CHAPTER – II

PROFILE OF SYNTHETIC GEM INDUSTRY IN TIRUCHIRAPPALLI DISTRICT

Profile of Tiruchirappalli District:16

Tiruchirappalli District is located along the Kaveri River in Tamil Nadu, India. The main town in Tiruchirappalli District is the city of Tiruchirappalli, also known as Trichy. During the British Raj, Tiruchirappalli was known as Trichinopoly, and was a district of the Madras Presidency; it was renamed upon India's declaration of independence in 1947.It is the Fourth largest municipal corporation in Tamil Nadu and also the Fourth largest urban agglomeration in the state.

History: The city is believed to be of significant antiquity and has been ruled, at different times, by the Early Cholas, Early Pandyas, Pallavas, Medieval Cholas, Later Cholas, Later Pandyas, Delhi Sultanate, Madurai Sultanate, Vijayanagar Empire, Nayak Dynasty, the Carnatic state and the British. The archaeologically important town of Woraiyur which served as the capital of the Early Cholas is a suburb of Tiruchirappalli. The city has a number of historical monuments, Ranganathaswamy temple at SriRangam, the Rockfort and the Jambukeswarar temple at Thiruvanaikaval being the most prominent among them. Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple, the seat of the pontiff of Vaishnavite, is built on an island amidst the waters of Kaveri and Kollidam rivers.

16. www.trichycorporation.gov.in

32 This temple with 21 gopurams (Temple Towers) was primarily built between fourteenth and eighteenth century.

Tiruchirappalli is one of the oldest inhabited cities in Tamil Nadu, its earliest settlements dating back to the second millennium BC. Woraiyur, which served as the capital of the Early Cholas from the third century BC to the third century AD is identified by some with a suburb of present-day Tiruchirappalli. The city is mentioned as "Orthoura" by the historian, Ptolemy. The world's oldest surviving dam, the Kallanai, was built by Karikala Chola across the Kaveri River, about 24 kilometres (15 mi) from Woraiyur.

Tiruchirappalli is an important industrial and educational hub of central Tamil Nadu. The factories of Ordnance Factories Board such as Ordnance Factory Tiruchirappalli and Heavy Alloy Penetrator Project, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and Golden Rock Railway Workshops are located in Tiruchirappalli. The National Institutes of Technology (NIT), Indian Institute of Management, Bharathidasan University and Anna University of Technology have their campuses in the city. Tiruchirappalli is internationally popular for a brand of cheroot known as the Trichinopoly cigar which was exported in large quantities to the United Kingdom in the 19th century. Tiruchy, especially Woraiyur, is popular for three things. One is Handloom Cotton Sarees, Second is Synthetic Gems and third is Cigars.

Tiruchirappalli is administered by a municipal corporation established as per the Tiruchirappalli City Municipal Corporation Act 1994. Tiruchirappalli is well-connected by road, rail and air. There are

33 passenger flight services to destinations in South-East Asia and the Middle East.

Geography: Tiruchirappalli district lies at the heart of Tamilnadu. The district has an area of 4,404 square kilometers. It is bounded in the north by Salem district, in the northwest by Namakkal district, in the northeast by Perambalur district and Ariyalur district, in the east by Thanjavur District, in the southeast by Pudukkottai district, in the south by Madurai district and Sivagangai district, in the southwest by Dindigul district and, in the west by Karur district. Kaveri River flows through the length of the district and is the principal source of irrigation and water supply.

Table – 2.1 Religions in Tiruchirappalli Religions Percent Hinduism 84.39% Christianity 9.02% Islam 6.46% Others 0.13% Total 100.00%

According to the 2011 census Tiruchirappalli district has a population of 2,713,858, (Male: 1347863 and Female: 1365995) roughly equal to the nation of Kuwait or the US state of Nevada. This gives it a ranking of 146th in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of 602 inhabitants per square kilometer (1,560 /sq mi) .Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 12.22%.

34 Tiruchirappalli has a sex ratio of 1013 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 83.56%, higher than the state average.

The population is predominantly Hindu, and there are sizeable numbers of Christians and Muslims. Sikhs and Jains are also present in smaller numbers. The most widely spoken language is Tamil, though there are also significantly large number of people speaking Telugu, Saurashtrian and Kannada. The standard dialect of Tamil spoken is the Central Tamil dialect. Saurashtrian is the mother tongue of the Patnūlkarars who migrated from Gujarat in the 16th century AD. There is also a substantial population of Sri Lankan Tamil migrants, most of who are housed in refugee camps on the outskirts of the city. Roman Catholics in Tiruchirappalli are affiliated to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tiruchirappalli while Protestants are affiliated to the Trichy–Tanjore Diocese of the Church of South India. As a separate division the Southern Railway is headquartered at Tiruchirappalli city. There is also a considerably strong Anglo-Indian population present in the city.

Geographical Position: North Latitude Between: 10 to 11 30'

East Longitude Between: 77 45' to 78 50'

Climate: Tiruchirappalli is located at 10.8050°N 78.6856°E. The average elevation is 88 metres (289 ft). It is located almost at the geographic centre of the state of Tamil Nadu. The topology of Tiruchirappalli is almost flat with a few isolated hillocks rising above the surface, the highest of which is the Rockfort. The city is situated at the head of the Kaveri Delta, which commences 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) west of Tiruchirappalli where the Kaveri River branches into two streams forming the island of Sri Rangam.

35 The land immediately surrounding the Kaveri is made up of fertile alluvial soil deposited by the Kaveri and its tributary, the Kollidam. Further south, the surface is covered by poor-quality black soil. The alluvial soil is conducible for agriculture and crops such as ragi (finger millet) and cholam (maize) are cultivated. Northeast of Tiruchirappalli runs a belt of cretaceous rock known as the "Trichinopoly Group". Layers of Archaean rocks, granite and gneiss covered by a thin bed of conglomeratic laterite are found to the south-east of the city.

Densely-populated industrial and residential areas have recently emerged in the northern part of the city. Residential areas also cover the southern edge of the city. The city is completely surrounded by agricultural fields. The older part of the city, situated within the fort, is unplanned and congested while the adjoining newer sections are better executed. Many of the old houses in Srirangam were constructed according to the shilpa sastras, the canonical texts of Hindu temple architecture. A Local Planning Authority for Tiruchirappalli was created on 5 April 1974 as per the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act of 1971 with the District Collector of Tiruchirappalli as Chairman and the Assistant Director of Town and Country Planning as its member secretary. The city gets its drinking water supply from the Kaveri River .

Tiruchirappalli is hot and dry for at least eight months of the year. The hottest months are from March to July during which the city experiences frequent dust storms. During this period, the days are extremely warm and dry while evenings are rendered cooler due to the cold winds that blow from the south-east. Tiruchirappalli experiences a moderate climate from August to October, tempered by heavy rain and

36 thundershowers, and cool and balmy climate from November to February. Fog and dew are rare and occur only during the winter season.

Art, society and culture: A resident of Tiruchirappalli is generally referred to as a Tiruchiite. The city formed a part of the traditional Chola heartland and has a number of exquisitely sculpted temples and forts. Situated at the edge of the Kaveri Delta, the culture of Tiruchirappalli is similar to the Brahminical culture prevalent elsewhere in the delta. With a substantial population of students and migrant industrial workers from different parts of India, Tiruchirappalli has a more cosmopolitan outlook than the surrounding countryside. Tiruchirappalli is home to many Carnatic musicians and film artistes.

Pongal, Tamil New Year, Aadi Perukku, Vaikunta Ekadasi, Navarathri, the Srirangam car festival and Bakrid are some of the important festivals celebrated in Tiruchirappalli. The Gregorian New Year, Christmas, Deepavali and Holi are also celebrated with pomp and splendor. Jallikattu tournaments are occasionally held on the outskirts of Tiruchirappalli city. Textile weaving, leather-work and gem cutting are some of the important crafts practiced in Tiruchirappalli. Wooden idols of Hindu gods and goddesses are sold at the crafts emporium, Poompuhar, run by the Government of Tamil Nadu.

Tiruchirappalli has a number of historical Hindu temples and fortresses. Most of the Hindu temples, including, the Ranganathaswamy Temple at Srirangam, the Nachiar Koil at Woraiyur, the Rockfort temple at Town, the Jambukeswarar Temple at Thiruvanaikaval, the Samayapuram Mariamman Temple, the Erumbeeswarar Temple and the temples in Woraiyur, are built in the Dravidian style of architecture—the

37 Ranganathaswamy Temple and Jambukeswarar Temple were often being counted among the best examples of this style. The Ranganathaswamy Temple, dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu, is an important Vaishnavite pilgrimage center and is believed to house the mortal remains of the Vaishnavite saint and philosopher Ramanujacharya. The Rockfort, considered to be one of the symbols of Tiruchirappalli, is a fortress which stands atop a 273 foot high rock. The Jambukeswarar Temple at Thiruvanaikaval and the Erumbeeswarar Temple, both date from the time of the Medieval Cholas. The city's principal mosque is the Nadir Shah Mosque or Nathar Shah mosque which encloses the tomb of the 10th century Muslim saint Nadir Shah. The Christ Church, constructed by the German Protestant missionary Christian Friedrich Schwarz in 1766, and the St Joseph College Church are noted examples of Catholic Revival architecture in the city.

The Nawab's palace, the Upper Anaicut constructed by Sir Arthur Cottonand the world‘s oldest functional dam, the Grand Anaicut is some of the other important structures in Tiruchirappalli.

Economy: During British rule, Tiruchirappalli was known for its tanneries, cigar-manufacturing units and oil presses. At its peak, over 12 million cigars were manufactured and exported annually. Tanned hides and skins from Tiruchirappalli were exported to the United Kingdom. Tiruchy is the only place in India to produce all kinds of synthetic gem stones. It has a very big-bazaar for synthetic gem stones. The city has a number of retail and wholesale markets, the most famous among them being the Gandhi market which is an important source of vegetables for the whole region. Other notable markets in the city are the flower bazaar in

38 Srirangam and the mango market at Mambazha Salai. The suburb of Mannachanallur is known for rice mills where polished Ponni rice is produced.

A weapon manufacturing unit, Ordnance Factory Tiruchirappalli manufactures products like grenade launchers, multi shell launchers, rifles for the Indian Armed Forces and a Heavy Alloy Penetrator Project (HAPP) facility are run by the Ordnance Factories Board of the Government of India. The HAPP unit, set up in the late 1980s, comprises a flexible manufacturing system (FMS), the first of its kind in India.

Tiruchirappalli is a major engineering equipment manufacturing hub in Tamil Nadu. The Golden Rock Locomotive Workshops, moved to Tiruchirappalli from Nagapattinam in 1928, is one of the three railway locomotive manufacturing units in Tamil Nadu. The workshops produced 650 conventional and low-container flat wagons during the year 2007– 2008. The chief workshop manager's office at Golden Rock was awarded a star rating by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency for the proper and regulated usage of electricity in its offices.

