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Fakes & FraudsList of synthetic and artificial compounds

23rd Nov 2011 21:26 UTCcascaillou

Here is a list of synthetic minerals and artificial compounds:

SYNTHETIC MINERALS:

1)Main synthetic gems:

-synthetic beryl (in many colors) and synthetic emerald (flux or hydrothermal synthesis method)

-synthetic chrysoberyl and color-change synthetic alexandrite (Czochralski pulling method, Floating zone method, flux method, or hydrothermal synthesis method)

-synthetic corundum, in many colors (several existing processes: flux synthesis method, hydrothermal synthesis method, and also several melt processes such as Verneuil flame fusion method, Czochralski pulling method, Kyropoulos method, Bridgman-Stockbarger method, Heat Exchanger method and Floating zone method)

-synthetic diamond (synthetic diamond is made through high-pressure-high-temperature aka HPHT method, or through chemical-vapour-deposition aka CVD method, and synthetic nano-polycrystalline diamond aka NPD is made through an ultra-HPHT sintering process)

-synthetic forsterite (synth. magnesium silicate made through Czochralski pulling method. Let's note that blue synth.forsterite is used as an imitation of tanzanite).

-synthetic lapis lazuli (ceramic type, sintered sodium aluminium silicate with sulfur Na8(AlSiO4)6S2 But let's note that the chemical composition doesn't exactly match lazurite or hauyne)

-synthetic opal (colloidal synthesis sedimentation process, possibly different kind of fabrications)

-synthetic quartz, in many colors (hydrothermal synthesis method)

-synthetic rutile (titanium oxide, made through Verneuil flame fusion method and Floating zone method. Has been used as a diamond imitation)

-synthetic spinel, in many colors (Verneuil flame fusion method, Czochralski pulling method, and flux method)

-synthetic turquoise (ceramic type, sintered copper aluminium hydrous phosphate CuAl6[(OH)2|PO4]4.4H2O Let's note the absence of iron in the chemical composition)

Topaz (hydrothermal method), Zircon (Flux or hydrothermal method) and Tourmaline (hydrothermal method, small crystals, a few millimeters in size) have been synthesized experimentally but these have not been commercialized. At the present time, tanzanite has not yet been synthesized.

Synthetic jadeite has been produced experimentally (high pressure high temperature process) but was not commercialized, and to my knowledge nephrite has not been synthesized.

2)Other synthetic minerals (but not all commercialized):

synthetic alum (and chrome alum), synthetic apatite, synthetic berlinite, synthetic bismuth crystals, synthetic bromellite, synthetic calcite, synthetic cassiterite, synthetic chabazite, synthetic chalcanthite, synthetic chalcedony, synthetic copper crystals, synthetic cuprite, synthetic diopside, synthetic eulytine, synthetic fluorite, synthetic fresnoite, synthetic gahnite, synthetic gold crystals, synthetic greenockite, synthetic gypsum, synthetic halite, synthetic hubnerite, synthetic lopezite, synthetic malachite, synthetic nickel sulfate (retgersite), synthetic periclase, synthetic peridot, synthetic perovskite, synthetic phenakite, synthetic powellite, synthetic proustite, synthetic scheelite, synthetic sellaite, synthetic silver crystals, synthetic sodalite, synthetic sphalerite, synthetic stibiotantalite, synthetic stolzite (aka PWO), synthetic sulphur crystals, synthetic sylvite, synthetic titanite, synthetic villiaumite, synthetic wulfenite, synthetic wurtzite, synthetic zincite, etc...

ARTIFICIAL COMPOUNDS:

1)Main artificial compounds:

Besides plastics, resins, glass and ceramics let's mention:

-cubic Zirconia, aka CZ (cubic ZrO2, made through skull crucible melt process. Used as a diamond imitation)

-gadolinium gallium garnet, aka GGG (Gd3Ga5O12, made through Czochralski pulling method, Floating zone method, or flux method. Used as a diamond imitation)

-moissanite (silicon carbide is made through melt process, CVD or PVT method, or flux method. Used as a diamond imitation. Let's note that there's a natural analogue, however it's very rare and mostly microscopic)

-strontium titanate, aka STO or Fabulite (SrTiO3, made through Verneuil flame fusion method or flux method. Used as a diamond imitation)

-yttrium aluminium garnet, aka YAG (Y3Al5O12, made through Czochralski pulling method, Floating zone method, flux method, or sometimes hydrothermal method. Used as a diamond imitation)

