Strontium Titanate
Strontium Titanate bears a remarkable similarity to diamond, but distinguishes itself through its fire, which is four times greater!
Strontium Titanate is a synthetic gemstone, produced through the combination of two metals: strontium and titanium. It is synthesized through a process known as flame-fusion, where the two metals are heated with a brilliant, hot flame and treated with a mixture of chemicals to produce this marvelous gem.
Purely synthesized strontium Titanate is colorless in appearance, and when it is faceted it creates a brilliant, intense fire, also known as dispersion. This fire is four times greater than that which is seen in diamonds of a similar cut! The inclusion of rare earth metals, through a process known as doping, can produce many varieties of color within this gem, such as red and yellow. As a synthetic gemstone, strontium Titanate is usually free of inclusions, however, on occasion, a bubble can be seen within the stone.
Strontium Titanate is almost always faceted, as it's primarily used as a simulated diamond. It is commonly available in all calibrated fancy cuts seen in the market today. As a simulated diamond, the stone can be distinguished from diamond by its lower hardness on the Mohs scale, and its dispersion of light.
• Long thought to only be a synthetic gem, naturally occurring Strontium Titanate was discovered in 1982.
• It is known as tausonite in the gem trade.
• Strontium Titanate has been sold as Diamontina, Fabulite, and Marvelite, among other trade names.
• This gemstone has been used as a simulated diamond since the 1950's.
• Flame fusion is also known as the Verneuil process, named after its inventor, Auguste Verneuil.
GemGPS
Location: Lab Created
Strontium Titanate was primarily created and developed by a Texas-based company, National Lead Company. The process used to create this gem was patented in 1953. Leon Merker and Langtry E. Lynd are credited with the invention of this gemstone.
• On the Mohs scale, strontium Titanate ranks from 6-6.5.
• Though naturally occurring in the form of tausonite, these crystals are too small to be used in gemstone jewelry.
• The dispersion of light in this stone is four times that of diamond, three times that of cubic zirconia, and twice that of moissanite.
• Strontium Titanate possesses an adamantine luster.