define PlasticWhich clause defines it, each cross-checked
What we cannot conclude
- Whether one particular bead is natural, treated or synthetic — only a laboratory report can settle that.
- Geographic origin, unless an origin report accompanies the item.
- Price, rarity or investment value: this wiki covers naming and disclosure only.
Material research: formation, causes and history
What authoritative sources say about how this material forms, what causes its colour and optical effects, where its name comes from and how people have used it. Each statement carries an evidence grade and its sources; it describes the material in general, not any specific piece.
How it forms
Plastic is a synthetic polymer, and it functions as a material category rather than a specific gem variety. It commonly imitates gemstones in cheap fashion jewellery, and has also been fashioned into persuasive stand-ins for organic gems (amber, pearl, coral) and aggregate materials (jade, turquoise, lapis). Because plastic imitations lack durability, careful handling is needed to avoid damaging them. Being man-made, it does not form in nature; its production is a synthetic process.
Scope: Applies to explaining plastic as a category of artificial material, its uses in imitation gems/organic gems and its durability limits; does not apply to any description of natural genesis.
Sources GIA Introduction to Imitation Gems · CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
Where it forms
Manufacturing environment: a chemical-plant/workshop setting for synthesizing polymers; no natural occurrence environment applies to this record.
Sources GIA Introduction to Imitation Gems · CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
Not applicable to a natural occurrence environment: plastic is wholly manufactured, and no natural occurrence environment exists for it.
Sources GIA Introduction to Imitation Gems · CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
How it forms, step by step
Synthesize a polymer material by man-made methods.
Sources GIA Introduction to Imitation Gems · CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
Shape or mould the material into beads, faceted pieces, or other finished items.
Sources GIA Introduction to Imitation Gems · CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
(If required) color or work it to imitate the appearance of a specific gem or organic gem.
Sources GIA Introduction to Imitation Gems · CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
Link to appearance
Plastic's imitation appearance comes from its moldability and colorability: it can be worked to imitate many gems, organic gems, and aggregate materials, but appearance alone cannot prove identity.
Sources GIA Introduction to Imitation Gems · CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
Timescale
The source states no introduction date or manufacturing duration for plastic as a material.
Sources GIA Introduction to Imitation Gems · CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
Other research findings
Plastic serves widely as a gemstone imitation in cheap fashion jewellery, and has likewise been fashioned into persuasive stand-ins for organic gems (amber, pearl, coral) and aggregate materials (jade, turquoise, lapis).
Evidence grade AScope: Applies to plastic's range of use as an imitation; not to identifying a specimen's true material.
Sources GIA Introduction to Imitation Gems
Because plastic imitations lack durability, careful handling is needed to avoid damaging them.
Evidence grade AScope: Applies to the durability limitation of plastic imitations; does not quantify their service life.
Sources GIA Introduction to Imitation Gems
Under CIBJO, artificial uncrystallised products include man made glass, lead glass, plastic and products of various compositions, used to imitate the appearance of gemstones and organic gem materials.
Evidence grade AScope: Applies to plastic's place in CIBJO's classification; not to any specific plastic type.
Sources CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
CIBJO's naming rules require a manufactured non-crystalline product to carry the proper name of its constituent material (for instance 'glass', 'plastic' or 'ceramic'); alternatively it may be named after the natural material it copies, with the word 'imitation' placed before it.
Evidence grade AScope: Applies to the naming of artificial uncrystallised products including plastic imitations; not to specific contract terms.
Sources CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
Limits of this research
- Research status: Only partial material-specific findings found; gaps are stated as gaps
- The cited sources give no specific chemical composition, introduction date, or process parameters for plastic as a material.
- This record is handled as a material category, not for any specific plastic type or specimen.
Methodology
- Origin determination and its limits
- Quality grading and value factors
- How gemmology became a technical discipline
Evidence grades
- A
- Standards bodies, government geological surveys, peer-reviewed research and museum records
- B
- Institutional educational material
- C
- Specialist databases or cautious readings
A statement is never graded above its strongest source.
This section is LumaLark's own factual restatement of public authoritative sources, credited item by item; it contains no verbatim excerpts, images or third-party logos.
DecideListing name, disclosure, care and treatments
- Suggested listing name
- Plastic beads (state the polymer)
GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.5 “Plastic” · CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024 §7.2.1.181 “Plastic”
This page cannot answer
Natural? · Origin · Price
A lab report settles these; this wiki covers naming and disclosure.
