| The beryl family of stones in nature varies in | | | | the top and bottom. |
| color from the top of the range green emerald to | | | | These will act as "seeds" for the forming and |
| red bixbite. Between those two are also the | | | | growth of the emerald crystals. The melt has a |
| varieties of blue aquamarine, pink morganite and | | | | density of around 2.8 grams per cubic centimeter |
| yellow heliodor. | | | | and therefore the silica with a density of around |
| Because of the complex, slow, and expensive | | | | 2.6 gm per cc will float in the top part of the melt |
| methods, only emerald is crated commercially. | | | | from where it will slowly dissolve and become |
| The market value of synthetic emerald may only | | | | part of the emerald crystal growing process |
| be as little as ten to fifteen percent of a natural | | | | together with the alumina and beryllium oxide. |
| stone's price. | | | | Emeralds are also produced by a hydrothermal |
| One method of producing synthetic emerald is by | | | | method. Autoclaves or pressure sealed containers |
| heating a mixture of lithium molybdenum and | | | | are filled with a very strong acidic aqueous |
| chromic oxide (the chromic oxide in small | | | | substance, kept at a temperature of 500 to 600 |
| quantities for color) to act as a melt. At the | | | | degrees Celsius with the silica placed on opposing |
| bottom some beryllium oxide on one side and | | | | sides of the alumina and beryllium oxide inside the |
| alumina on the other side will be placed inside the | | | | autoclave with chromium for coloring to dissolve |
| melt bearing crucible. Tiny pieces of beryl are | | | | and bind together as emerald crystals. Growing |
| placed inside the melt where it will float | | | | emeralds is clearly not the typical entrepreneur's |
| somewhere in the middle of the melt between | | | | backyard project to pass time or do as a hobby. |