An Unusual Synthetic Fancy Sapphire Colored by Co2+ and Co3+

With fibre-optic lighting, faint wisp-like patterning of minute particles casts a reddish appearance in the synthetic sapphire. Photomicrograph by C.P. Smith, magnified 38x.

The intriguing and noteworthy aspect of this 3.73 ct synthetic sapphire is its unusual color. This was the first time the author can recall seeing a synthetic sapphire of this particular color—although it seems that a production has recently entered the marketplace—and such examples demonstrate the addition of an intriguing new color range to the existing synthetic corundum product line via a melt-growth process, such as flame fusion or pulling techniques.

To download a copy click here

---