Related:What this page can answer
Answer at a glance
"Plastic" is a market name rather than a mineral species name; before using it, verify: Not a mineral: man-made or non-mineral material.
Evidence
- GB/T · Table A.5, row 塑料 (Plastic)
What this means for you
Before buying, check the recommended listing name "Plastic beads (state the polymer)" and any disclosed treatments on this page, and ask the seller for a grading report if in doubt.
Known uncertainty
- This entry's exact material identity is not fully settled.
- See “Disclosure and cautions” above
- Last reviewed
- 2026-09-01
Trade-name ruling
- Not a mineral: man-made or non-mineral material.
- Suggested listing name
- Plastic beads (state the polymer)
Care and wear
Care
Plastic — care (cleaning): dust plastic pieces dry with a cloth, brush or vacuum rather than using water or solvents.
NPS Conserve O Gram 8/4
- Treatment state
- any treatment state
Source & check 2026-10-06
- Source
- National Park Service, Conserve O Gram 8/4, “Care and Identification of Objects Made from Plastic” (September 2010): p.3, body text (locator checked 2026-10-06)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-10-06
Plastic — care (heat): As a rule, warmer conditions make plastics deteriorate faster, so keep them cool and at a steady temperature.
NPS Conserve O Gram 8/4
- Treatment state
- any treatment state
Source & check 2026-10-06
- Source
- National Park Service, Conserve O Gram 8/4, “Care and Identification of Objects Made from Plastic” (September 2010): p.2, body text (locator checked 2026-10-06)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-10-06
Plastic — care (light): All plastics are harmed by visible light and above all by UV, which discolours them and speeds up their breakdown.
NPS Conserve O Gram 8/4
- Treatment state
- any treatment state
Source & check 2026-10-06
- Source
- National Park Service, Conserve O Gram 8/4, “Care and Identification of Objects Made from Plastic” (September 2010): p.2, body text (locator checked 2026-10-06)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-10-06
Plastic — care (storage): Keep plastic items somewhere cool, dry, dark and well aired.
NPS Conserve O Gram 8/4
- Treatment state
- any treatment state
Source & check 2026-10-06
- Source
- National Park Service, Conserve O Gram 8/4, “Care and Identification of Objects Made from Plastic” (September 2010): p.3, body text (locator checked 2026-10-06)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-10-06
Each row's “Source & check” expands to the full source; the date beside it is the fact check date.
Common care questions and matching entries
Each question links to the matching entries on this page; whether they answer it fully, go by the entry wording.
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Question | Matching entries |
|---|---|
| Can it go in an ultrasonic or steam cleaner? | dust plastic pieces dry with a cloth, brush or vacuum rather than using water or solvents |
| Heat and thermal shock | As a rule, warmer conditions make plastics deteriorate faster, so keep them cool and at a steady temperature |
| Light and display | All plastics are harmed by visible light and above all by UV, which discolours them and speeds up their breakdown |
VerifyNames, standards, technical facts, clauses and sources
Names
Besides Plastic, the name register records "Artificial Resin" and "Resin", for which no restriction on use as a name is recorded (GB/T 16552 revision draft for comment (2023, not in force) Table A.5; GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.5 “Plastic”; GB/T 16552—2017 B B.1); one further name in a non-Latin script is listed in the name register below (1 with no restriction recorded on use as a name).
Standard and listing namesThe GB/T 16552—2017 formal name for Plastic is plastic (Table A.5); the mineralogical name is Manufactured polymer material, and the trade name/synonym is Resin (only where applicable); the suggested listing name is plastic beads (stating the polymer). Names in four languagesNames are given in four languages: Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English (Plastic) and Japanese (a katakana transliteration). Institution usageOn authority wording, CIBJO records Artificial product: Plastic; GIA, FTC and Gem-A wording is unchecked, and where unchecked the entry's own English name Plastic is shown, which does not represent the position of GIA, FTC or Gem-A. Japanese namesFor Japan's GSJ, the entry's own Japanese name is the katakana form, and Japan's GSJ wording for it is not yet verified by this site. National standard namesGermany (RAL) writes Kunststoff, and the EU writes Plastic. Candidate search termsArtificial Resin and its Chinese equivalent serve only as search candidates, with sources including the GB/T 16552 revision draft for comment (2023), which is not in force; Resin is a market name, matched only once the condition is confirmed, on the basis of a ruling by this site (no clause attached).