2)Other artificial compounds:

Many different artificial crystals are being synthesized (i.e. well over 100), mostly for optical applications (lasers), and it wouldn't be practical to list them all here. Let's still mention a few ones:

barium titanate, bismuth-germanium oxide (aka BGO), lanthanum-gallium silicate (aka LGS or Langasite), lithium fluoride, lithium niobate (aka LNB or Linobate), lithium tantalate (aka LTA or Litanite), potassium hexacyanoferrate (aka Pruskite), silicon, yttrium-gallium garnet (aka YGG), yttrium-iron garnet (aka YIG), yttrium ortho-aluminate (aka YAlO or YAP), Yttrium orthosilicate (aka YSO), Yttrium ortho-vanadate (aka YVO), Yttrium oxide (aka Yttralox), etc...

Here are links with pictures:

https://www.surfacenet.de/crystals.html
http://www.mt-berlin.com/frames_cryst/crystals_frameset1.htm
http://www.castech.com/products.aspx?bid=3&selectIndex=0

Note: when refractive index isn't found on the supplier website, you can also check here: http://refractiveindex.info/

WHICH SYNTHETIC CRYSTALS ACTUALLY SHOW CRYSTALLINE FACETS:

That is a matter of growth process: flux grown and hydrothermal grown synthetics do show crystalline facets, but synthetic crystals grown by melt processes (Verneuil, Czochralski, Floating zone...) occur as single rounded cylindrical masses called 'boules' which do not look anything like a natural crystal.

However, let's note that such 'boule' can be cut into the shape of a natural looking crystal (with engraved striations to imitate natural growth markings), which is then glued into a natural or reconstituted matrix, or rounded to look like alluvial. Sometimes, to make the stone appear more natural, it is quench cracked so to produce natural-looking fractures in the stone (which fractures may also be filled with some ochre-colour dye or resin so the stone looks like naturally included).

26th Nov 2011 06:36 UTCAnonymous User

sweet list..I will use this as a reference in the future for sure..please add or post anymore info as it comes along

Is this cascaillou from GO?

26th Nov 2011 16:17 UTCcascaillou

yes it's me :-)

just wanted to share the information I already posted there with the mindat community, as I thought that could be useful to mineral collectors too.

9th Feb 2015 15:10 UTCcascaillou

List updated.

9th Feb 2015 18:12 UTCOwen Melfyn Lewis

Nice listing, C :-)

For mineralogists in particular, the following may be helpful. Though indistinguishable in their chemistry and almost all of the essential crystal characteristics, synthetic crystals can show characteristics which are not found in the geologically formed material. There follow three such features, two of which are diagnostic for hydrothermally grown synthetic quartz

:

- All hydrothermally grown (and most other synthetic crystals) have a seed crystal (in the case of hydrothermal growth, a cut seed plate).This may or may not be present once the material has been cut, as cutting can be done in a way that destroys the seed. Note the minute two-phase, liquid and gas, inclusions in the seed plate. I have only seen such inclusions in the natural seed plate and do wonder if it is these that give rise to comment, sometimes read, that such two phase inclusions are to be found in synthetic hydrothermal quartz.

- Synthetically grown crystal can show forms that are not ever found in their geological counterparts.. The image below is a composite of stacked images, so everything in this approx 2cm thick hydrothermal crystal is in perfect focus. The top surface is almost perfectly planar, as is typical of some geological quartz growth. The interior of the crystal is perfectly clean, except for the seed plate that can be spotted if you look for it in this composite image. The image is taken between crossed polars with convergent and transmitted lighting; the mild interference colours (strain?) helping to emphasise the unusual and jagged stepped growth on the opposite side this crystal, a growth form only known in synthetic material. In the hand and without magnification, the effect is of a stippled surface (i.e. not transparent and hence imaged 'from behind'.

- Here, the crystal has been rotated by 90 degrees relative to the position above and (for sympathetic presentation only) by 180 degrees in the lateral plane. The crystal seems twinned,with one twin growing on each of the opposite sides the narrow seed plate. not edgewise on to the line of view. Directionally uneven (anisotrocic) crystal growth means that, in this position, one is looking into a 're-entrant' - a V shape - with the two crystal faces meeting at an obtuse angle. The whole has been kept in focus by utilising stacked images again. The purpose of this shot is to show the 'cobble-stone' appearance of the crystal growth on these faces, again a characteristic of synthetic growth not found in geological formation. Here also, the crystal is imaged in transmitted light between crossed polars with what I take to be fourth order interference colours resulting from mild strain in the crystal, beautifully accentuating this crystal form. Again these are thought to be unique to synthetically grown hydrothermal quartz. Note that the 'cobbling' is growing differently on the two twin faces presenting to the camera.