A high-pressure boiler manufacturing plant was set up by the Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), India's largest public sector engineering company, in May 1965. This was followed by a seamless steel plant set up at a cost of 58 crore (US$13 million) and a boiler auxiliaries plant. The three manufacturing units constitute the BHEL industrial complex and cover a total area of about 22,927.4 square metres (246,788 sq ft). The plant can generate up to 6.2 MW of electricity using coal as a resource.

39 Other important industries in Tiruchirappalli include the Trichy Distilleries and Chemicals Limited (TDCL) which was established at Senthaneerpuram in the then Golden Rock municipality in 1966 and the Trichy Steel Rolling Mills which was started as a private limited company on 27 June 1961. The Trichy Distilleries and Chemicals Limited manufactures rectified spirit, acetaldehyde, acetic acid, acetic anhydride and ethyl acetate. It is one of the biggest private sector distilleries in Tamil Nadu and produced 13.5 million litres of spirit alcohol between December 2005 and November 2006.

The annual software exports of the Tiruchirappalli region amount to 26.21 crore (US$5.8 million). The ELCOT IT Park, the first IT park in the city has been commissioned at a cost of 60 crore (US$13.5 million) on 9 December 2010. Set up by the Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu, the park occupies an area of 59.74 hectares (147.6 acres) and constitutes a Special Economic Zone. The Indian software company Infosys, is planning to start its operations in Tiruchirappalli.

Transport: Tiruchirappalli is well connected by road, rail and air with most cities and towns in India. The National Highways NH 45, NH 45B, NH 67, NH 210 and NH 227 pass through the city. Tiruchirappalli forms a part of the Division no. 1 of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation which is headquartered at Kumbakonam.

The Great Southern India Railway Company was established in 1853 with its headquarters at Tiruchirappalli. In 1859, the company constructed its first railway line connecting Tiruchirappalli and Nagapattinam. Tiruchirappalli is an important railway junction in central Tamil Nadu and constitutes a separate division of the Southern Railway. There are direct

40 trains to Coimbatore, Chennai, Cuddalore, Erode, Karaikudi, Mayiladuthurai, Karaikal, Palakkad, Rameswaram, Thanjavur and Vriddhachalam. Tiruchirappalli has rail connectivity with most important cities and towns in India.

Tiruchirappalli is served by the Tiruchirappalli Airport, which provides both domestic as well as international services. It was first used to handle air traffic in 1938, when Tata Airlines commercial flights stopped at Tiruchirappalli on the Karachi-Colombo route. In 1948, Air Ceylon commenced daily passenger flights between Tiruchirappalli and Colombo via Jaffna. There are regular flights to Chennai, Sri Lanka, Kuala Lumpur and Sharjah.

Education: Even during British rule, Tiruchirappalli was recognised as an important educational centre in India. St. Joseph's College, opened in Nagapattinam in 1846 and transferred to Tiruchirappalli in 1883, is one of the oldest higher educational institutions in India. Holy Cross College for Women established in 1923 is one of the oldest colleges for women in the country. The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel (SPG) College, established in 1883, is another premium missionary institution in the city. Tiruchirappalli has a total of 27 arts, science and law colleges, and notable ones being the National College, Bishop Heber College, Jamal Mohamed College and the Government Law College. There are nearly 35 engineering colleges in and around the city. The National Institutes of Technology have a campus at Thuvakudi on the outskirts of the city. The Tiruchirappalli branch of Anna University was established following the bifurcation of Anna University in 2007. A total of 64 self-financing colleges offering courses on engineering, architecture, management and computer

41 applications in the districts of Ariyalur, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Perambalur, Pudukkottai, Thanjavur and Tiruvarur are affiliated to this University. The SRM Group of Colleges established the SRM Institute of Science and Technology at Irungalur near Tiruchirappalli followed by Chennai Medical College and Hospital in 2007. A proposal by the group to include the institutions in the SRM University is under review of the Ministry of Human Resources Development of the Government of India.

The Bharathidasan University is based in Tiruchirappalli and exercises its jurisdiction over colleges in Tiruchirappalli district and seven neighbouring ones. The university runs a management school, the Bharathidasan Institute of Management in Tiruchirappalli in collaboration with BHEL. The Government of India's Ministry for Human Resources Development (HRD) approved a proposal for the setting up of a campus of the Indian Institute of Management in Tiruchirappalli and the campus started functioning from the 2011–12 academic season.

There are a total of 100 government and private schools in Tiruchirappalli. Campion Anglo-Indian Higher Secondary School, St Joseph's Anglo Indian Girls Higher Secondary School, RSK Higher Secondary School are some of the notable schools in the city.

Media: According to the Registrar of newspapers in India, a total of 111 newspapers have been registered in Tiruchirappalli. The weekly newspaper Wednesday Review, founded in 1905, is the first prominent journal to be published from Tiruchirappalli. Among the major English- language newspapers being published from Tiruchirappalli are The Hindu which launched a Tiruchirappalli edition in 2004 and The New Indian Express which was publishing from Tiruchirappalli even before The

42 Hindu. Some of the important Tamil-language newspapers that publish a Tiruchirappalli edition are Daily Thanthi, Dina Mani, Dina Malar, Malai Malar, Dinakaran, Makkal Kural, Tamil Murasu and Tamil Sudar. Popular Tamil weekly Ananda Vikatan launched a local supplement for Tiruchirappalli on the occasion of the 85th anniversary of its founding.

The first radio transmission station in Tiruchirappalli was opened by the All India Radio (AIR) on 16 May 1939. AIR started providing direct-to- home enabled radio broadcasting service from 2006. In 2007, the AIR launched a separate Carnatic music channel – Ragam from Tiruchirappalli. Apart from the government-owned AIR and FM, private radio channels as Hello FM and Suryan FM also operate FM stations in Tiruchirappalli. Indira Gandhi National Open University's Gyan Vani started broadcasting from Tiruchirappalli in 2008.

Television broadcasting from Chennai was started on 15 August 1975.[254] Satellite television channels have been available from 1991 onwards. Direct-to-home cable television services are provided by DD Direct Plus and Sun Direct DTH.

Utility Service: Tiruchirappalli has a passport office which commenced its operations on 23 March 1983. Apart from Tiruchirappalli, it also caters to the needs of seven adjacent districts namely, Karur, Nagappattinam, Perambalur, Pudukkottai, Thanjavur, Ariyalur and Tiruvarur.

43 Present Industrial Scenario*:

Table – 2.2 Group-wise Small Scale Enterprises GROUP DESCRIPTION Nos. Mfg. of Food Products 1101 Mfg. of Tapioca Products 6 Mfg. of Textiles 42 Mfg. of Wearing Apparels, Dressing & Dyeing 4509 Tanning & Dressing of Leather & Products 97 Mfg. of Wood, , Straw articles 251 Mfg. of Paper & Paper products 27 Publishing, Printing & Reproduction of record media 293 Mfg. Coke, Refined products & Nuclear Fuel 4 Mfg. of Chemicals & Chemical Products 151 Mfg. of Rubber & Plastic products 295 Mfg. of Non - Mineral products 172 Mfg. of Basic Metals 43 Mfg. of Fabricated Metal products except Machinery 1474 Mfg. of Machinery & Equipments n.e.c. 55 Mfg. of Office Accounting & Computing Machinery 1 Mfg. of Electrical Machinery & Apparatus 62 Mfg. of Radio, TV, Communication Equipment 13 Mfg. of Medical, Precision, Optical Instruments, 6 Mfg. Motor Vehicles, Trailers and Semi-Trailers 7 Mfg. of Other Transport Equipments 9 Mfg. of Furniture 480 Recycling 7 Electricity, Steam, Gas & Hot water supply 1 Collection, Purification & Distillation of Water 2 Maintenance & Repair of Motor Vehicles 449 Maintenance & Repair of Personal Household 750 Land Transport 10 Supporting and Auxiliary activities 9 Post and Telecommunications 42 Renting of Transport Equipment other Machinery 2 Computer and related activities 194 Other Business activities 107 Health and Social work 5 Recreational, Cultural & Sports 2 Other Service activities 81 TOTAL 10759 * www.trichy.tn.nic.in/distprof.htm

44 Ancillary industries : The boom in the growth of the BHEL in Tiruchy in turn paves the way for the growth of ancillary industries in the fabrication sector. The major industries giving load to the ancillary units are: Table – 2.3 Major Ancillary Industries*

BHARAT HEAVY ELECTRICALS LIMITED Major Activity Boilers & Accessories. Ancillary Activity Fabrication, CNC Machining No. of Ancillary Units 350 Employment 18000 HEAVY ALLOY PENETRATING PLANT: Major Activity Manufacturing Tanks & Armoured Vessels Ancillary Activity Fabrication & other machining work No. of Ancillary Units 10 Employment 500 ORDINANCE FACTORY: Major Activity Manufacturing Gun and Gun Parts. Ancillary Activity Pressed & precision turned components No. of Ancillary units 10 Employment 500 RAILWAY WORKSHOP: Major Activity Repairing & Servicing of Railway coaches Ancillary Activity Reclamation of crank shaft, machining No. of Ancillary units 5 Employment 200 CETHAR VESSELS: Major Activity Special Structural Fabrication. Ancillary Activity Fabrication and Welding No. of Ancillary units 30 Employment 1500 HARIHAR ALLOYS CASTINGS PVT. LTD. Major Activity Manufacturing Alloy Castings. Ancillary Activity Fettling and Machining work No. of Ancillary units 5 Employment 200 G.B.ENGINEERING PVT. L TD Major Activity Fabrication Ancillary Activity Fabrication and Welding No. of Ancillary units 10 Employment 500 * www.trichy.tn.nic.in/