Name register
Every name recorded for this entry, with how it is classified, whether it may be matched to this entry automatically, whether it may be used as a product name, and the clause it rests on.
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Name | Type | Matching | Use as a name | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| no restriction recorded (3) | ||||
| Artificial ResinEnglish | synonym | search candidate only | no restriction recorded | GB/T 16552 revision draft for comment (2023, not in force) Table A.5; GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.5 “Plastic”; GB/T 16552—2017 B B.1; Note: Draft standard for comment, not in force. |
| ResinEnglish | market name | matched only once the condition is confirmed | no restriction recorded | editorial ruling (no clause cited) |
| 人工树脂Simplified Chinese | synonym | search candidate only | no restriction recorded | GB/T 16552 revision draft for comment (2023, not in force) Table A.5; GB/T 16552—2017 B B.1; GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.5 “Plastic”; Note: Draft standard for comment, not in force. |
How each authority words this name: see Names › Authority wording.
- GSJ (Japan) formal name
- プラスチック (not yet checked for this body — the entry's own Japanese name is shown)
- Chinese formal name
- 塑料 (GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.5)
- Mineralogical name
- Manufactured polymer material
- Trade names and synonyms
- Resin (market name; conditional name) · Artificial Resin (synonym; conditional name)
Four-language names
- 简体中文
- 塑料
- 繁體中文
- 塑料
- English
- Plastic
- 日本語
- プラスチック
National and regional formal names
- Germany (RAL)
- Kunststoff
- European Union
- Plastic
See also: Misleading and prohibited trade names · Supplementary name index
Classification
- Origin
- Artificial products / Manufactured products
- Material domain
- Artificial products / Manufactured products
- Browsing family
- Imitation gem products
- Identity tier
- Artificial product type
- Mineral chemical class
- Mixed / composition-dependent
- Construction or treatment status
- Imitation; record actual material
What it is and how it's identified
Registered material facts for Plastic: the main constituent elements are C, H and O; structure amorphous; cleavage none. A Mohs hardness of 1–3 and a density of 1.05–1.55 g/cm³ are the typical common values given by the cited clause, not absolute limits; a refractive index of 1.46–1.7 is the common spot-method reading given by the cited clause, not an absolute limit. Optical character isotropic, birefringence none, transparency transparent to opaque. Untreated Plastic melts and gives off an acrid odour when touched with a thermal needle; pleochroism none; luminescence varies with colour and composition; magnification shows gas bubbles, flow lines, an "orange-peel" effect and rounded facet edges; lustre waxy or resinous. The body colour of untreated Plastic covers all colours, with GB/T 16553—2017 also recording red, orange-yellow, yellow and similar colours as common. Plastic feels warm to the touch and becomes electrically charged when rubbed; there are infrared absorption bands characteristic of plastic in the mid-infrared region. CIBJO registers the optical effect of Plastic as play-of-colour.
Registered material facts
Each row carries its own source and check date and can be cited on its own; “—” means the cited source gives no value, not “none”.
Definition
Plastic — composition (chemistry): built chiefly of C, H and O.
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.4.19 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Structure
Plastic — structure (overall): amorphous (not crystalline)
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.4.19 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Durability
Plastic — Mohs hardness: 1–3
GB/T 16553—2017
Reference points on this site: Talc 1–3, Fluorite 4, Apatite 5–5.5, Orthoclase 6–6.5, Topaz 8, Diamond 10 (Source: GB/T 16553—2017); Gypsum 1.5–2, Calcite 3, Quartz 7 (Source: Handbook of Mineralogy); Corundum 9 (Source: GIA Gem Encyclopedia (care guide))
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- Qualification
The clause we cite gives this as a typical value. It is a common value, not an absolute limit.
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.4.19 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Plastic — cleavage: none
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.4.19 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Plastic — stability: melts when touched with a hot needle and gives off a pungent smell.
GB/T 16553—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.4.19 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Physical properties
Plastic — density: 1.05–1.55 g/cm³
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- Qualification
The clause we cite gives this as a typical value. It is a common value, not an absolute limit.
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.4.19 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Plastic — feel (warmth to the touch): feels warm to the touch
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.4.19 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Plastic — triboelectricity: becomes electrically charged when rubbed
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.4.19 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Optical
Plastic — optic character: isotropic material
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.4.19 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Plastic — refractive index: 1.46–1.7
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- Qualification
The clause we cite gives this as a value commonly read by the spot (distant-vision) method. It is a common value, not an absolute limit.
