Darkmage
Most lab-created stones are technically flawless. They have to be because a lot of them have technical applications, like mirrors and lasers and whatnot. One can't have a lot of inclusions when making a laser lens.
I like lab-created stones because they are the real thing--they're chemically and structurally identical to the ones pulled out of the ground. They're a hell of a lot cheaper, though, as they're produced in quantity, and they're coming from labs and not from (often) questionable Third World sources. I may not like kids, but I also don't relish 10 year olds forced into slave labour to dig up diamonds, or proceeds from rubies smuggled into Thailand going to the Burmese junta. Give me a karmically clean one from a laboratory.
Some stones I work with, like obsidian and clear quartz, are cheap and abundant, especially here in AZ. A lot of obsidian is found here or just across the border in Mexico. Onyx is the same way. It's mainly the precious stones that have issues.
I'm lucky--we have a whole season of rock and gem shows in the spring. A lot of the dealers go out in the desert and dig up their own inventory. They can tell you exactly where a sample was found and how they got it--not always, but often. The worked stuff often comes out of China but I'd still rather buy from people I know. The dealers will also often give discounts to people they know.
YMMV so do what feels right.
I like lab-created stones because they are the real thing--they're chemically and structurally identical to the ones pulled out of the ground. They're a hell of a lot cheaper, though, as they're produced in quantity, and they're coming from labs and not from (often) questionable Third World sources. I may not like kids, but I also don't relish 10 year olds forced into slave labour to dig up diamonds, or proceeds from rubies smuggled into Thailand going to the Burmese junta. Give me a karmically clean one from a laboratory.
Some stones I work with, like obsidian and clear quartz, are cheap and abundant, especially here in AZ. A lot of obsidian is found here or just across the border in Mexico. Onyx is the same way. It's mainly the precious stones that have issues.
I'm lucky--we have a whole season of rock and gem shows in the spring. A lot of the dealers go out in the desert and dig up their own inventory. They can tell you exactly where a sample was found and how they got it--not always, but often. The worked stuff often comes out of China but I'd still rather buy from people I know. The dealers will also often give discounts to people they know.
YMMV so do what feels right.