45 Table – 2.4 Major Industries*

Name of the Unit Activity Emp. TRICHY CORPORATION Tiruchy Distilleries and Chemicals Limited Distilleries 250 Thanthi Press Newspaper 50 Murasu Press Newspaper 50 New Standard Press Newspaper 45 Dinakaran Newspaper 22 Malar Publications (P) Ltd. Newspaper 12 Tiruchy Steel Rolling Mills Ltd. Alloy Steel 750 Titanium Equipments & Anode Mfq. Co. Steel Fabrication 100 Sea Horse Industries Limited Energy Metre 500 Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. Petrol Pomona 22 Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. Petrol Pumping 50 THURAIYUR BLOCK Vi jay Dairy and Farm Products (P) Ltd. Milk processing 47 Sri Viqnesh Pipe Industries (P) Ltd. PVC Pipes 50 MANAPPARAI BLOCK Sri Meenakshi Mills Spinning Yarn 500 Maris Spinners Limited Unit II Spinning Yarn 500 Radha Textiles (P) Ltd. Spinning Yarn 27 MUSIRI BLOCK Cethar Food Oil Ltd. Rice Bran Oil 100 Sri Lakshmipriya Oil Refineries (P) Ltd. Rice Bran Oil 20 Viiav Cements Cement 50 Ruby Chlorates (P) Ltd. Chlorate 50 A.K.M.N.Cvlinders (P) Ltd. Gas Cylinder 85 Cethar Vessels Ltd. Steel Fabrication 24 PULLAMBADI BLOCK Dalmia cements (Bharath) Ltd. Cement 1000 LALGUDI BLOCK Kothari Sugar (P) Ltd. Suqsr & spirit 250 THIRUVERMBUR BLOCK GB Engineering Enterprises (P) Ltd. Steel Fabrication 100 Combined Cycle Demonstration Plant Power plant 100 Welding Research Institute R&D 250 Aravind Steels M.S. Rods 50 Jupiter Flour Mill, Flour products 150 Jothi Malleables (P) Ltd. Iron castinqs 100 Central workshop, Southern Railway Loco Engine 10000 Tuticorin Alkali Chemicals &Fertilizers Ltd. Pesticides 50 Selathar Tanninq Industry Tannery 250 Seamless Steel Tube Plant Fabrication 2000 Ordinance Factory Weapons 10000 Heavy Alloy Penetrator Project Weapons 10000 Tiruchirappalli Coop. Milk Producers Union Milk Chillinq 250 Sangam Organics and Chemicals Detergent 250 High Pressure Boiler Plant Boilers 10000 * www.trichy.tn.nic.in/

46 Industrial Clusters:

(i) Tiruchy Engineering and Technology Cluster:

Location : Thiruverumbur, Thuvakudi, Ariyamangalam

Activity : Welding, Fabrication & Machining

Size. : About 300 Industrial Units

Major Customers : BHEL

The units execute assemblies, sub-assemblies and components of Thermal Boiler of 60 MW to 500 MW capacities.

(ii) Synthetic Gem Cutting Cluster:

Synthetic Gem cutting and polishing work is being carried out by nearly 15,000 people in and around Tiruchirappalli and 2000 units are running as on date. For them already one Tamilnadu Synthetic Gem Marketing Service Industrial Cooperative Society is functioning with 50 members.

(iii) Korai Mat Weaving:

Korai Mat Industry is being developed in the villages Musiri, Vellore, Ayyampalayam, Vadugapatti in Musiri Block. About 200 mechanized korai mat units are functioning in the above area. The basic raw material for the activity is korai grass which is cultivated in the area and is available abundantly.

(iv) Readymade Garments:

At present, this industry is being developed by the minority community in the village Puthanatham situated 55 km away from Tiruchirappalli town, in Manapparai block and the product is famous

47 throughout Tamilnadu. There are about 100 units engaged in the manufacture of Readymade Garments such as Midi, Churidhar, Frock, Shirts, and Babasuit in different sizes for all ages.

Export Potential:

The activities having export potential are:

Wind Mill Towers

Precision machined components

Readymade Garments

Food Products

Boiler components & Accessories

Software

Profile of Synthetic Gem Industry in Tiruchirappalli District:

(A) Synthetic Gem stones

The discovery of the first successful method of producing synthetic gems was a momentous event, both for the jewellery industry and science. In a sense, it is miraculous that man made apparatus can produce synthetic gem stones that duplicate not only the chemical formula but exactly the same atomic structure of their natural counterparts. Gem crystals that in nature required perhaps thousands of years to grow to maturity, only to remain undiscovered for more millions of years, are now made artificially within a few hours or a few months.

48 This assignment is the first of a series dealing with the various gem substitutes subsequent assignments will consider other synthetics, as well as imitations, bonded stones, coated stones, etc. Synthetic corundum is presented first because its successful synthesis represents the culmination of man's age old dream of reproducing the precious stones.

An excellent survey of the general field of mineral synthesis and of the numerous experiments led ultimately to the three most widely used methods by which gem raw-materials are produced artificially today. First one is Melt Processing Method, Second one is Solution Method and the Third one is Vapor Method.

(B) Methods of making Synthetic Gem Raw-materials or Crystals17

Both in Nature, and in the laboratory, there are three basic ways in which the Synthetic Gem Raw-Materials formed. They are :

1. Melt Process:

(a) Flame Fusion Method (b) Czochralski ―Pulling‖ Method and (c) ―Skull Melting‖ Method

2. Solution method:

(a) Hydrothermal Method and (b) Flux Method

3. Vapour method:

(a) Chemical Vapour Deposition

17. www.manmadediamondinfo.com

49 1. Melt Process:

In each of the melt processes, the powdered solid ingredients necessary to make the gems are brought to their melting point and then allowed to cool in such a way that a single large crystal or cluster of large crystals is formed.

The three processes, each suitable for making different materials, differ primarily in the temperatures used, the type of container used, the heat source and the nature of the surface on which crystallization occurs.

(a) Flame Fusion:

By 1891 Auguste Verneuil, was producing rubies by flame fusion, although he did not publish the description of his technique until 1902. His assistant exhibited the synthetic rubies in 1900 at the Paris World Fair, where they were quite popular. His process took only two hours to grow crystals weighing 12-15 carats (2.5-3 g); the stones were roughly spherical, up to 0.25 in (6 mm) in diameter. By the time Verneuil died at the age of 57 in 1913, the process he had invented was being used to manufacture 10 million carats (2,000 kg, or 4,400 lb) of rubies annually.

The process commercialized so successfully by Verneuil, is termed "flame fusion". It is simple in theory and practice. Corundum is Al2O3, crystallized in the trigonal system. All that was necessary to melt the raw material, was aluminum oxide powder, and allow it to crystallize. If you wanted ruby, you just needed to add a small amount of chromium oxide to the mix (Cr is the chromospheres that creates red colour in ruby). Although the process has been scaled up for today's large factories, it is, in essence, unchanged since Verneuil's time. Synthetics produced in this

50 manner are the least expensive and most commonly used types. So much so, that over one billion carats per year of flame fusion synthetic corundum, synthetic star corundum, and synthetic spinel are made.

Diagram – 2.1 The Verneuil "Flame Fusion" Process for Production of Synthetic Gems

The powdered ingredients fall into a chamber heated to 2200 degrees Centigrade by an oxygen-hydrogen torch flame. As they fall they melt. Upon reaching a ceramic rod in the bottom, cooler area of the chamber, they crystallize. Slowly the ceramic rod is turned and lowered creating from the melted corundum a carrot shaped crystal called a "boule". The shape of the boule is characteristic, and is not found in Nature.

This unnatural curved shape boule causes severe strain in the crystal lattice which necessitates splitting the boule in half before it can be cut. This is somewhat limits the size of synthetic gem stones. It is possible (at

51 considerable extra expense) to use a special slow cooling regimen, (similar to that used in glass blowing factories) to reduce strain, so that whole boules can be cut.

The Verneuil process takes about 4 hours and results in boules, at maximum, of about 20 x 70 mm (3/4" x 2 3/4"), weighing approximately 4- 500 carats. Various elements can be added to create different colors (Ti and Fe for blue, for example) and rutile (titanium dioxide), can be added to create star stones. A special heating and cooling regimen is necessary for the star stones in order to force the rutile to evolve into needles, rather than remaining dissolved.

Diagram - 2.2 FF Synthetic Ruby: Split Boule, Polished Stone and Star Stone

(b) Czochralski "Pulling":

It was the need of science and industry, rather than those of the jewelry trade, which prompted the development of the Czochralski "pulling‖, melt process. Emerging laser technology demanded larger diameter, strain-free, higher clarity crystals that could be produced by the flame fusion process. Only later did the jewelry market begin to eagerly absorb some of the production.

52 In this process, the gem source materials are melted in a metallic (usually platinum) crucible using radio frequency energy. A thin, flat, seed crystal (either natural or synthetic) is lowered to just touch the surface of the melt, then slowly rotated and withdrawn ("pulled"). The slower the rate of pulling, the diameter of the resulting crystal boule is larger.

The seed gives the solidifying materials both a surface on which to crystallize, and an atomic scale "pattern" to follow. This seed area is generally removed before the rough is sold.

Although many exotic materials (like gallium arsenide) are made exclusively for industry, YAG, corundum, Alexandrite, and cat's eye Alexandrite are the major gem materials produced by this method. Production expenses are much higher than those of the simple flame fusion process. Hence, the products are costly.

Pulled synthetics are very difficult to identify microscopically and the crystal that form on the seed is usually flawless, and the large diameter of the boule makes observing the curved strain difficult. On occasion, they may contain triangular or hexagonal platinum crystals eroded from the walls of the crucible, which will conclusively identify the piece as synthetic.

(c) “Skull” Melting:

The commercial production of cubic zirconia, first accomplished by Russian scientists in the 1970s, required some ingenuity. The melting point of cubic zirconia is well over 2300 degrees Centigrade, which rules out the use of metal or ceramic crucibles. The problem was solved by using an externally cooled crucible filled with the powdered ingredients and then

53 heating it with focused radio energy that melted only the center. The unmelted material formed its own insulation, or "skull". As the melt slowly cooled, large, usually flawless, crystals were formed.

At present, cubic zirconia is the only material produced in this way, and costs are kept down by the large yields from each batch. Various colors are produced. But majority of cubic zirconia is sold in its colorless form as a diamond simulant.

Although it is easy to identify by its optical and physical properties like density, thermal conductivity, and dispersion, microscopically, there are few signs of CZ's synthetic origin. Rarely, tell-tale bubbles can be seen.

The Skull Crucible method is used for the production of CUBIC ZIRCONIA. The Zirconia powder is placed in the crucible and melted by means of a radio-frequency heating from a surrounding copper coil. The bulk of the powder melts, except for a thin layer next to the water-cooled pipes. This layer then acts as a high temperature skull like crucible for the molten zirconia. When the crucible is allowed to cool, crystals of zirconia solidify out of the melt. A stabilizer (5 to 8% calcium oxide or 15 to 18% yttrium oxide) is added to the powder to maintain the material in the cubic system as it cools down to room temperature, and makes it a more convincing stimulant for diamond. Cubic Zirconia is produced in U.S.A., Switzerland, U.S.S.R. and India.

2. Solution Method:

The characteristic feature of these processes is that rather than being melted, the source materials are dissolved in a solvent (not always water), and put under high temperature and pressure. The super saturated

54 solution is slowly cooled, and the gem crystallizes into a natural or synthetic crystal "seed". If the solvent is water, the process is termed "hydrothermal", if it is another substance, then the process is called "flux". Because of the high temperatures and pressures involved, strong sealed metal containers are used to hold the solutions.