IMHO, those who would claim that synthetic crystals are without wonder and beauty, have crippled souls :-)

9th Feb 2015 18:29 UTCRob Woodside 🌟 Manager

Thanks Owen ,that's really intersting. Culd you please post those shots to the galleries?

9th Feb 2015 20:10 UTCOwen Melfyn Lewis

Thanks Rob,

Give me a few days to work it out. I have never yet posted to the gallery since almost all my stones either have no known locality, geographical or otherwise (like these) or else the locality is 'dealer's word' only. Since the latter does not always get the mineral species right what hope for locality? This is not a gripe, by the way. Dealers are busy people and those I have dealings with do their best, I'm sure. But they can't be expected to check, in detail. every piece they trade.

Given time, I may add a few shots that give a 'normal' view of the whole crystal, lengthwise, in cross-section to show the re-entrants and also to show the termination(s) (broken where the support wires for the seed plate were chipped out and removed).

9th Feb 2015 20:51 UTCRob Woodside 🌟 Manager

That's great! Thanks Owen.

10th Feb 2015 03:10 UTCcascaillou

I completely agree Owen, synthetics are magnificient materials and I actually wonder if there are any collectors of synthetic crystals? Although it might not be easy to acquire nicely crystallized samples...

10th Feb 2015 14:11 UTCRobert Rothenberg

Cascaillou: For many years, Leonard Morgan (now deceased) would show up at micromount symposia with samples of synthetic gypsum, tin and others that he had made. I would often trade for these and have acquired other synthetics as I came across them. As you suggest, they are not easy to come by, perhaps because they are not "truly minerals" and the mineral collecting community largely disapproves of them. As you also point out, some of them are very nice samples.

Is there a place to upload photos of these?

Bob

10th Feb 2015 14:36 UTCDavid Von Bargen Manager

"Is there a place to upload photos of these?" Other photos - Artificial/synthetic crystal(s)

10th Feb 2015 15:00 UTCOwen Melfyn Lewis

I collect them as I come across them, slowly building a little reference collection as opportunity presents.

A couple of half boules of Djeva flame fusion ruby; a specimen of Ramaura ruby; a nice elongate prismatic Chatham emerald that's rather too included to be cuttable and about ten small examples of Chatham sapphire in various colours.

Also cut example of quartz (blue, round brilliant and pretty), flame fusion ruby and sapphire and corundum in other colours, including a poor colour change. A YAG, a lithium niobate and a strontium titanate. I presently have my eye on a very good Gilson opal.

Always open for trades :-)

I also collect 'classic' fakes when I can find them, e.g. soude emerald, garnet-topped doublet and and a Slocum stone (so poor a fake it makes one want to retch). I haven't collected broken Heineken bottle glass sold as chrome tourmaline rough - but perhaps I really should add a one specimen :-))

It's a small collection, less that 50 pieces to date, all up. But it is growing slowly and has, for me, a very useful place on my overall collection of cut gemstones and broken and complete mineral crystals, .

10th Feb 2015 16:23 UTCcascaillou

nice...I would love to start such a collection if flux grown and hydrothermal grown crystal clusters were a little easier to acquire, but all that is occasionally available for sale as good crystals are quartz, spinel, corundum and emerald.

21st Feb 2015 15:14 UTCAlexander Ringel

I collect synthetic compounds of different kinds (except water soluable, the air here is very humid and tends to destroy such). Slags, Alloys, Gemstones, Crystals of any kind, crystalllized and crystalline industrial byproducts and wastes of many kinds,.. i got about 100 synthetic specimens, but most of them are slags and industrial compunds.

Sadly most crystals of synthetic compounds are really hard to get. But luckily one of my favorite compunds, the silicon carbide, is quite easy to get. 10 of my 100 specimen are silicon carbide samples from some gram up to 1.4 kilogram (all are common industrial samples).

My rarest synthetic crystal is this one, a 2.5 gram flux grown bromellite:

If you speak german, i recommend to read the book "Kristallzüchtung" von 1993 von Klaus-Thomas Wilke ISBN-13: 978-3326000923

It contains all neccessary information about industrial and experimental growing of crystals (compounds and methods) and is really well written.

