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Artificial products / Manufactured products · Artificial product type · Synthetic product
Synthetic Quartz
Synthetically made quartz; GB/T 16552-2017 Annex A Table A.4 lists it as "synthetic quartz", and the word "synthetic" must not be dropped from the name. 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 Synthetic Quartz forms and what gives its colourFormation setting, process and timescale, each finding graded and sourced
- How to identify Synthetic QuartzIdentification points from the research literature
- Hardness, density and refractive index of Synthetic QuartzEach value with its source and check date
- Synthetic Quartz in English, Chinese and Japanese; national standard namesNames in four languages, the GB/T standard name and the suggested listing name; and: Has any of GIA, FTC, CIBJO or Gem-A put a name for it on record here?
- Name origin and history of Synthetic QuartzHow people have used it
- Listing and disclosing Synthetic QuartzThe listing name to use; what must be disclosed before sale
- Standard clauses that define Synthetic QuartzWhich 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
Synthetic quartz is silicon dioxide, SiO2, that human operators crystallise under controlled laboratory conditions. CIBJO's definition makes it a synthetic stone — an artificial product whose chemical composition, physical properties and structure match the natural counterpart's essentially — and it arises from no natural geological crystallisation. To obtain colour varieties such as synthetic amethyst, citrine, smoky quartz and green quartz, colouring elements, irradiation or heat treatment may be applied on purpose. It must be named with disclosure: "synthetic/laboratory-grown" plus the counterpart name.
Scope: Applies to explaining the artificially manufactured nature of synthetic quartz, the division of its colour varieties and naming disclosure; not used to describe the ore-forming process of natural quartz.
Sources CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022 · G&G Summer 2014
Where it forms
A controlled laboratory crystal-growth environment: the product is manufactured by humans under controlled conditions, not a natural geological setting.
Sources CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022 · G&G Summer 2014
Natural quartz occurrence settings (pegmatites, hydrothermal veins, sedimentary rocks, etc.) do not apply; synthetic quartz has no natural formation origin, and this entry only names the natural settings that do not apply to it.
Sources CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022 · G&G Summer 2014
How it forms, step by step
Prepare the silicon dioxide feedstock (e.g. quartz or silica), doping with colouring elements if required.
Sources CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
Grow the quartz crystal artificially under controlled laboratory conditions (temperature, pressure and a solution or melt environment).
Sources CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
Subject the crystal to irradiation or heat treatment to produce or adjust the purple, yellow, smoky and green colour varieties.
Sources CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
Cut and polish the material into faceted or cabochon stones and name/disclose it as 'synthetic/laboratory-grown'.
Sources CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
Link to appearance
Because synthetic quartz shares the composition and structure of natural quartz, its appearance can be very similar; its purple, yellow, smoky and green colour varieties are produced by doping and irradiation/heat treatment, giving appearances corresponding to the natural varieties.
Sources CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022 · G&G Summer 2014
Timescale
The sources chosen here record no duration for crystal growth; all they note is that gem-quality synthetic ametrine reached the market starting in 1994.
Sources CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022 · G&G Summer 2014
Supporting findings
Synthetic quartz is man-made silicon dioxide, an artificial product (synthetic stone) under the CIBJO definition, not a product of natural geological crystallisation.
Evidence grade AScope: Defines its man-made nature; does not address natural quartz ore formation.
Sources CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
Human use and museum objects
Gem-quality synthetic ametrine (a synthetic quartz variety) entered the market from Russia beginning in 1994.
Evidence grade AScope: Records the market-introduction date; not a growth process.
How it is identified
Colour and general appearance alone cannot reliably separate natural from synthetic quartz. Laboratory examination combines several techniques: inspecting twinning and colour zoning under the microscope, chemical analysis such as EDXRF, and infrared spectroscopy; for bicoloured material the orientation of the colour boundary relative to the optic axis may be checked with a polariscope fitted with a conoscope, or occasionally a refractometer. Because such readings depend on a trained gemologist's grasp of the material's optics and morphology, the identification should come from a qualified gem laboratory rather than the unaided eye.