Some gems, like emerald and quartz, can only be made by solution methods. In other cases, such as with ruby and sapphire, solution methods are an alternative method of production.

(a) Hydrothermal:

As the name indicates, this type of process uses water as the solvent. The vessel in which the gems form is lined with silver and referred to as a "bomb".

In 1957, Bell Laboratories, Murray hill, New Jersey, announced the production of synthetic ruby, as well as colorless and green sapphire. ln this process, colorless seed crystals in the form of oriented wafers of ordinary synthetic corundum are suspended in a solution within a silver- lined hydrothermal "bomb", or autoclave, built to withstand pressures of 30,000 pounds per square inch, high temperatures and corrosive solutions. The raw materials used to produce ruby consist of one of the hydrated aluminium compounds in a sodium-carbonate solution, to which one- tenth of a gram of sodium chromate to a liter of the solution is added.. The selected autoclave is heated from below, which causes some of the raw material to go into solution. The seed crystals are strung along the center of the vessel above the heat source, and thus are in an area slightly cooler than that below. The solution becomes saturated with alumina and is carried by convection currents to the cooler upper areas. At the lower

55 temperature the solution is super saturated therefore, the excess alumina is deposited on the seed - crystal wafers as corundum. This growth process probably comes closest to that by which ruby is formed in nature. However the main problem appears to be heavy veiling and cracking which may originate from too rapid a growth.

Hydrothermal synthetics are relatively expensive, as the equipment used is pricey, and the yields are small and slow to form (weeks to months). As this process so closely mimics what occurs naturally in the Earth's crust, the majority of inclusions in such gems are natural looking, making them hard to identify. Occasionally, cut gems will show part of the seed plate or a distinctive non-natural looking inclusion called a "nailhead spicule". The primary gems produced by this method are emeralds, corundum (especially ruby) and quartz in a variety of colors including blue.

Diagram - 2.3 Hydrothermal synthetics: Emeralds and Rubies.

56 (b) Flux:

In this process, a mixture of lead oxide and boron oxide is used as the solvent. The components of ruby, (Al2O3 + Cr2O3) are dissolved in the solvent at 1200 to 1300°C in a platinum crucible, and on slow cooling the solubility of ruby is excluded, producing crystallization. When growth is essentially completed, the remaining solvent is poured off: Alternatively, the contents may be cooled in the furnace and the flux dissolved away from the ruby crystals by boiling in large quantities of acid over a period of many days.

Grown strains are not seen in flux-grown ruby, if the temperature control is good. Three types of inclusions are seen in this material: massive flux inclusions appearing yellow to pink, a coarse type of finger print inclusion, plus a very fine finger-print inclusion. The very fine finger-print type could be quite misleading, since the same type of inclusions are seen in natural rubies as well. The growth process is quite expensive and large quantities of this type of synthetic ruby are not expected to be available in the near future. The strong fluorescence and absence of other types of inclusions should help distinguish these synthetic rubies from natural stones. Its properties are similar to the natural ruby‘s color zones, containing typical flux inclusions and a yellowish green fluorescence under short ultra-violet wave. Recently, in this method, a flux-grown blue sapphire also was created.

Ruby, sapphire, quartz, emerald, Alexandrite, YAG and red spinal are the major gems produced in this way. Although expensive as synthetics, the resultant gems have natural looking inclusions, the most notable of which are sometimes called "wispy veils". Consisting of

57 crystallized flux with minute cracks in the gem, they are so like natural fingerprint inclusions in their appearance that it takes a well-trained eye to discriminate them.

3. Vapour Method:

The third possible way to make gems synthetically is by vapor deposition. At present only diamonds (see below) have been made in this way.

Diagram – 2.4 "Synthetic" Coral, "Synthetic" Turquoise

Diagram – 2.5 Gemesis Created Fancy Colour Diamonds and Chatham Created Fancy Colour Diamonds.

CVD, Chemical Vapor Deposition: CVD is the third possible gem synthesis process (condensation from a vapor) for the production of

58 diamonds. In this approach, a vacuum chamber (at .1 atm of pressure) containing a thin diamond seed crystal is filled with methane gas (CH4) at 1000 degrees Centigrade. At that temperature and pressure, the carbon in the gas gets separated from the hydrogen, and crystallized upon the diamond seed surface.

Earlier, the resulting crystals, which were wafer thin, were intended for industrial applications, primarily as the future generation of heat resistant computer chips. As the methodology improved, thicker and thicker crystal wafers have been formed. Compared to HTHP diamonds, they are relatively white and have high clarity.

(a) Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD):

The "Chemical Vapor Deposition" (CVD) method was developed during the 1980s, and uses a lower-pressure growth environment than the earlier HTHP method. With CVD, a seed or substrate material is placed into the growth camber, and a combination of heat and pressure are applied while a vaporized carbon-plasma which is combined with hydrogen is applied, or "deposited" onto the substrate in successive layers. The vaporized carbon gases are energized using microwave energy, which attracts the gas to the substrate. Using Chemical Vapor Deposition, the diamond's entire growth process takes several days to complete.

A cultured synthetic diamond will have the identical cleavage, hardness, light dispersion, refractive index, specific gravity, and surface luster as its natural diamond counterpart.

By the above processing methods, the raw-materials for synthetic gem stones are produced.

59 (C) Real or Fake diamonds:18

Turn the stone upside down and place it on a piece of newspaper, if you can read the print through the stone then it probably isn‘t a diamond.

Put the stone in your mouth and breathe on it. If the stone stays ―foggy‖ for 2-4 seconds, then it is not real. Real diamonds will be clear by the time you look at them. Be warned that-some jewellers cap cubic zirconium bases with real diamond which will of course clear.

Cubic zirconium stone (a cheap but pretty stone) weighs almost twice as much as a diamond.

Put the stone under a UV light. Many diamonds will fluorescence blue under an ultra violet light or black light. 99% of all fakes don‘t do this; so, a positive identification of medium to strong blue would indicate a diamond. Diamonds with blue fluorescence can be as much as 20% less valuable; however, lack of blue fluorescence doesn‘t mean it‘s a fake, it could be a better quality diamond.

Look at the facets carefully- a real diamond will have facets with sharp edges – if they are ―rolled‖ it is a fake.

Look at the setting. If the setting is good quality then there is more chance the stone is real.

Look for the initials CZ on the setting – this stands for cubic zirconium.

Look at the colour of the stone. Most real diamonds are slightly yellow in colour and so are set in yellow gold to disguise this.

18. www.gemstones.guide.com

60 Differences between Diamond and Synthetic Diamond:19

Diamond is a pure form of Carbon. It has a different specific gravity. It has resale value and most importantly it is 1000 to 10000 times costlier than synthetic gems. Further differences are shown in the table:

Table – 2.5 Differences between Diamond and Synthetic Diamond Hardness on Reflective Name MOHS’ Index Scale Diamond 10 2.417 Corundum 9 1.746 – 1.755 Cubic Zirconia 7.5 - 8.5 2.150 – 2.180

(D) Potentiality of Synthetic Diamonds:

One of the hottest topics of discussion in gemological and jewellery marketing circles these days is synthetic diamonds and their potential impact on the natural diamond market. Although some analysts have been quick to cry doomsday, and predict the fall of the natural diamond industry, opinion of the majority is that created diamonds are inevitable, and having arrived, should be viewed as a positive development. Enhanced and man-made diamonds are expected to share the market with natural stones / natural colour stones, as have synthetic and enhanced rubies, sapphires and emeralds with their natural counterparts.

19. *Souvenir issued on Centenary Celebration of Synthetic Gem Stones Manufacturers’ Welfare Committee, p.25, dated 25th December 1991.

61 The major concerns within the industry have been those of 1) disclosure 2) identification and 3) cost.

1) Disclosure: At present, the major companies producing gem synthetic diamonds have taken pains to identify their products as synthetic, and are selling them only through reputable and licensed jewelers.

2) Identification: The conclusion that the market is large enough for both synthetics and natural stones is based on the assumption that the two can be reliably discriminated. Although HTHP gems have tell-tale features that enable a well trained and well equipped gemologist or jeweler to identify them, CVD diamond recognition currently is possible only for major laboratories.

3) Costs: Unlike diamonds, simulants can be detected with a simple, inexpensive electrical conductivity tester. Synthetic diamonds pass all the standard physical and optical tests, as diamond".

(E) Diamond Simulants:20

Diamond "simulants," also known as "simulated diamonds" or "fake diamonds" are man-made gemstones that look like, or "simulate" the appearance of natural diamonds, but are not a carbon-based compound having a natural diamond's crystalline structure. Common diamond simulants include:

Cubic Zirconia (CZ) (1976-) Czarite, Diamonite, Diamond Essence, Phianite

20. http://www.allaboutgemstones.com/

62 Gadolinium Gallium Garnet (GGG) (1972-1975)

Strontium Titanate (ST) (1955 - 1970) Diagem, Fabulite

Synthetic Rutile (1946-1955) Diamothyst, Java Gem, Rainbow Diamond, Rutania, Titangem

Synthetic Sapphire (1900-1947) Diamondette, Diamondite, Jourado Diamond, Thrilliant

Synthetic Spinel (1920-1947) Corundolite, Luster gem, Magalux, Radient

Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (YAG) (1970-1975) Diamone, Diamonaire, Diamonte, Geminaire

In the early 1900s, colourless synthetic sapphire was a popular diamond stimulant, produced using the Verneuil (flame-fusion) Process. In the late 1940s synthetic sapphire gave way to Synthetic Rutile which was popular until the advent of YAG in the early 1970s. With the advent of Cubic Zirconia in the mid 1970s, and Moissanite in 1998, most of these lesser simulants fell by the wayside.

(F) Origin and Development of Synthetic Gem Industry in Tiruchirappalli District:

Before 1885, the raw-materials for the manufacturing of traditional synthetic stones were imported from foreign countries and the method of manufacturing of synthetic stones was called Koli Polishing. But such type of manufacturing of synthetic stones was not up to the mark i.e. not calibrated but glittered. These koli polishing were often used by the people of Trichy for a very long time. These Koli polished stones were red in colour and were the only gem stones available during the said period.

63 During colonial regime, many Indians and Tamil Nadu people especially Tiruchirappalli people were visiting Rangoon (Then Capital of Burma, today‘s Myanmar) for business purposes and there they saw synthetic gem studded ornaments which was very attractive and more beautiful than Koli polished gems. Their business mind bought and brought them to Tiruchirappalli. On seeing them Tiruchirappalli people were amazed and wanted to have them. Day by day, the demand increased. The people who were involved in other businesses also came to deal with this synthetic stones and ornaments. Some of the famous jewels say, 8 ½ size ear rings or pendant and 4 ½ size nose studs studded with those stones got familiar with the Tiruchirappalli people and it was sold heavily.

