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Aquamarine: March Birthstone
Many people know aquamarine because it serves as the birthstone for the month of March. Aquamarine rings, earrings, and pendants are popular birthstone gifts.
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What is Aquamarine?
Aquamarine is the name used for gem-quality specimens of the mineral beryl within a color range of greenish blue to blue. The name is used regardless of a stone’s tone or saturation. So, aquamarines can range from a very light, almost imperceptible color to stones with a rich vibrant color. Most aquamarine has a very light color, which…
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Use of Strontium Titanate
Strontium titanate was a very popular diamond simulant in the 1950s through the 1970s and was sold under a variety of trade names. Although its surprising fire captured the attention of consumers, its lack of durability resulted in consumer disappointment. It was replaced by materials such as YAG and cubic zirconia that are superior in…
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Tausonite – The Strontium Titanate Mineral
Naturally occurring strontium titanate was not known as a mineral until its discovery in 1982. It was first found in Eastern Siberia, Russia, and later occurrences were found in Paraguay and Japan. It is a very rare mineral, found in tiny cubic crystals, crystal clusters, and irregular masses. Natural specimens are typically so small and so rare…
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Differentiating Strontium Titanate from Diamond
Strontium titanate can be differentiated from diamond using a number of properties. On a quick visual inspection, an experienced person will see that the dispersion of strontium titanate instantly stands apart from diamond, YAG, GGG, CZ, and moissanite. Strontium titanate sometimes contains bubbles that reveal its lab-created origin, and this distinguishes it from diamond. The…
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Competition From Other Diamond Simulants
Strontium titanate does not have the hardness and toughness of diamond, and that was a problem. It has a hardness of 5.5 — low enough that contact with many common objects could result in a scratch or a damaged facet edge. This deficiency allowed newly developed simulants a place in the market. Starting in the…
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The Rise and Decline of Strontium Titanate
The impressive fire of strontium titanate made the stone a rapid success in the jewelry trade. People loved the intense fire and the lower price compared to diamond, and many purchased strontium titanate instead of diamond. Many people bought it just because they loved its appearance. Savvy merchants invented exotic trade names for strontium titanate…
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What is Strontium Titanate?
Strontium Titanate is a man-made material with a chemical composition of SrTiO3. It grabbed public attention in the early 1950s as a diamond simulant – a material that has an appearance that is very much like diamond but has a different composition and/or crystal structure. When cut and polished like a diamond, strontium titanate has a very…
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Demand for Spodumene
The demand for spodumene is dependent upon the use of lithium in manufacturing. In the past, most lithium compounds and minerals were used to produce ceramics, glass, aluminum alloys, and high-temperature grease. However, in the last two decades an exploding demand for rechargeable batteries to power vehicles, cell phones, tablet computers, cameras, music players, GPS…
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Treatment of Gem-Quality Spodumene
Some gem-quality spodumene will develop a richer color when heated or irradiated. These procedures have been applied to many gems that enter the marketplace. Some of these will fade over time when exposed to direct sunlight. Valuable spodumene gems of any color should be stored away from direct light.