Ruby is an expensive red gem with a high degree of transparency. Its cost can range from several hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars, depending on size and purity.
Even people with a wealth above the average jewelry with rubies are not always affordable, since high-quality rubies are rare in nature. But today, artificial rubies are used in the jewelry industry. These are beautiful, bright stones with a high degree of transparency, and jewelry with them turns out catchy and luxurious. But not everyone knows how synthetic rubies differ from natural ones. Therefore, get to know them better.
Natural ruby
Ruby is one of the varieties of corundum. They also include sapphires. Ruby is called those corundums that have red, raspberry, crimson, reddish-violet, saturated lilac and red-brown color. Too light stones, pink and light pink are classified as pink sapphires.
Although technically, ruby and sapphire are identical in composition. Their formula is AI2O3. The difference in color is due only to various impurities. Red color give ruby compounds of chromium.
Corundums take the second place in hardness among all natural stones (9 on the Mohs scale). They are second only to diamonds.
Rubies are very beautiful. They shine beautifully and shimmer brightly under lighting. Most often in jewelry you can see transparent rubies. However, there are also rarer representatives of red corundums - opaque, with the effect of asterism (star-shaped, when impurities form rays) and “cat's eye” (one ray).
The price of rubies is impressive. Refined stone of sufficient purity is sold at 500-600 dollars per carat. Rare stones, with a high degree of transparency or with the effect of asterism, will cost ten times more.
What stones are confused with ruby
How to distinguish between natural and artificial ruby? Here you need to understand that in jewelry not only natural and synthetic red corundums can be present, but also other stones that may try to pass off as a ruby. For example, it could be:
- Almandine - hard pomegranate. But inferior in terms of strength to corundums.
- Pink and red spinel.
- Pink topaz. His jewelers are called "Brazilian ruby."
- Cuprite. Stone made of copper compounds.
- Red tourmaline. You can also hear the name "Siberian ruby."
- Red sphalerite. Rock stones found in Spain.
- Rose quartz.
- Composite red corundum. Natural stone is fused with glass to increase size and weight, and therefore cost.
- Red glass. The cheapest imitation of corundum.
All of these stones and materials have a hardness lower than that of a ruby.
Synthetic ruby - fake or gem
Artificial ruby is common in jewelry. At the same time, sellers do not mention that corundum in the product was synthesized, and call it natural. Are they cheating on the buyer or not?
Technically, still not. Natural and artificial ruby have the same chemical composition and absolutely identical properties. They have the same hardness. At the same time, a synthetic stone is cleaner and has a higher transparency, since there are no various inclusions. But natural stones are more expensive.
History of Synthetic Ruby
Synthetic corundums are also called hydrothermal. The first artificial corundum was born thanks to the work of Mark Gooden in 1837. However, he was in no hurry to adopt his successful experience. At that time, the very idea that people with modest incomes could wear jewelry was a crime in the eyes of the aristocracy.
Then, after 50 years, reconstructed rubies were obtained. They were smelted from crumbs and fragments of natural corundum, so they cannot be called synthetic.
And finally, in 1892 there was a real breakthrough. The Frenchman Auguste Verneuil completely abandoned the use of natural corundums and received a synthetic stone from aluminum oxide.
Production Methods
Today, artificial rubies stones can be obtained using several technologies:
- Verneuil Method. Crystal growing.
- Czochralski method. It is based on the synthesis of corundums by drawing them from the surface. The process begins with the introduction of a crystal with an already embedded lattice structure into the zone. Most often, silicon and germanium are obtained in this way. But with a little modernization, you can produce other crystals.
- Zone melting. One of the variations of directional crystallization. It is mainly used to separate solids from impurities.
- Crystallization from solutions. Corundums are grown from solutions, and the process occurs at temperatures lower than during crystallization of minerals from molten raw materials. This allows you to get cleaner stones with bright colors.
- Obtaining corundum from raw materials in a gaseous state. The method is used for the production of large corundums.
- Hydrothermal method. Artificial ruby is obtained from alumina, silica and chromium compounds. They are placed in a crucible for melting, then in an autoclave. Under the influence of high temperatures, the crystals ripen. Then the temperature regime is changed, and depending on this, stones of different shapes, colors and purities are obtained.
Thanks to modern crystal synthesis techniques, artificial corundum can be obtained in a few minutes.
Features of artificial stone
Artificially grown ruby has a number of features that distinguish it from a natural mineral. The color of the synthetic stone is several times brighter. Over time, synthetic stone does not tarnish, unlike natural.
Artificial rubies are free from flaws. They do not contain extraneous inclusions, and nothing overshadows their brilliance and purity.
The color of synthetic corundums can be any. At one of the stages of production, they are all colorless. But then they add compounds of chromium, vanadium and iron. The palette of the resulting shades is almost richer than that of natural stones. Red-violet rubies (“pigeon blood”) are very popular. The effects of asterism and "cat's eye" are not a guarantee of natural origin. They can also be obtained by artificial method.
How to distinguish natural from artificial ruby
The problem is that the properties and attributes of both minerals are identical. They have the same hardness and other indicators of physical characteristics. However, their cost is different and the synthetic crystal is much cheaper than natural. How to distinguish artificial rubies? To do this, you can use the following methods:
- Synthetic corundum is discolored under an ultraviolet lamp. Any natural crystal retains its original light. This is practically the only true way to distinguish a natural crystal from an artificial one.
- It is believed that natural stone has a more intense natural glow. Therefore, to check the ruby was dipped in milk. If it turns pink, then the stone is real.
- Synthetic corundums are slightly lighter than natural ones. However, without special devices and the presence of a large number of samples for comparison, it is impossible to determine the origin of the stone. Although the jeweler can almost immediately determine this by weight.
- Natural stone has many inclusions, cracks, bubbles and other defects. Too pure crystals are rare in nature.
- Synthetic stones also have bubbles. They are large and whitish. In natural stones, the bubbles are filled with a red gaseous substance.
- Natural stone has a rich color when illuminated from any side. Artificial on some faces becomes pale.
Magical and healing properties
Natural rubies have been valued at all times for their mystical properties. It was believed that they quickly give energy to a person or take its excess. With the help of a ruby or a yacht, as it was called in ancient times, it was determined whether food was poisoned or not. To do this, the crystal was lowered into the bowl and looked to see if the color of the food changed.
Many still believe that rubies attract wealth and good fortune.
However, modern mystics are convinced that synthetic rubies do not have any magical properties.
What you need to know when buying jewelry with stones
Many buyers are worried about not buying a brooch or ring with an artificial ruby instead of a natural one. In order not to accidentally purchase a jewelry with synthetic corundum, you need to remember the following:
- If the seller calls the stone natural, but in fact it turns out to be synthetic, then this is a direct deception of the consumer.
- You must always require a quality certificate for stone. They often indicate where and how the crystal is obtained.
- You can require a test under ultraviolet - an artificial ruby in the rays will discolor, a natural one will retain its color.