Evidence grade AScope: Applies where natural and synthetic quartz must be distinguished; no self-administered criteria are given.
Sources G&G Summer 2014 · CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
Other research findings
A synthetic stone must be named and disclosed as 'synthetic/laboratory-grown + natural counterpart name'; synthetic quartz (e.g. synthetic amethyst) must follow this rule.
Evidence grade AScope: A naming/disclosure rule; not a specific growth process.
Sources CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
In natural ametrine the amethyst-citrine colour boundary runs roughly parallel to the optic axis, whereas in synthetic stones it is oblique; on this basis synthetic quartz can be separated from natural quartz with conventional gem-testing equipment.
Evidence grade AScope: Evidence comes from a synthetic ametrine study and extends to colour-zoned quartz varieties.
Limits of this research
- Research status: Formation, occurrence or other material-specific findings found in authoritative sources
- The selected sources give no specific crystal-growth method (e.g. hydrothermal) nor temperature, pressure or duration parameters, so the growth sequence is described here only in general terms.
- Within this source set, synthetic quartz is documented mainly through the identification of synthetic ametrine and does not cover every colour variety individually.
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
- Synthetic Quartz
GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.4 “Synthetic Quartz” · CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022 4.3.3.1
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
"Synthetic Quartz" 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.4, row 合成水晶 (Synthetic Quartz)
What this means for you
Before buying, check the recommended listing name "Synthetic Quartz" 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
- Synthetic Quartz
VerifyNames, standards, technical facts, clauses and sources
Names
The name register below lists one name for Synthetic Quartz in a non-Latin script: 1 with no restriction recorded on use as a name.
Standard and listing namesThe GB/T 16552—2017 formal name for Synthetic Quartz is the Chinese term for synthetic quartz (Table A.4), and GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.4 lists this name; it is also called regenerated quartz, which in the register is a synonym that can be matched to Synthetic Quartz automatically, with no restriction on its use as a name registered, on the basis of GB/T 16552—2017. The suggested listing name is Synthetic Quartz, and the word synthetic must not be dropped from the name. Trade and mineralogical namesThe mineralogical name is Synthetic quartz. Names in four languagesNames by language: the Simplified Chinese name, the Traditional Chinese name, the English name Synthetic Quartz and the Japanese names. For GSJ (Japan), the entry's own Japanese names are shown, and GSJ (Japan) usage for them is not yet verified by this site. Institution usageOn authority wording, FTC and CIBJO have been checked and neither text has wording for this name; GIA and Gem-A wording is unchecked. Bodies without a recorded wording show the entry's own English name, Synthetic Quartz, which does not represent their position.
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 (1) | ||||
| 再生水晶Simplified Chinese | synonym | matched automatically | no restriction recorded | GB/T 16552—2017 5.1.3.1 e) |
How each authority words this name: see Names › Authority wording.
- GSJ (Japan) formal name
- 合成水晶／合成クォーツ (not yet checked for this body — the entry's own Japanese name is shown)
- Chinese formal name
- 合成水晶 (GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.4)
- Mineralogical name
- Synthetic quartz
Four-language names
- 简体中文
- 合成水晶
- 繁體中文
- 合成水晶
- English
- Synthetic Quartz
- 日本語
- 合成水晶／合成クォーツ
See also: Misleading and prohibited trade names · Supplementary name index
Classification
- Origin
- Artificial products / Manufactured products
- Material domain
- Artificial products / Manufactured products
- Browsing family
- Synthetic gem products
- Identity tier
- Artificial product type
- Mineral chemical class
- Mixed / composition-dependent
- Construction or treatment status
- Synthetic product
What it is and how it's identified
Synthetic Quartz has the (chemical) composition SiO2; it is crystalline and trigonal, with hexagonal tabular-prismatic crystals, and a cobblestone-like texture is often seen on crystal faces. Mohs hardness is 7, and this site notes that hardness alone is not enough to judge durability; cleavage is none. Density is 2.64–2.69 g/cm³; the cited clause gives 2.66 with tolerance +0.03/−0.02, and this site notes that the limits are derived from these. Optic character is anisotropic, uniaxial, positive, refractive index 1.544–1.553 and birefringence 0.009. For the untreated state, pleochroism is weak and varies with colour, fluorescence is none under long-wave UV and none to weak violet under short-wave UV, and lustre is vitreous.