Because of the heavy demand of such Rangoon stones, many business people got engaged in this field of buying and selling stones. They earned a heavy profit in this business. Some of them even opened shops in Rangoon for buying stones and later on sent them to Trichy for selling. Some businessmen appointed even agents for this purpose.

Two legendaries of this synthetic gem industry are Mr.V.P. Narasimmalu Naidu and Mr. M. Ramasamy Chettiar. The above two business men have pioneered the synthetic gem business by bringing these prestigious synthetic stones from Rangoon to India, especially to Tiruchirappalli of Tamil Nadu. These two eminent personalities laid foundation stone for the establishment and development of the above industry. By the help of these personalities, this industry has got initiated, emerged and flourished in Tiruchirappalli and created a lot of employment opportunities to numerous families of Tiruchirapalli District.

64 Thanks to the selfless service, commitment and social concern of the said personalities the industry emerged and flourished in around Tiruchirappalli and has become a livelihood for numerous people for many decades.

Mr. V.P. Narasimmalu Naidu who was known as the ―Father of Synthetic Gem Industry‖ because of his pioneering work started to mass produce synthetic stones in Tiruchirappalli. For this purpose he brought the technology from Rangoon after overcoming lot of hurdles and criticism.

The manufacturing process of synthetic gems was kept as a top secret by the industrialists of Rangoon. Nobody was neither taught the process nor allowed to enter the manufacturing place. Still V.P. Narasimmalu Naidu developed relationship with the inner circle people and slowly and secretly learnt the technology and brought it to Tiruchirappalli. In the year 1885 he introduced and generalized the technology of synthetic gem industry. He voluntarily taught this technology and popularized it among many people. He personally explained the importance and demonstrated the usefulness of this profitable business. Many people adapted and started investing into this synthetic gem manufacturing.

Burmese/ Myanmar (Rangoon) people considered this industry to be the most profitable one and did not want to spread the technology to other people or country. When they knew what Mr. V.P. Narasimmalu Naidu did, they got angry and even attempted to kill him. They were afraid of losing their business and profits. Later on, this industry has developed very strongly and spread over to many places. Tiruchirappalli

65 stood first in the synthetic gem production in India. The stones were called either as synthetic gems or Imitation stones or colloquially as ‗Gettikkal‘. Primarily these gems are known as ―Rangoon Kamalams‖.

Mr. V.P. Narasimmalu Naidu‘s vision and dream came true because of the involvement of millions of people in this business who reaped maximum revenue out of this industry. Due to the above fact, people of Tiruchirappalli till today pay tributes to Mr. Naidu, salute and remember his efforts towards the synthetic gem industry.

As the time passed, the wrath of the Burmese got reduced and the relationships with them were revived due to large business dealings in Rangoon Kamalams, inspite of opening an industry in Tiruchirappalli. During these period the increasing demand of Rangoon Kamalams, made Trichy business people open shops in Rangoon. Because of the above development cordial relationship has slowly been established between producers of synthetic gem stones in Rangoon and business people of Tiruchirappalli. Their misunderstanding and pain has totally vanished.

Trichy business people asked the Rangoon workers to come and work in Trichy and they graciously accepted the invitation and willingly came to Trichy to work. They also provided all sorts of help and support for the establishment of Synthetic Gem Industry in Tiruchirappalli.

Another important personality to establish this industry in Tiruchy is Mr. M. Ramasamy Chettiar. He was a very revered businessman. He made many friends in Rangoon and established a business house at 109, Moghul Road, Rangoon.21

21. A book titled “Sobanapuram to Rangoon” published on the occasion of 100th year Birthday celebration of Mr.M. Ramasamy Chettiar

66 M. Ramasamy Chettiar did not believe in only buying the beautifully worked Rangoon diamonds for sale in India but he participated and brought the technology to Trichy and set up cutting and polishing units in Trichy and Tiruvanaikoil.

In the beginning, synthetic stones were sold in bulks (also known as lots). A bulk or a lot comprised large, medium, small and tiny sized star stones. It was very difficult for the businessmen to identify and segregate the sizes, weight, quality and quantity of stones, etc.

They also faced difficulty in fixing the price for the varied synthetic stones. This led to wastage of time, money and energy. To overcome these hurdles, Mr. M. Ramasamy Chettiar came up with a solution by introducing a new marketing system in this business. Even today, this system is followed.

The haphazard and assorted method of packing the stones was done away. M. Ramasamy Chettiar came up with a systematic packing and grading system of sealed packets containing the same sizes of 50 stones in one lot which is followed even today. Such sealed packets contained the information relating to the number of same sized stones, its weight and price.

He created a system for quality, branding, sealing, price listing, discounting, agency and packing for the effective marketing of synthetic gem stones. Thus he created a great revolution in the marketing of synthetic gem business. The systematic business approach made it easy for the people to get involved in the trade in large numbers and make lot of profits.

67 Even today many follow the footsteps of these two eminent personalities and they keep growing the industry in and around Tiruchirappalli.

(G) Production Techniques of Synthetic Gem Stones:

Different methods of production have taken place hitherto for manufacturing of synthetic gem stones. They are: (i) Wheel-Disc method; (ii) Leg-wheel Disc method and (iii) Modern – Gem Park Machine method.

(i) Wheel-Disc method:

Before introduction of synthetic gem stones from Rangoon, we were familiar with the production of ―Wheel -disc‖ stones and it was also called as ―old-red gems‖ or vernacularly called as ―Pazhaya Sigappu Karkal‖ or chakkara chanai karkal or ‗kuchai sikappu kamalam‘.

Process of Wheel-disc has been described below:

There will be a copper-disc machine fixed with an iron-rod centered in it. When one rotate with left hand, the hand-bar fixed in the machine in the clock-wise direction which will help to rotate the disc and hold the coning stone in the right hand which was fixed in nails with lac-heads, touching the copper disc which was rotating, that stone would get polished with improper cutting to some extent, is produced. Then and there while the stones are touching the iron-disc, the workers pour some water on the iron-disc and polish. The beauty here is, the polishing is done by the worker with the help of water. When any stone gets polished by the use of water, the shining of that stone never disappears.

68 In this method, the stones are produced with improper cutting and sizes. So, the stone won‘t be a calibrated one. This method takes too much of time to produce a stone. It is a laborious work for a labour concerned and nobody was interested in this method. In this method, only the red colour stones were produced in large numbers.

(ii) Imitation Method or Leg-Wheel Disc Method or Table Disc Method:

This is the method which has become the long lasting method of production and was in practice for more than hundred years. The process of production starts when the Artisans get the rough from the market in Trichy on either purchase or job-work basis. Rough is supplied to the market by the Indo-Swiss Synthetic Gem Manufacturing Company Limited and Scientific Diamond Limited.

Till 1957, India was importing the complete requirement of Rough Synthetic gem stones. As an important substitution Dr.N.Mahalingam and Dr.N.Chandappa formed the First Indian factory with the name of ―The Indo-Swiss Synthetic Gem Manufacturing Company Limited‖ and located the factory at Mettupalayam in Coimbatore District of Tamil Nadu. The factory commenced its production from 1957. The Rough synthetic gem stones (colloquially called as ‗Dalam‘). or Boules are produced under Verneuil Flame Fusion method. These Dalam were sold to the producers at Diamond Bazaar on per piece basis. Now, this industry is not functioning due to high cost of production. So, raw-materials are imported from Russia, Korea, Thailand, Switzerland, Indonesia, U.S.A., Algeria, and China, today.

Artisans transform the raw materials into finished goods in their work places called ―Pattarai‖ usually set in and around their huts. It

69 requires skill to take an infinite small piece of rough and convert it into a form that reveals its beauty. The technique of production is fully labour intensive. This method includes the following four processes.

1. Cutting

2. Coning / pre-forming

3. Faceting and

4. Polishing.

These processes are described in detail below:

1. Cutting: Earlier this process was simply carried out by hammering the crystals to give smaller pieces of irregular shapes. It is now being done by using a tin blade in a country made ―Pattarai‖. This pattarai (local name for the place of machine) machine has one or two long shafts, (approximately 1 metre length), which is rotated by a motor. At a time two or four persons can work. At the end of these shafts, tin blades are mounted. The artisan has to apply a paste of diamond powder in water every time before touching the boules over the rotating blade. By this a small notch is produced on the surface of the crystal. The chisel is placed on this notch and hammer is used to break the piece into two parts. This process is repeated to make smaller pieces of roughly cubical shape.

The drawback of this technique is the poor productivity, that too without any flat surface on the cut pieces. Also, the artisan has to squat on the ground continuously for long hours. :

2. Coning: The Second process is called coning'. Coning is done by using a specially designed structure known as wooden-roller. This wooden- roller is a firm smooth structure on which some smooth elevations and

70 depressions are made. Those elevations with depressions are very useful to rotate the roller by a specially arranged rope system.

This wooden-roller has a bore in the centre through which a sharp and conical shaped iron rod is put. The wooden-roller is supported by two wooden pillars. At one-third of the lower ends of the pillars, hollow depressions are made. The iron-rod with its sharp conical edges is placed in such a way that both the ends of the iron-rod are fixed on those hollow depressions. Then a rope is tied and twisted to a long and firm wooden stick and this rope is made to roll around the wooden- roller by moving the rope of the stick to and fro. This rotates the wooden-roller.

For this process powders of lac and some grey powder called 'Corborundum powder' are very important ingredients. The lac begins to melt. When this lac reaches the melting point, the corborundum is added to the molten lac. This mixing of powder is done with suitable mild heat. This mixture of the molten powder is poured on a flat wooden-board to make a circular plate like form (disc like form) and the circular disc is then dried. This is also called as ―Emery disc‖. In the middle of the disc a bore is made through which the iron-rod of the wooden-roller is inserted. The mixing of the powders, the formation of the disc and the boring of the disc are all to be performed when the melting mixture is in a mild and suitable stage of heat. This circular disc is attached to the wooden-roller.

Now the already cut rough synthetic gems are fixed to some thin, long sticks to form the desired shapes. The top-end of the stick is covered with the molten lac in a curved shape. Inside this lac-cover the already cut rough synthetic gem is inserted and totally covered. Then the wooden rollers are made to move to and fro along with the disc made up of the lac

71 powder mixture. When the roller is rotating, these sticks covered with the rough gems are made to touch and contact the disc to form a suitable sized and shaped stones. These rough gems are not real and clean. The mixture of lac and the powder is very coarse and hence it is useful only to grind the rough gem into shape. To make this real and clean the curved shaped gem is again made flat on the other side. Thus there are two-sides one is curved (also called ‗Pavilion‘) and the other is flat (also called ‗Crown‘). These gems, which are with the lac are then cleaned thoroughly, by sinking and washing them in a solution called ―casting solution ―. Thus, the coning stones are prepared.

