Post subject: EDU - Hydrothermal synthetic emerald "Biron"
Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 8:05 pm
Valued Contributor
Joined: Sat Oct 13, 2007 9:03 am Posts: 109 Location: Italy
This synthetic beryl / synthetic emerald grown in Western Australia is synthesized by a hydrothermal process. It contain vanadium as well as lesser amounts of chromium. The Biron synthetic is inert to ultraviolet radiation, has a specific gravity of 2.68-2.71, and refractive indices of ε = 1.569 and ω = 1.573 Some typical inclusions that I have photographed:
Nail head spicules
60X ZEISS Stemi 2000C 1/8'' on Nikon D300, darkfield and fiber optics illuminator, 8 stacks
Morphology of a nail head spicules
80X ZEISS Stemi 2000C 1/8'' on Nikon D300, Infrared inverted
Veil-like inclusions and fingerprints
40X ZEISS Stemi 2000C 1/4'' on Nikon D300, darkfield
Feathers
15X ZEISS Stemi 2000C 1/4'' on Nikon D300, darkfield
Undulating growth pattern
15X ZEISS Stemi 2000C 1/4'' on Nikon D300, darkfield
Undulating growth pattern
15X ZEISS Stemi 2000C 1/4'' on Nikon D300, darkfield
Ciao Paolino
_________________ Paolo Cerruti G.G. (GIA)
"When the winds of change blow, some people build walls and others build windmills" www.paolocerruti.it
Last edited by Paolo Cerruti on Tue Jul 17, 2012 6:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Post subject: Re: EDU - Hydrothermal synthetic emerald "Biron"
Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 6:35 pm
Valued Contributor
Joined: Sat Oct 13, 2007 9:03 am Posts: 109 Location: Italy
Thank you all! I hope that those photos can help someone during his gemology studies. I've added three new pics that concern the typical growth pattern of these hydrothermal emeralds.
Ciao Paolino
_________________ Paolo Cerruti G.G. (GIA)
"When the winds of change blow, some people build walls and others build windmills" www.paolocerruti.it
Post subject: Re: EDU - Hydrothermal synthetic emerald "Biron"
Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 8:16 pm
Platinum Member
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2006 1:20 am Posts: 2756 Location: Southern California, U.S.A.
Hi Paolo, Have you studied any hydro emeralds from other sources? I'm curious to learn if you've seen the undulating growth pattern in emerald grown by other manufacturers. I have some material that was grown in Russia at the United Institute of Geology and Geophysics that shows what appears to be the same thing. The pattern certainly help distinguish it from natural emerald I've studied very quickly with only a loupe.
A gemological study done by Dr. Guennadi Boukine of Novosibirsk, Russia, mentions what he calls "optical inhomogeneity" in both the Russian emerald and the Biron, along with healed microcracks.. I wonder if the undulating growth pattern is what he had in mind with that term. Additional inclusions mentioned in the Biron are 2-phase inclusions, gold and phenakite. In the Russian stone he additionally found both 2 and 3-phase inclusions (surprise Chivor!), hematite and phenakite.
If you're interested in studying the Russian material I'll be happy to send you a stone or two on the condition that you post some images here.
Post subject: Re: EDU - Hydrothermal synthetic emerald "Biron"
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 7:44 am
Valued Contributor
Joined: Sat Oct 13, 2007 9:03 am Posts: 109 Location: Italy
ROM wrote:
Hi Paolo, Have you studied any hydro emeralds from other sources?
Dear Rom I've seen some other hydrothermal emeralds with chevron, "hound's tooth structures" during my GIA courses. But I didn't know the manufacturers of these synthetic stone.
paolocerruti wrote:
If you're interested in studying the Russian material I'll be happy to send you a stone or two on the condition that you post some images here.
Sure Rom, I'll very happy if you want send me your stones, you send me a PM so we arrange for the expedition
Egor Gavrilenko wrote:
For the picture #2, "infrared inverted" - could you explain this technique?
Hi Egor, thank you, the infra red inverted is a simple technique that expose the stone at infra red light and after it is inverted with photoshop filter to increase the contrast of the edge and to remove the background colour.
Egor Gavrilenko wrote:
Yes, veils of inclusions are possible in Biron, they are described and photographed in this classic article
Yes, veils inclusions are possible in Biron, even in photoatlas 1 they are mentioned.
Alberto wrote:
Paolo, are you 1000% sure that stone is Biron too? Do it has that typical growth structures? Not too low RI? Fluorescence?
They are inert at SWUV and LWUV fluorescence. R.I is 1.569 and ω = 1.573 very low I'm sure that these stones are Biron, my uncle bought it in Bangkok three years ago. He bought a one piece of rough synthetic crystal and he cut it in 15 stones
Ciao Paolino
_________________ Paolo Cerruti G.G. (GIA)
"When the winds of change blow, some people build walls and others build windmills" www.paolocerruti.it
Last edited by Paolo Cerruti on Thu Jul 19, 2012 8:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
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