What's the difference between created and genuine stones?

While it seems that the answer to this question is obvious, it's actually a little more complex. In any gemstone, the color comes from the mineral composition of the stone before it forms (ex. sapphire is the mineral corundum) under intense heat and pressure. Genuine stones are formed in the earth, which leaves the levels of heat and pressure to chance, and can result in inconsistent color saturations or imperfections. Created stones are the same mineral composition as genuine stones, but they are formed in a laboratory where heat and pressure are consistent. This results in more predictability of color and fewer inclusions. Although lab created stones may appear more consistent and at times have nicer color than their genuine counterparts, they are often far less expensive because they are not created in nature. In reality, both genuine stones and lab created stones are like twins--they share the same mineral composition but may appear slightly different.