21st Feb 2015 16:10 UTCOwen Melfyn Lewis

Wow, Alex, that's a great specimen! It simply begs for an afternoon under the microscope :-) How lucky you are....

Many thanks too for the book recommendation. My German has rusted away for lack of use for several decades but I can still get by reading it with the help of a good dictionary. To return that favour, you might like to read a copy of this, '50 Years Progress in Crystal Growth'. Published by Elsevier in 2004, it's a reprint collection of a very interesting papers by or about the the pioneers, other 'greats' and their work in the synthesis of inorganic crystals, The editor is R.S. Feigelson, Professor Emeritus, Materials Science at Stanford University. The papers cover early work, a 400 year Japanese perspective of crystal synthesis and global progress since 1952 (melt and solution growth, high pressure growth and thin film growth. Some 29 papers in all. This hard-bound work is available from http://store.elsevier.com/product.jsp? isbn=9780444516503 Though expensive it is well worth the money I think and is cheaper than the second-hand source I bought my copy from :-(

21st Feb 2015 17:10 UTCAlexander Ringel

When you are already fascinated by the book, which you recomended, you really have to refresh your german. You get with the recomended book much more information for much less (25 bucks). Every at this time (about 1988) known kind of synthesis is described in detailled and really comfortable readable way and there is also described, which compounds with which result has been grown. There are also many photos and drawings in this book. Trust me, when you like the book you recomended and can read german, you really really must have this book.

http://www.amazon.de/Kristallz%C3%BCchtung-5921-490-Joachim-Bohm/dp/3326000928/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1424536763&sr=8-2&keywords=kristallz%C3%BCchtung

21st Feb 2015 17:37 UTCcascaillou

Alexander and Owen, I've listed all the synthetic minerals I had read about but if you know of any others, I'd love to hear about these: could you check in the two books you suggested if there are any other naturally occuring minerals that have been synthesized as crystals (not just crystalline powder) reaching at least 5mm in size? (either flux, hydrothermal or melt processes)

beautiful synthetic bromellite by the way!

I think the best way to get artificial crystals would be to ask directly laser crystals suppliers, here's a directory of such: http://www.rp-photonics.com/bg/buy_laser_crystals.html

There are also several online suppliers specializing in synthetic gemological rough, here is one: http://www.morioncompany.com/

21st Feb 2015 18:09 UTCAlexander Ringel

In my book are many hundreds of synthetic compounds (i just counted them, the list at the end of the supplement to the book contains referrals to aprox 2000 different compounds, which has been mentioned in the book). It would take very much time and effort to search em all out and check if they have a natural counterpart and are thus synthetic minerals. But i guess some hundred from those compounds are synthetic minerals. I really dont want to waste so much time for a list. Such big works are usually not very thankful.

22nd Feb 2015 00:09 UTCcascaillou

well, if you could simply share the content of the few pages that summarize all the artificial compounds mentioned in the book, I'll check against natural minerals myself. I'd be really interested in getting such a list as I've long been wondering about which minerals have been synthesized to date.

22nd Feb 2015 01:10 UTCAlexander Ringel

Despite its age it is still copyrighted material. Law in germany is hard and strange. Lawyers can (and do) hunt and prosecute german copyright law breakers without any police or judges and in masses (called "Abmahnung" and "Abmahnwelle", most germans know what im talking about because its frequently in the news, people have been even prosecuted with hundreds of dollars for few rows of texts or small worthless images) and im not rich, so i will not even think about breaking any copyright in any kind. Here you can buy the book from any place.:

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Kristallzuchtung-J-Bohm-K-Th-Wilke-9783326000923-/351299251719

22nd Feb 2015 04:00 UTCcascaillou

nevermind, for a moment I had forgotten that a table of content/index is also part of the copyrighted content. Anyway, I'll see if I can find a science library that has it available for consultation (indeed all I need are the chemical compounds names, I do not want to buy a book in a language I cannot read).

23rd Feb 2015 15:15 UTCOwen Melfyn Lewis

Alexander Ringel Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> When you are already fascinated by the book, which

> you recomended, you really have to refresh your

> german. You get with the recomended book much more

> information for much less (25 bucks). Every at

> this time (about 1988) known kind of synthesis is

> described in detailled and really comfortable

> readable way and there is also described, which

> compounds with which result has been grown. There

> are also many photos and drawings in this book.

