Lab grown opal

[indyme2]

Kyocera grown.

[jpgold]

How do you grow opal?

[indyme2]

Sept 29, 2014 15:17:12 GMT -5 jpgold said:

How do you grow opal?

Trade secret. Grown in a lab. I don't know the processes. My old employer also grows emeralds, rubies, sapphires and other colored stones. Most are aluminum oxides with trace elements to give different colors. Sintering or flux "drip" grown as I call it. I made many different color of rubies and sapphires when playing with some processes but never made "clear" lab grown stones. Experimented with color changes or enhancing color in natural stones too. Met with some but limited success. The "Thai's" have the heat treating process down to an art and do it without any kind of lab or lab equipment out in the jungle. I spent some time in Thailand but nobody was willing to show any secrets. Just happy to sell me stones. Opals are supposed to be the toughest to make synthetically. Most gemstones in rings today are lab grown. Very few are natural stones.

[jpgold]

Opals are a low temperature mineral I think. Back t my question is if they are kept out of water or a more st environment do they become brittle and crack or break easily? And if so are lab grown specimens just as fragile as the real ones?