3. Faceting: This is the third process of synthetic gem manufacturing. Under this process, all the structural parts of the above mentioned method of coning are needed except the lac corborundum powder i.e. emery disc. Instead of this lac and corborundum combination (emery disc) the Lead- made disc is used. This disc is short, but much thicker in diameter. Lead is first melted and powered down to form a plate like disc. This disc is attached to one side of the wooden roller to make the disc rotate. The rope attached stick connected with wooden-roller is used to rotate the wooden- roller to and fro.

There are two sides in a long stick on which the rough synthetic gem are fixed i.e. the curved or conical side and the flat side. First the conical side of the stick is brought into contact with the lead-disc which is now rotating.

At this stage, the rough gem is taking its face and become smooth and clean. The same way, the flat side of the stick is also brought into contact with the lead disc and this side of the gem also becomes clean.

72 In the previous process the rough gems are not real and clean. The lac corborundum combination (emery disc) is used only for dissolving.

Here, the lead-disc is used to prepare a fine and clean gem which is called "facet gem‖. This technique is called 'faceting'.

After this process is completed the gems are removed from both the sides of the sticks. These gems which are with the lac are then cleaned thoroughly by soaking and washing in a solution called 'casting solution'.

Now these gems are thoroughly and cleanly wiped out and are ready for the process of polishing which is the final stage in the process of manufacturing synthetic gems.

4. Polishing: There comes the final technique of polishing of the synthetic gems for which a specially designed structure is adopted.

This structure consists of long, firm wooden-legs. A Few-wooden leg is placed to make a triangular shape. Another leg is fixed higher than these triangular logs. This higher log is attached to the stand like structure. On the triangular logs a wooden-wheel is fixed and this wheel is attached to the stand by a rope. Through the stand, on one side, an iron rod is fixed whose lower part end is sharp and conical in size. This makes it easy to fix to a thick smoothly made iron-disc (cast-iron). The sharp conical rod is fixed to the centre of the thick iron-disc and this disc is made to rotate smoothly and gently with a suitably shaped rope attached to the wheel and rod on the stand. There is a wooden-pedal like arrangement attached to the wheel with the rope. The pedal is moved by the leg to make the wheel rotate. When the wheel rotates, the rod and the disc are also rotated simultaneously.

73 Now the rough synthetic gem which is already cut and shaped is removed from the stick, by sinking it in a solution prepared with casting. Then it is wiped out thoroughly. Iron-nails of about three inches in length are now taken.

On the head of the nail the melted lac is placed on a curved shape as done in the case of long thin stick and the gems are again placed inside the lac on the nails and covered. Then these nails are brought into contact with the iron disc of the stand which is rotating gently at a suitable speed. To polish and make the gems on the nails shine, they are turned at different directions several times. Thus all the gems in the nail lac are polished.

After this stage the gems are removed from the nails and put into casting solution for purification. After that it is cleaned gently by using the smooth cloth or velvet cloth.

All the gems stones thus polished glitter like neat gems or diamonds. Thus the techniques of manufacturing the synthetic gem or artificial diamonds gets completed and is ready to be distributed for sale.

As years passed the laborious efforts of manual labour of rotating the machine has been replaced with electrical power where ¼, ½ HP motors were used. Such power driven polishing machine is otherwise called as Table disc machine. (Vernacularly called as ‗Table Chanai‘). This power-driven mode of work helps the workers to minimize their strain of working to a larger extent. It also helps the workers to produce more number of stones for their better living and also helps the workers to work for even bigger sized stones.

74 (iii) Modern – Gem Park Machine Method:

The Synthetic Gem Stone Industry has been in existence in India for more than 100 years. Up to 1985, there was no organised effort in finding better tools to produce goods for the international market. The DGDC (Diamond and Gem Development Corporation) had carried out extensive study on the most appropriate machines and technology for these stones and the result was the invention of new machine being introduced in the year 1985 for the benefit of the synthetic gem industry. This new machine is called as Gem Park Machine.

The advantages of these modern machines are:

(i) Artisans can get knowledge in the art of processing within one month

(ii) Large-scale production is easily possible.

(iii) Produce calibrated stones up to the mark of international standard

(iv) Guaranteed for more income.

(v) Does not require more space i.e., machine is spaciously located wherever a worker liked.

In this Gem Park method also, one need to go through three processes as prescribed in the ―Leg-Wheel Disc‖ method. They are:

1. Cutting / Slicing

2. Preforming (i) Girdle rounding and (ii) Coning

3. Polishing

75 The processes specified above are discussed in detail in the following paragraphs.

1. Cutting / Slicing: In the modern slicing machine the stones can be cut into any desired shape and size, with much ease and comparatively at a faster speed than the traditional one.

The main three parts of this machine are body, arbor (with housing) and motor. The body is made of Aluminium casting and functions as the container for the coolant. At the bottom of this, four rubber pads are provided. On the top of this body, there is a cover which prevents the splashing of water. Also, it has a slot (length of which is slightly less than the dia of blade used) through which the slicing blade projects out. For cutting into identical size (for this big and approximately uniform shaped crystals should be available), a slicing guide can be attached parallel to the slot. The distance between the guide and slot is kept according to the size of the cut pieces required.

The second main part is arbor, which rotates at the speed of around 2000 RPM. It is mounted in the housing, on two ball bearings of sealed type (both 6230ZZ). To prevent the leakage of water into these bearings, a rubber seal (No.20-4—7) is provided at one side which is always in contact with water. The portion of this arbor, where slicing blade is fitted in ground very closely to minimize the ply.

The motor used in this machine is 1/4HP, 1420RPM (3 phase/single phase). By using a smaller pulley at the spindle (arbor) side, the speed is increased to nearly 2000 RPM. The higher speed will be better with cutting action.

76 Before starting the operation, water is filled in the tank up to the level where the slicing blade gets submerged approximately by 1 inch. Here, water is used as a coolant to reduce the heat generated in the process of cutting. For better cutting action, a few drops of mineral cutting oil (water soluble) can be mixed in the water. The cover is then put over the tank. For safety, the operator must wear finger strolls. The machine is then switched on. The stone to be cut is placed on the cover and moved slowly towards the rotating blade which is projecting out from the slot.

This process gives almost 2.5 times more productivity as compared to the previous process.

2. Preforming: Preforming done with freehand or with the preforming machine reduces a chunk of rough gem material into the intended cut. This step ostensibly saves wear and tear on faceting laps and offers the artisan the psychological advantage of starting with a stone already configured to the approximate final shape.

Modern technique of pre-forming: By adopting the modern technique, although sacrificing 2-3% yield, all the drawbacks of traditional pre-forming can be overcome, this in turn will fetch more returns.

The pre-forming machine: Mechanism of this machine is very simple. A spindle head assembly mounted on a casting (Aluminum) body is rotated by a ¼ HP motor. The spindle has a flanged on the topside, over which a cutting lap is placed.

The pre-forming fixture, which is the important part of this machine, is fixed in such a way that the dope stick containing the piece, after putting in the slot of this fixture, touches the outermost periphery of the rotating

77 cutting lap diagonally. The height of this fixture should be set corresponding to the required size of preformed stone. Fixture can also be tilted to the desired angle. The speed of rotation of the cutting lap can be varied by changing a belt position in pulleys. At the bottom of this machine an exhaust water pipe is provided.

Pre-forming machine can be modified so as to engage two to four persons at a time which results in better utilization of space, man power and less consumption of electricity.

The process: Before starting the pre-forming operation, the piece has to be stuck to a brass dope stick. This is in contrast to the traditional process, where it is fixed on a bamboo stick. This process is called doping. These dope sticks are designed to hold pieces of various millimetre sizes. For doping, the centre point of the flat surface of largest area of the piece available is to be located first. Then some adhesive, like Araldite, is applied over the top portion of the dope stick, which is flat. Now stick that piece to the dope stick at the located centre point.

For quick setting of the adhesive, these dope sticks (holding pieces) are placed on a metallic dope stand, and are heated on a hotplate for approximately 20 minutes. Utmost care is taken during handling, because any shake may slide the pieces from centre points, which may result in a poor yield.

Under this modern mechanised pre-forming process, the work of coning and faceting is done away, simultaneously, in single sitting without taking much effort as in the earlier method. This is due to mechanisation and power-drive. The grinding work of the stone under this process is fine and is very suitable for the polishing work.

78 The process of pre-forming involves two functions, namely is girdle rounding and coning.

(i) Girdle rounding: This is the process of giving a cylindrical shape of required diameter to the stone held on the dope stick. The cutting lap (Which is diamond coated) used for this process is of 260 grit size, in the case of CZ (medium sized pieces). For big sized pieces of CZ even small pieces of corundum, 80-120 grit size is required.

Higher the grit size, cutting lap will be finer and cutting action will be slow. The piece is turned against the rotating cutting lap, by rotating the dope stick which is mounted in the slot of the fixture, holding the dope stick with thumb and first finger. This process is repeated till the final cylindrical shape is achieved.

(ii) Coning: This is the process of making a frustum of a cone on the top portion of the girdle rounded (cylindrical) stone. Here, comparatively finer grit size (like 600 grit in the case of medium sized pieces of CZ) used to prevent the fine tip (culet) of the piece from breaking. Procedure is the same. Only, the fixture has to be tilted at 42‖.

At the end of each operation, the piece should be checked for roundness, centerness of culet and any crack. After completing these operations, dipsticks are heated to take out the preformed pieces. Then these pieces are kept in thinner for 6-8 hours to remove the Araldite sticking to them.

3. Polishing: Polishing ('Merugu' is the local name of this process) which is the final stage in the processing. It can be described as the process of cutting and then polishing the entire preformed stone with many small flat

79 faces or facets at definite locations and elevations. Reflections from the surface and from the interior of transparent faceted gems provide many twinkling patches of light which appear and disappear with the slightest movement and lend brilliance even to gems which are colourless.

The amount of brilliance is dependent on the optical properties of the gemstones themselves and the way in which the facets are cut.

There can be any number of types of cuts and cutting styles. Virtually every one of these falls into one or the other of two basic faceting styles. The brilliant cut style in its most popular form is the Round Brilliant Cut and the step cut style in its most popular form is the Emerald cut. Each of these styles is designed to achieve specific objectives. The brilliant cut is characterized by kite and triangular shaped facets while the step cut features longer, rectangular shaped facets.

Modern polishing: The modern polishing technique in India which has recently been introduced is predominantly done on semi-automatic machines which facilitate in overcoming the drawbacks of the traditional method of Imitation.