> Trust me, when you like the book you recomended

> and can read german, you really really must have

> this book.

>

> http://www.amazon.de/Kristallz%C3%BCchtung-5921-49

> 0-Joachim-Bohm/dp/3326000928/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qi

> d=1424536763&sr=8-2&keywords=kristallz%C3%BCchtung

Alex,

It's a wicked world we live in :-(

I logged on to Amazon.de and found it for EUR 19.80 plus shipping for a new copy and proceeded to buy it - only to have the process stopped by Amazon.de at the German supplier will not ship to any UK address!! So much for the 'single-market' of the European Union! If I had the time to waste, I would report this breach of the EU trade rules.

So I tried again through Amazon.uk - to find one offer only, second-hand from US dealer at about EUR 150 (+ shipping). If I PayPal to you EUR 35.00, would you order for me and post it on to me when you receive it? If you would be so kind as to do this for me, just PM me your e-mail address for the PayPal transfer to you and I'll e-mail you my postal address with notification of the PayPal transfer. And please enjoy a bier with any money left over :-)

23rd Feb 2015 21:28 UTCAlexander Ringel

That is strange. Ok, i will do it. You get a pm.

23rd Feb 2015 22:13 UTCAlexander Ringel

After i searched alot about delivery cost, i noticed, that i should ensure, that you have tried this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kristallzuchtung-J-Bohm-K-Th-Wilke-9783326000923-/351299251719

Have you?

24th Feb 2015 01:36 UTCOwen Melfyn Lewis

Alex,

You are a scholar and a gentleman. Purchase just made for EUR 31.45, incl postage..

Many thanks :)-D

24th Feb 2015 12:04 UTCAlexander Ringel

No problem. :)-D

I think you will really enjoy this book, as i do.

24th Feb 2015 17:08 UTCcascaillou

I had mentioned that rough of synthetics grown by melt processes do not look anything like natural crystals, but could still be cut to imitate a natural crystal, here are a few examples:

http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd210/rawilus/DSC_6522.jpg

synthetic ruby grown by flame fusion process, which has been cut into the shape of natural-looking crystal and glued in a reconstituted matrix (made of rock powder mixed with resin).

http://pj.b5z.net/i/u/2102552/i/synthetic_rough.1.jpg

another synthetic flame fusion ruby, which was cut in the shape of a natural crystal, engraved with striations (note the dings and the dirt to make the stone look more genuine).

http://www.gia.edu/cs/Satellite?blobcol=gfile&blobheader=image%2Fjpeg&blobkey=id&blobtable=GIA_MediaFile&blobwhere=1355967350747&ssbinary=true

synthetic ruby grown by flame fusion process, which has been cut into the shape of natural crystal and glued in marble matrix.

http://www.gia.edu/cs/Satellite?blobcol=gfile&blobheader=image%2Fjpeg&blobkey=id&blobtable=GIA_MediaFile&blobwhere=1355996453374&ssbinary=true

synthetic ruby versus natural ruby composite stone (triplet), shaped to imitate rough: a slab of flame fusion synthetic ruby was sandwiched between to thin slices of natural ruby showing hexagonal growth figures, the whole assembly was then cut and rounded a bit to look like a rough piece, and the sides of the stone were engraved with striations.

9th Dec 2015 20:19 UTCcascaillou

Another case worth mentioning is synthetic overgrowth over natural crystals. Here's a natural quartz which damaged terminations were re-grown via hydrothermal process (natural quartz overgrown by synthetic hydrothermal quartz):

https://www.mineral-forum.com/message-board/download.php?id=63727

ps: please note that the above specimen was produced only for experimental purpose.

10th Dec 2015 02:50 UTCAlfredo Petrov Manager

Thanks, Cascaillou. Another example of synthetic overgrowth over natural quartz: http://www.mindat.org/photo-591942.html

Here a natural Japan-law twin seed crystal was overgrown with synthetic quartz. The wire used to hang it in the autoclave is seen. Obviously no intent to deceive, so we can't call it a "fake", just an example of the crystal grower's art.

11th Dec 2015 15:22 UTCJamison K. Brizendine 🌟 Expert

The synthetic overgrowth over the original Guerrero amethyst specimen belongs to me. I had commented about the hydrothermal quartz specimens grown by Vlad Klipov on the Friends of Minerals Forum. There is also a thread dedicated to these quartz specimens as well on that website too. I haven't updated any of my newer specimens as I am still trying to photo document other specimens.

