What The High Fashion Industry Doesn't Want You To Know

Another player in the high fashion world is the jeweler responsible for accessories and jewelry. Gemstone jewelers in particular may be purposely misleading their customers about where the gemstones came from. 

According to Gemologist Eva Meijer, about 95 percent of rubies and sapphires are not quite natural. "The world of fashion is quite secretive when it comes gemstones, but once you know more about the background, it becomes more understandable," Meijer told me. "It's a common misconception that all gemstones are naturally mined from the earth, untouched beyond the cut and polish. I wish, but that's not the case, and also, would be impossible. Without treatments, there would virtually be no gemstone jewelry industry and you probably wouldn't be able to wear amethyst, citrine, blue topaz, aquamarine, emerald, ruby, and blue sapphire jewelry pieces, to name a few commonly treated gemstones."

Some gemstones are not natural at all and are actually known as synthetic gems. "These [are] the same as a natural gem in terms of chemical composition, crystal structure, optical properties, and appearance except that [they have] been made by humans," explained Meijer. "These synthetic stones are the ones you can call the 'fakes.' I'm not judging, it's perfectly alright to use them as long as you know they were made in a lab and they're cheap!" Talk with your jeweler about where she sources her gemstones and how they have been treated.