Polishing machine: Regardless of the attachments and apparent complexity, a polishing machine is mechanically constructed to perform three basic functions as a stone is brought against the lap. It is intended to discipline or index the arrangement of facets around the perimeter of the stone. Second function is to discipline the slope or angle of each facet being cut. And finally, it is made to control the depth of cutting by height or elevation adjustment. Polishing machine is set up according to one's own comfort and operating inclinations. A good comfort rule is, the higher the elbows the greater the fatigue. So, the machine should be set at a height

80 that promotes artisan's operating comfort while also allowing him to hear the cutting action and to inspect the work progress in good light. The machine lamp or tube light should also be near. Moreover the machine should be placed on a leveled surface.

After completing the preliminary settings, set the cutting and polishing laps in their respective spindles (left and right).

It must be ensured that both the laps are in one level. Then all the three protractors of D-Block for main facets at 34º table star facets at 21º and upper star facets at 41.5º are set.

Diamond powder is mixed with few drops of coconut oil/olive oil (just enough to make a paste) and applied over the freshly charged polishing lap evenly with a finger. This can be done in a better way by rolling a ball bearing over it or by applying a 'Gundu' (Diamond bort).

Procurement, Marketing:

Sliced / cut pieces: The sliced pieces are sliced in machines and are usually in triangular cross sectional shape. The cut pieces are either cut in machines abroad and imported or cut in the local 'pattarai‘s from CZ crystals. The former is known as 'cut pieces' while the latter is called 'cuttings'. Both are usually of square or rectangle cross sectional shapes. The difference is that the cut pieces will have all its surfaces smooth and regular whereas the cuttings have irregular surfaces.

These pieces are available at different rates. The price depends upon the quality of rough CZ or Synthetic Corundum used in the shape and the size of the cut pieces. One has to choose the right size of sliced/cut pieces to get a particular size of finished pieces. Usually sizes are specified by the

81 number of pieces per 10 g. and by the quality. For example we have to ask for 40-45 pieces/10g size to get finished pieces approximately ranging from 2.50 mm to 3.25 mm (10 to 15 Jallad). Again this can be Super, Medium or Low quality depending on one's requirements.

One can gainfully employ people in slicing or cutting and market their sliced cut pieces. This has a good demand in the market. In such .a case he has to select the pattarai people or machine owners who do the preforming and then get their requirement in terms of quality, size and quantity. Now the rough CZ has to be purchased accordingly and sliced/cut to suit the requirements. There is a practice of credit sales in this trade and it can extend from a week to a month and the price will vary accordingly.

Preformed pieces: Preformed pieces have a heavy demand in the market. This is especially so because of less number of people employed in pre-forming and the very limited quantity of production of good quality pieces. Most of the pre-formed pieces available in the market are of the traditional shape and are called 'Urutu' pieces. These can be purchased from the traders in Tiruchirappalli. Some pattarai people can also be directly approached to get these pieces.

The final yield from these pieces will be more, but the per carat rate is high compared to the machine made preformed pieces of the same size. These pieces are purchased on per carat basis and the price varies per carat depending on the size and quality of preformed pieces. The normal size ranges available are-6, -8, -10, -15, -20, -25, -30 Jallad etc.,

The machine made preformed stones are available with cylindrical crown side and the per carat price is less for a given quality and size.

82 However, the yield of finished pieces from this type of pieces is less since more material has to be cut from these to get the finished stones. These pieces are usually made in mm sizes with the difference of 0.25 mm between two consecutive sizes. The advantages of machine-made preformed pieces are calibration and proper round shapes.

Marketing of preformed pieces is an easy task as there is a good demand for these stones. As more and more new entrepreneurs are coming into this trade for polishing there is a heavy requirement of preformed stones. One can put machines/pattarai to produce these stones and successfully sell it to the polishing unit owners. These pieces have to be offered in the required size ranges and quality. The credit sale is applicable at this stage too. A credit period of 2 weeks to a month is common in the market.

Finished Pieces: Finished pieces are available in the market in a multitude of shapes, qualities and Colour. The material itself can be Cubic Zirconia or Synthetic Corundum. Cubic Zirconia is popular in its brilliant white Colour while Synthetic Corundum is popular both in its white and red colour ruby. Some of the shapes available are Pear, Marquise, Oval Emerald, Baguette, Disco, Triple Cut, Double Cut, Single cut, etc., in addition to the classic Round Brilliant cut. However, Round brilliant cut is the most predominant cut and most of the material in demand is in this cut. The synthetic corundum is purchased and sold on a per piece basis in the market whereas Cubic Zirconia is dealt in carats. Most of the faceted CZ found in the market is hand cut, but machine cut material is catching up fast.

83 The finished pieces which are produced in the pattrai‘s or machines are first graded into different grades. These are then sized normally as -4,

-6, -8, -10, -13 -15, -20, -25, -30, etc., Jallad / mesh sizes and then taken to the traders in the market, mainly in Diamond Bazaar at Tiruchirappalli

However, in case of machine cut products it will be required by manufacturer to mention the jallad sizes of his stones which are originally made in mm Sizes.

It is also advantageous to know the number of Cubic Zirconia stones per carat for a particular size. The Table 1 shows the MM -Jallad relationship and also the number of stones per carat in different sizes

Table – 2.6

MM-Jallad relationship with number of piecesss per carat for finished CZ pieces Pierres Approximate MM JALLAD no. of pieces sizes No per carat 1.50 3-4 33.3 l.75 4-6 25.0 2.00 6-8 17.2 2.25 8-9 11.5 2.50 9-11 8.3 2.75 11-12 6.7 3.00 12-13 5.0 3.25 13-14 3.9 3.50 14-16 3.0 3.75 16-17 2.4 4.00 17-18 2.0 4.25 18-19 1.8 4.50 19-21 1.5 4.75 21-22 1.2 5.00 22-23 1.1 The Tiruchirappalli market has more than 200 shops dealing in synthetic stones. These people inspect the quality of the stones and offer

84 their prices. The seller has to negotiate with them and arrive at the selling price. The smaller sized stones will fetch more prices per carat than the bigger ones in a particular quality gradation.

A better way of marketing these products is to go out to other places outside Tiruchirappalli and sell them directly to the stone wholesalers and jewellers there. In this case a better price realization will be there for the product. However, it is little difficult for the small manufacturers to practice this. In the local market this sort of business trip outside Tiruchirappalli is referred to as 'going on line'.

There are people 'going on line' to Coimbatore, Nellore and other places of Andhra Pradesh State, Bangalore and other places of Karnataka State, Karwar and even Calcutta, Jaipur and other places. The traders in Tiruchirapalli also 'go on line' to these places and sell of their goods mostly on credit. The duration of repayment period varies from one to six months.

Some of the traders in the market are offering their products in 'sealed packets' with brand names. There are many traders who take pains in selecting good quality stones, put them in printed paper packets with cloth and cotton inside to wrap and protect the stones.

There will be a paper seal which has to be broken, to open the packet. This way the adulteration of the material inside is prevented. Normally only top quality stones find their way into such sealed packets.

These packets find their way into most of the major jewelry manufacturers and stone dealers throughout the country. The prices of these stones are also fixed very high. Credit sales is very much part of the deal.

85 (H) Features of Synthetic Gem Industry22

Tiruchirappalli is the Major centre for Synthetic Gemstones Industry in India. It is a traditional labour-intensive cottage Industry.

Around 100 years back, Indian traders who were dealing with synthetic gemstones (known at that time as ―Rangoon Diamonds‖) in Burma, who had the capability and techniques of polishing gemstones, returned and settled in Trichy.

There were nearly 1,50,000 persons reported to be engaged in the cutting and polishing of synthetic gemstones in Tamil Nadu with concentration in Trichy-Pudukkottai Districts. Recently the numbers have drastically declined to less than five percent.

This was perhaps one of the best alternate or part-time employments for the village farming community providing, earnings matching other vocations like agriculture and construction work. Rural families can best be employed in their homes itself like in the case of matches or cracker production.

Transportation of materials is easy as the final products and raw materials can be hand carried. At a time when the gemstones industry was expanding world over, large number of Traders from particularly Jaipur migrated to Trichy, utilized the lower production cost of the gemstones made in Trichy and traded for huge sums of money in Northern parts of India. But this led to unfortunate neglect of manufacturing processes and as a result specialized equipments as introduced abroad did not find place in Trichy.

22. *Souvenir issued on Centenary Celebration of Synthetic Gem Stones Manufacturers’ Welfare Committee, p.25, dated 25th December 1991.

86 1. This industry employed around 1,50,000 artisans in and around Trichy and Pudukkottai Districts. Nearly 13000 production units existed where as not even 5 percent of these are in existence today.23

2. Most of the families engaged in this industry earn their living sitting under their thatched ceiling habitats, which proves the nature of the COTTAGE INDUSTRY.

3. In the family of an artisan, talented and experienced artisans emerge in the family line revealing the TRADITIONAL nature of the business / trade.

4. Out of the total cost of production nearly 80 percent goes as wages and the remaining towards raw materials and hence this LABOUR INTENSIVE COTTAGE INDUSTRY is prospering.

5. More women artisans including handicapped are taking part in this industry. In Pudukkottai District, giving assistance in procuring - modern machinery under DOCRA Scheme encourages women.

6. Skilled workers earned between Rs.1,500/- and Rs.2,000/- per month and others only between Rs.1000/- and Rs.1500/- per month.

7. An important feature of this industry is that it employs both male and female artisans without discrimination in wages. Wages are paid on the basis of size, shape and quality of the finished product and not on per day basis.

8. With low investment, even small producers can enter into this industry.

23. Information given by the President of AISGMDA

87 9. This cottage industry plays an important role in the rural industrialization generating more employment and income and thereby raising the standard of living of the rural artisans.

10. With four different stages of operations and the needs for skilled workers for processing and grading of the stones, employment opportunity created in this industry is large providing employment opportunities in both rural and urban areas alike, particularly in backward areas.

11. Recognizing the role of this cottage industry in promoting rural employment Khaki and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has recognized this industry as Village Industry and has classified in their Mineral Based Industry (MBI) similar to pottery and other Cottage Industries. There is a proposal planned by the KVIC State Director to set- up ―The Artificial Diamond Cluster‖ in Trichy with the support of Asian

Development Bank.24

12. The Department of Science and Technology has recognized this Village Industry for up gradation. NABARD has approved this village industry for development.

13. This cottage industry gives employment opportunities for the agriculturist during off-season and at the time of monsoon failure.

14. Industry is highly localized paving way for further expansion.

24. Source: http://www.thehindu.com/news/states. Ref: Trichy Industrial News, Thursday Feb. 3, 2011

88 (I) Market analysis and Demand for synthetic gemstones

Gemstones are primarily sold to large jewellers for the production of Rings, Pendants, Bracelets, Brooches and other jewellery designs. Presetting can be done in wood and plastic and this is done for watches, spectacles, writing instruments and accessories. Jewellery is highly influenced by the fashion trends as it is considered a more fashionable item than a luxury item.

Earlier, only Precious stones like Diamond, Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald were used. Lower end jewels used semi Precious stones or were set with synthetic gemstones.

