Although the 1980s did not experience the emergence of several totally n e w synthetics that characterized the preceding decade, it was during this period that synthetics matured, with m a n y n e w manufacturers and greater manufacturing capacity. The highlights of this decade incllzde the introduction of A number of n e w synthetic sapphires, rubies, and e meralds, as well as the appearance of the first commercially available cuttnble synthetic diamond. The 1980s also saw the influx into the market of literally tons of synthetic amethyst and thousands of tons of synthetic cubic zirconia. As n e w synthetic products emerged, so did the need for n e w detection techniques. Developments during this decade will provide major challenges i n the years t o come.