This is a picture of the amethyst before the experiment to try and regrow the tips. The size before the experiment was 5 x 5 x 3.75 cm, I haven't measured the specimen overall after it being regrown.

12th Dec 2015 01:19 UTCcascaillou

thanks for sharing! Would you have another picture of this specimen after synthetic overgrowth so we can compare?

12th Dec 2015 01:52 UTCOwen Melfyn Lewis

That would indeed be interesting, in particular to see if the pattern of striations at 90 deg to the C axis is continues. The surface pattern of the overgrowth/extension should be quite different I think?

12th Dec 2015 02:25 UTCDoug Schonewald

Owen I think it is earlier in this same post

12th Dec 2015 02:59 UTCOwen Melfyn Lewis

Thanks. Can't see for sure but, yes, striations appear to be lost. Not enough definition to see what has replaced them. One seems to spend one's life yelling (including at oneself) for 'more light, more magnification and better resolution'....

12th Dec 2015 13:35 UTCcascaillou

as a side note, the purple color which was lost due to the heat involved in the process could possibly be restored by irradiation.

ps: list updated.

12th Dec 2015 22:20 UTCElise Skalwold

The photo posted by cascaillou goes with this closeup, both of which I took of the cluster back in Tucson last February (thank you Jamison for sharing this great specimen at TGMS!). I think you can see surface detail better in the closeup. These are part of our FMF thread which Jamison referenced above: http://www.mineral-forum.com/message-board/viewtopic.php?p=44130&highlight=#44130

12th Dec 2015 23:11 UTCOwen Melfyn Lewis

Thanks. But, oh my, should the result deserve to be called amethyst? Reconstituted quartz crystal, certainly.

21st Dec 2015 13:58 UTCJamison K. Brizendine 🌟 Expert

Cascaillou is indeed correct that the color could be restored with irradiation. I chose, however, to leave it as you see it in Elise’s picture that she took. I took an after picture, but Elise’s picture is better than mine.

Owen, my label for this specimen is “Quartz Var. Amethyst and partially "repaired" by synthetic hydrothermal Quartz.”

3rd Dec 2018 18:20 UTCcascaillou

Here's some really cool artificial material which just came back to my mind and I wanted to share (Cerium doped YAG):

https://www.gemologyonline.com/Forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=21589

That's surrealistically YELLOW.

3rd Dec 2018 19:05 UTCFrank K. Mazdab 🌟 Manager

I just ran across this interesting thread and wanted to contribute a few photos. I've been growing small crystals of flux-grown synthetic minerals, generally pure or trace-element-doped accessory silicates and phosphates, as standards for electron microprobe or SIMS/ICP-MS work.

I've included links to diopside, titanite, monazite and even hafnon I've grown, but my favorite I wanted to post here in-line. It's zircon grown first in a V₂O₅ flux and then finished in Li₂MoO₄/MoO₃ flux. The core is blue due to the incorporation of a small amount of V (presumably V⁴⁺ in for Si⁴⁺) from the first flux, and then a few of those crystals were recovered to act as seeds for the colorless overgrowths grown in the latter flux. These zoned crystals would obviously make terrible standards but were still fun to grow, and were probably only successful because zircon is so chemically resistant that even several days immersed in a 1200° C molten flux couldn't fully resorb the original blue crystals.

monazite with all the naturally-occurring REE except Pr (for analytical reasons): https://www.mindat.org/photo-577758.html

titanite doped with Cr and Nb: https://www.mindat.org/photo-577755.html

hafnon: https://www.mindat.org/photo-577752.html

diopside gown in molten borax: https://www.mindat.org/photo-577751.html

3rd Dec 2018 20:18 UTCcascaillou

Great contribution !

What's the scale graduation for those pictures, millimeters or centimeters?

3rd Dec 2018 20:45 UTCFrank K. Mazdab 🌟 Manager

centimeters? I wish! Then I'd be growing material for the gem market in that case... lol. Unfortunately, the distance above from the 0 to the 1 is just a millimeter. Among my various monazite compositions I have been able to grow some up to about 5 mm. But maybe I just need a bigger crucible and a lot longer growing time to get some of these others up to "wow" size?

3rd Dec 2018 22:57 UTCcascaillou

well 5mm isn't that small, that's enough for a cut stone.

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