Today market is more fluid. Design is the key for most markets, which is in the hands of the jewel makers. Inexpensive gemstones like Cubic Zirconia, Moissanite, Spinels etc. are set in jewels ranging from 8 carat to 22 carat gold.

Current trends indicate usage of small and less fancy shaped stones (round shapes). Popular colours are pastel and earthy colours (red, yellow and brown).

Today the jewel making has shifted to moulded designs to speed up production. These type jewels require very accurate sized calibrated stones and the percentage of consumption of these calibrated to non- calibrated stone is in the order of 70:30. Hence the manufacturing of gemstones has to adopt latest technology enabling calibrated stones production for which there is maximum demand. There are literally thousands of competitors in each segment, many of them from China, Korea, Thailand and Europe. The

89 primary customers in the gemstones industry are the manufacturers of the Jewellery.

The main competitors to Trichy gemstones industry are from Korea, Thailand and China. It is to be noted that Korea along with Germany and USA makes the most modern machineries in gem cutting. The competition from China is perhaps the most significant aspect in market competition which in virtually eating into the gemstone business of Trichy. China is really capitalizing with its enormous labour force particularly women whom they are organizing in thousands in production area turning out large quantities of calibrated stones of different sizes and colours. These stones have found their way into the Indian market and this situation has literally taken away the bread out of the mouth of the Trichy Traders and Manufacturers.

(J) Export of synthetic gemstones

The world market for Synthetic Gemstones is placed at $200 Million a year, which is nearly Rupees 920 crores. Indian exports are just $0.5 Million, which is a very small portion indeed. Until 1988 the import duty on raw materials was 100%, which is now reduced to 15%. Government had taken more supportive decisions in the case of Diamonds and removed the import duty on rough diamonds completely and similar help can be extended to synthetic gemstones as well.

This piquant situation in exports is due to the fact that production in mass quantities of calibrated sizes is not possible for Trichy producers. Though skill exists to make good quality gems, infrastructure facilities to cut and polish gems in large quantities are not available.

90 Another serious lacuna is that no trader in Tiruchirappalli district is directly involved in the export of gems. Export of gems is mainly done through agents placed in North India. The people concerned do not have adequate knowledge about export market.

(K) Type of products-sizes and shapes

The Gemstones can be classified into three categories namely Precious, Semi-precious and Synthetic. While the raw material for Synthetic Gemstones is produced by a chemical process at high temperatures, the Precious and semi-precious stones are obtained from nature.

(i) Precious stones: Diamond, Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald are known as precious stones of which Diamond is valued high because it is the hardest and rare. Diamond is a perfect 10 harness on MOHS‘ scale. The harder the stone the more durable it is and less likely to chip, scratch and suffer damage. Ruby and Sapphire are hardest next to diamond and measures 9. Ruby and Sapphire though differing in colour belong to the same material family, namely Corundum. Ruby is more rare than sapphire and hence more valuable. Emerald is much less hard and measures 7.5.

(ii) Semi-precious stones: Amethyst, Aquamarine, Citrine, Garnet, Peridot. Topaz and marconite are some of the semi-precious stones. They are natural stones like the precious ones and not as rare as them. Many of the semi-precious stones like the Amethyst belong to the quartz family of crystalline rock formation found throughout the world.

(iii) Synthetic Gemstones: They are produced in laboratories and include the Cubic Zirconia (referred as CZ), synthetic forms of corundum,

91 spinel, ruby and emerald. They are less expensive and in terms of hardness close to 9.5. In cost they are very cheap at Rs. 20 to 50 a carat whereas Diamond costs 25,000 to 30000 a carat.

These stones can be cut and polished in different shapes namely round, star, Heart, Pear, Marquise and so on. The round shape is the most preferred one.

Diagram – 2.6 Different Facets and Shapes of Stones

92

93

94

(L) The Technology, Processes and Quality aspects of Gemstones Manufacturing

In order to bring out the full colour, brilliance, lustre, it is necessary for the rough stone to be correctly cut and polished. The processing is done in four steps namely cutting, shaping, faceting and polishing for producing different shapes and sizes.

95 (i) Modern Brilliant Cut:

The proportions and angles are designed to give the best lustre and dispersion as illustrated in figure.

Diagram – 2.7 Round Brilliant Cut

(ii) Defects in a Processed Stone: 25

A processed Cubic Zirconia stone of round brilliant cut can have one or more defects. These are discussed below:

1. Culet one sided: This happens because of either using one- sided performed piece or one-sided dopping before processing. In such a case the culet will be off center and will not appear.

2. Culet broken: Here the cullet of the stone will be broken.

3. Crown cut: Here the full crown main facets will not appear. Lower portion of the facets will be cut off.

25. Project Report, p.24 prepared by All India Synthetic Gem Manufacturers and Dealers Association

96 4. Thick Girdle: The stone will have excessive girdle resulting in excessive height; less luster and more weight.

5. One sided Girdle: The girdle thickness in this case varies from one point to another.

6. Girdle not round: In this case, the stone will not be having its round shape, so when set into jewellery the stone breaks.

7. Thick arrow facets: Here the arrow facets are very thick and occupy a major area in the pavilion side.

8. Thin arrow facets: Here the arrow facets will appear as thin lines.

9. Open arrow facets: In this case, the ends of the arrow facets will not be single points.

10. Small or big table: The table size will be either bigger or smaller than the specified proportion.

11. Big or Small Table star: The table star facets are either too big or too small.

12. Table one sided: Here the table facet will not be at the centre of the stone. It will appear towards one side of the piece.

13. No junction points: This occurs due to incorrect cutting. The junctions of various facets will appear as lines instead of points.

14. Polish weak: The stone does not have enough of a mirror like polish.

15. Scratches: The stone displays scratches on its surface.

16. Stone bad: The stone appears milky or has bubbles or inclusions etc., or is broken.

97 17. Broken Girdle: The girdle is broken at one or more points.

18. All facets not available: All 57 facets should be available in a properly cut R/B stone.

19. Incorrect proportions: The proportions of the various parts of the stone should be correct.

20. Extra facet: Extra small facets form because of incorrect cutting.

Diagram – 2.8. Types of Defects in Stones

98

99 Present Scenario of Synthetic Gem Industry in Tiruchirappalli District

In this modern world, science and technology has been adopted and applied in all Industries. Business dynamism is rapidly increasing in all facets of industry through which the consumers‘ needs and wants are fulfilled.

In the case of synthetic gem industry, modern technology was adopted in 1990s. But, because of the interference of China, the technology became obsolete. At present, the new technology is put in to the practice almost all over the world except India. The absolute reason for this is high cost of machinery and increasing cost of maintenance. In addition to that, there are no skilled personnel to train the workers and to repair the modern machines.

The Gold Prices are continuously unstable. There is steep increase in price almost every day because of the influence of continuous demand and especially on-line trading activity. The demand for synthetic gem has direct influence on Gold Prices. Due to this fact, consumers are not interested in buying stone studded gold ornaments. While buying stone studded gold ornaments, the jewellery traders charge for these stones at the price of Gold. They don‘t weigh gold and stones separately. Over and above they charge separately heavy prices for the stones as well. While, the same customer goes for resale of the same ornaments to the same jewellery trader, the traders deduct the weight of the stones and the balance gold weight only is taken for consideration/trading. Thus, the customers are incurring multiple losses. So, nobody is interested in buying the stone-studded ornaments. Therefore, the overall synthetic gem

100 industry is totally affected because of gold price fluctuations and the increasing value of the stone-studded ornaments. In addition to that, Government also levying service taxes to make it more costly.

Because of being a cottage industry, the workers, manufacturers and traders are totally unorganized. There is no Employees‘ Union at all and there will not be any type of adaptation of rules and regulations with regard to wage settlements and other grievances. Because of its unorganized nature, the manufacturers and workers of this industry are not getting any type of benefit from the Central and State Governments.

Traders significantly increase or decrease the demand for synthetic gems and manipulate the price of the produce with the manufacturers. Their main aim is to procure quality gems at a reduced price from the manufacturers and increase their profit margins. Because of this kind of exploitation by the traders, the manufacturers are severely affected and their profit margin is reduced to the lowest. Still, the manufacturers are compelled to face the same traders again and again unwillingly. There is no cordial relationship between traders and manufacturers.

Presently, no bank in Tamil Nadu is providing any type of credit or loan facilities to the synthetic gem manufacturers, workers and traders because of their low margin or earnings and deteriorating conditions of their turn over or income set-up.

Even though the synthetic gem industry became sick because of the influence of Liberalization and Globalization, the manufacturers are not willing to quit and diversify their business. They are aspiring to withstand in the industry with the hope of its revival. It is clear that the total

101 synthetic gem industry is in a pathetic condition. Those who are involved in this business are not reaping the benefits matching their work.

There are so many factors responsible for this, particularly Liberalization and Globalization and changing behavior of customers. Industry people also are blaming one another for their failure in business.

Generally the target consumers do not know anything about the technical aspects of the synthetic gems. They do not have knowledge to differentiate the various types, kinds and methods of synthetic gems viz., Imitation stones, American Diamond stones, Chinese stones, Swiss stones, Single Cutting, Double Cutting, Triple Cutting , sizes, Jalladas ,rice, padami, etc. Just by seeing the colours which is impressive in their heart, they used to take spontaneous decisions to buy the ornaments with synthetic gems.

The Traders of Synthetic gem industries established their own cartel of a registered association of 216 members. They are representing to the Government and other bodies for their development and grievances. But, the association is not functioning effectively due to certain constraints such as marketing instability, lack of co-ordination among members, low level of expectations from the association, etc.

The Synthetic gem industry is totally affected due to Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization. The prospective reason is interference of China in the local market. The traders procure Chinese gems through agents at a lower price than the price quoted by indigenous manufacturers. Due to the above reason, the manufacturers are continuously incurring a capital loss and profit margin.

102 At present, the numbers of traders of synthetic gems are quite decreasing because of low profit margin, non-availability of varied types of stones, increasing number of bad debts, etc.

The condition of workers of synthetic gem industry is worsening day by day. About 20 years back, the market for synthetic gem was excellent due to the fact that the workers were paid appropriate wages which is sufficient for them to save and spend. They were self-motivated and it was treated as family endeavor. Generation after generation people involved themselves in manufacturing work of synthetic gems with strong motivation and encouragement. But today, the environment is completely opposite. They are not paid sufficient wages to meet out their family requirements. Because of these pathetic conditions, the number of workers has come down rapidly. They are switching over to some other jobs of daily wages to run their life.

Even though, the workers switch over to some other work, they still have a mind-setting to carry on the synthetic gem work and have an inner- feeling to stick on to it. They suggested that they are ready to continue the synthetic gem work if they are paid comfortable wages to meet out their day-to-day expenses.

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