Laboratory experiments in 1981 determined that heat and irradiation can be used to convert natural amethyst into a bicolor material that has an appearance similar to natural ametrine. This process is costly to do well and is not known to have produced a significant amount of treatment-created “ametrine.”

In 1994 a laboratory in Russia began producing small quantities of synthetic bicolor quartz from alkaline solutions using a hydrothermal process. This synthetic material is being cut, mounted in jewelry and sold in the Russian jewelry market. Some is being exported to other countries and sold as “ametrine.” Most of this material has a coloration that an experienced person would immediately recognize as synthetic and not confuse with natural ametrine even though the name is being used.