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
Synthetic Quartz — composition (chemistry): SiO2
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): §5.4.10 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Structure
Synthetic Quartz — structure (overall): 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): §5.4.10 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Synthetic Quartz — structure (crystal system): trigonal
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): §5.4.10 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Synthetic Quartz — structure (crystal habit): flat hexagonal prisms; faces usually show a cobblestone-like texture.
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): §5.4.10 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Durability
Synthetic Quartz — Mohs hardness: 7
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
- General note
- hardness only, not durability
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.4.10 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Synthetic Quartz — 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): §5.4.10 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Physical properties
Synthetic Quartz — density: 2.64–2.69 g/cm³
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- Qualification
The clause we cite gives 2.66, with a stated tolerance of +0.03 / -0.02. The range shown here is worked out from that.
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.4.10 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Optical
Synthetic Quartz — optic character: uniaxial, optically positive (anisotropic)
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): §5.4.10 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Synthetic Quartz — refractive index: 1.544–1.553
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): §5.4.10 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Synthetic Quartz — birefringence: 0.009
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): §5.4.10 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Synthetic Quartz — pleochroism: weak; it depends on the body colour.
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): §5.4.10 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Synthetic Quartz — fluorescence (long-wave UV): 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): §5.4.10 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Synthetic Quartz — fluorescence (short-wave UV): none to weak, violet
GB/T 16553—2017
UV fluorescence (short-wave UV)violetnone–weakDots are illustrative colours built from the colour names, not measured values
- 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): §5.4.10 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Synthetic Quartz — spectrum (UV-visible): non-characteristic; cobalt blue: 640 nm absorption band; 650 nm absorption band; 550 nm absorption band; 490~500 nm absorption band.
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): §5.4.10 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Synthetic Quartz — spectrum (infrared): Quartz's diagnostic bands show in the mid-IR; in the functional-group region, the set of OH-vibration bands of synthetic quartz is not the same as that of natural quartz.
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-22
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.4.10 (locator checked 2026-09-22)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-22
Synthetic Quartz — magnification: slag-like inclusions, nail-shaped gas-liquid two-phase inclusions, oriented perpendicular to the seed plate, colour bands running parallel to the seed plate, stress crack (at right angles to the seed crystal plate), no Brazil-law twinning, flame-shaped twinning, seen with a polariscope.
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): §5.4.10 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Synthetic Quartz — body colour: colorless, purple, yellow, green-yellow, grey-green, or cobalt blue (a colour not seen in natural quartz).
GB/T 16553—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- Qualification
The colours GB/T 16553—2017 lists for Rock Crystal overlap with this entry: colourless, purple and yellow; the standard notes that the cobalt blue listed for synthetic quartz has not been found in natural quartz.
- General note
- colour alone is not identity
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.4.10 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Quality factors
Synthetic Quartz — quality factor (lustre): vitreous
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): §5.4.10 (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): 1.548 / 2.67; Closest values: 1Agate 1.537 / 2.63, 2Shoushan Stone 1.56 / 2.7, 3Changhua Stone 1.56 / 2.6, 4Bamboo Coral 1.57 / 2.65, 5Synthetic Beryl 1.57 / 2.69
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
Clause-level definitions
Synthetic Quartz is registered in the clause-level definitions under the entry name Synthetic Quartz, on the basis of GB/T 16552-2017 Annex A, which gives the definition Synthetic quartz. Cross-check result: listed directly in GB/T; not found under a standalone heading of the same name in CIBJO.
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Term | Clause | Definition | Cross-check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Synthetic Quartz | GB/T 16552-2017 Annex A | Synthetic quartz | Listed directly by GB/T; CIBJO carries no standalone entry under the same name. |
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 | Synthetic gem products | Live |
| Related articles | To be added (placeholder) | Planned |
Who maintains this page
The material facts in the Synthetic Quartz 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.