corundum, synthetic corundum.7, Verneuil, gems

Jäger and Huttenlocher investigate synthetic ruby from the standpoint of crystallographic morphology and optical behavior, examining the relationship between the external form and growth of the synthetic material and the crystallographic structure of corundum. They consider the orientation of the optical and crystallographic axes and the characteristic morphology produced during artificial crystal growth, using optical observations to relate the grown material to natural corundum. Particular attention is given to features arising from the growth process and to the extent to which synthetic ruby retains the fundamental optical and crystallographic properties of natural ruby despite its artificial mode of formation. The study is primarily mineralogical and crystallographic rather than gemological, and represents an early investigation of the structure and growth characteristics of manufactured corundum at a time when synthetic ruby was becoming increasingly important for both jewelry and technical applications.