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.4.19 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Plastic — birefringence: none
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.4.19 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Plastic — transparency: transparent to opaque
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.4.19 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Plastic — pleochroism: none
GB/T 16553—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.4.19 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Plastic — fluorescence (overall): varies with colour and composition
GB/T 16553—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.4.19 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Plastic — spectrum (UV-visible): non-characteristic
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.4.19 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Plastic — spectrum (infrared): Mid-IR absorption follows the pattern typical of plastic
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.4.19 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Plastic — optical effect (play of colour): play-of-colour.
CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024
Source & check 2026-09-22
- Source
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-22
Plastic — magnification: bubble, flow lines, "orange peel" surface, rounded edges between facets.
GB/T 16553—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.4.19 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
body colour2 sources compared
Plastic — body colour: various colors, generally red, orange-yellow, yellow, etc.
GB/T 16553—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- Qualification
GB/T 16553—2017 sums up the colour of Plastic as “all colours”; in its chapter 5, Tourmaline, Calcite, Opal and other variety clauses likewise say “all colours” or “all body colours”.
- General note
- colour alone is not identity
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.4.19 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Plastic — body colour: All colours.
CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Qualification
Chapter 7 of the CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book sums up the colour of Plastic as “all colours”, as it does for Chalcedony and Opal.
- General note
- colour alone is not identity
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
How the sources relate
- GB/T 16553—2017 and CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024
Both say plastic comes in all colours; GB/T 16553—2017 adds that red, orange-yellow and yellow are common.
- CIBJO definitions
- play of colour
Quality factors
Plastic — quality factor (lustre): waxy and resinous
GB/T 16553—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.4.19 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Each row's “Source & check” expands to the full source; the date beside it is the fact check date.
This material (RI / SG midpoints): 1.58 / 1.3; Closest values: 1Turtle Shell 1.545 / 1.31, 2Amber 1.54 / 1.03, 3Jet 1.66 / 1.32, 4Black Coral 1.565 / 1.71, 5Mammoth Ivory 1.53 / 1.75
Show the full chart (330 registered materials)
Outside the full chart's range, drawn as triangles at the edge (RI / SG midpoints): Hematite 3.045/5.12, Synthetic Rutile 2.76/4.26, Rutile 2.753/4.23, Synthetic Moissanite 2.67/3.22
Testing and market
The tests the CIBJO laboratory protocol requires for this material, and what each method means, are in the protocol table on the laboratory testing page: §6.1.62.
How far testing can go
Each row's “Source & check” expands to the full source; the date beside it is the fact check date.
Clause-level definitions
Plastic has a clause-level definition in CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024 under the term Plastic. The CIBJO wording is quoted in full under Clause-level definitions on this page. The cross-check shows it is defined directly by CIBJO and also appears in the GB/T annex.
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Term | Clause | Definition | Cross-check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plastic | 7.2.1.181 | Plastic is an amorphous artificial material consisting of long chain-like molecules (polymers), usually rich in carbon and hydrogen. All colours, commonly used as an imitation for various gems, particularly materials of organic origin such as amber, coral, jet, ivory; also produced with play-of-colour as imitation of opal | Defined directly by CIBJO; also present in the GB/T annex. |
Evidence and sources
Authority basis and clause sources
Sources
- CIBJO – The World Jewellery Confederation. Gemmological Laboratories Book (Blue Book), Gemmological Commission 2024-1.
- CIBJO – The World Jewellery Confederation. The Gemstone Book (Blue Book), 2022.
- SAMR / SAC (China). GB/T 16552—2017 Gems — Nomenclature.
- Federal Trade Commission (United States). In the Loupe: Advertising Diamond, Gemstones and Pearls.
Further reading
Related entries and topic cluster
Parent entry and related pages on this site. Rows marked “Planned” are suggested new content and have no link yet.
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Page | Content | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Browsing family | Imitation gem products | Live |
| Related articles | To be added (placeholder) | Planned |
Who maintains this page
The material facts in the Plastic entry are maintained by the LumaLark wiki and matched one by one to the standard clauses or institutional sources they cite: every fact carries its source (with a clause or page locator) and a check date, so it can be traced back to the original; clause-level definitions also carry a cross-check result. The entry exists so that buyers and sellers can check naming, disclosure and material facts item by item.