The Federal Trade Commission, in an effort to protect the public from fraudulent or misleading advertising claims regarding natural and synthetic gemstones, issued "Facts for Consumers" in 1989 and "All that Glitters: How to Buy Jewelry", in 2000. These publications contained the following definition:
"As their names indicate, Natural stones are found in nature: Synthetic stones are made in a laboratory. Except for their origin, Synthetics are essentially the same as natural stones in their composition and properties, such as hardness and brilliance. By contrast, imitation stones only resemble a natural gemstone's appearance."
The words synthetic and imitation, however, are not good marketing words. As a result, the FTC guidelines state that a synonym is acceptable, provided it clearly discloses the nature of the product and the fact that it is not natural.
For example, when using the term synthetic, one can use 'laboratory-grown', 'created' or 'man-made'. For imitation, one can use, 'simulated', or a similar term.
There are various methods used by the industry to manufacture gemstones. It is important to remember that all synthetics, regardless of the method of manufacture, have to be essentially the same as the natural material.
Therefore, claims that created is better than laboratory grown or that laboratory grown is better than synthetic are just marketing hype.