FEATURE ARTICLES DUAL -C OLOR DOUBLE STARS IN RUBY , SAPPHIRE , AND QUARTZ : CAUSE AND HISTORICAL ACCOUNT Karl Schmetzer, Martin P. Steinbach, H. Albert Gilg, and Andrea R. Blake A largely overlooked form of asterism consisting of dual-color double stars is found in natural sapphire, in diffusion-treated and non-diffusion-treated synthetic rubies and sapphires, and in natural quartz. To characterize and explain this phenomenon, examples of these materials were examined. In transparent or translucent samples, an optical pattern of a white six-rayed star and a bodycolored (e.g., red, orange, yellow, green, blue) six-rayed star was frequently observed. Grinding and repolishing experiments showed that the asterism of part of the synthetic samples was produced or enhanced by diffusion treat - ment. The mechanism responsible for the formation of the dual-color double stars is discussed. To pro - duce the pattern, acicular inclusions must either be present in relatively thin layers confined to the dome and the base of diffusion-treated ruby or sapphire cabochons, or be distributed throughout the complete corundum (natural or synthetic) or quartz samples. The white star is caused by interaction of light with the upper layer of the cabochon’s dome. The bodycolored star, in contrast, is generated by light that enters the cabochon, is reflected and scattered at the base layer of the cabochon, and then travels a sec - ond time back through the body of the sample. As further prerequisites for observation of the phenom - enon, the gemstones must be transparent or translucent, with polished base and dome. A historical summary of the manufacture and improvement of synthetic asteriated corundum by dif - fusion treatment offers additional insight into dual-color double-star stones. According to firsthand ac - counts and patent documents, diffusion has been used to produce or enhance asterism in synthetic and natural corundum since the 1950s. The treated material has been released commercially since at least the 1970s, and it is still produced and found on the international market. sterism in corundum and quartz is observed Asteriated natural sapphires and rubies with two in various forms. Single six-rayed asterism is slightly displaced six-rayed stars of identical white Athe most common form, found in natural ruby color have been mentioned on different occasions. and sapphire from different sources around the world. This optical phenomenon results from lamellar twin - This optical phenomenon is due to the presence of ning, with three series of rutile needles in each indi - three series of acicular inclusions, in corundum vidual part of the twin (Koivula et al., 1993; McClure, mostly identified as rutile or hematite-ilmenite nee - 1998; Kondo, 2007). dles (Moon and Phillips, 1984). If both types of inclu - Additionally, a natural star sapphire with two sion are present, twelve-rayed asterism is seen stars of different coloration was described by Koivula (Hughes, 1997; Schmetzer and Glas, 2001). In such and Tannous (2001). The two stars were observed samples, two six-rayed concentric stars consisting of singly but on opposite sides of the double cabochon— three light bands each are rotated such that the i.e., the color of the star visible depended upon twelve rays are evenly spaced and 30° apart (and al - ternate between the two acicular inclusion types). whether the stone was viewed from the “top” dome or the “bottom” dome. One star was an “ordinary” white star of the type commonly seen in sapphires See end of article for About the Authors and Acknowledgments. and rubies, caused by reflection from inclusions near GEMS & G EMOLOGY , Vol. 51, No. 2, pp. 112–143, the surface toward the viewer. The other was a yel - http://dx.doi.org/10.5741/GEMS.51.2.112. © 2015 Gemological Institute of America low-brown star, caused by reflection from inclusions 112 DUAL -C OLOR DOUBLE STARS IN RUBY , S APPHIRE , AND QUARTZ GEMS & G EMOLOGY SUMMER 2015 farther from the surface and thereby showing super - In addition, examinations of six-rayed star quartz imposition of the bodycolor of the host sapphire. from Niriella, Sri Lanka, showed the presence of Phenomenal quartz has been known from various three series of oriented sillimanite needles (Woens - localities for more than a century, and asteriated ma - dregt et al., 1980). Oriented needle-like inclusions of terial is seen occasionally in the trade, with most ilmenite, on the other hand, were responsible for the samples originating from Brazil or Madagascar six light bands in quartz from the state of Texas (Cassedanne and Roditi, 1991; Pezzotta, 2001). The (Zolensky et al., 1988). In a yellow-green quartz from literature further demonstrates that asterism and re - Tamil Nadu, India, showing a combination of aster - lated phenomena in quartz constitute a relatively ism and chatoyancy, several series of unidentified complex topic and may take a plurality of forms. fine to coarse needles were described (Choudhary and Most common are asteriated stones presenting six- Vyas, 2009). These publications show that although rayed stars, with three groups of needle-like inclu - rutile needles seem to be a well-established cause for sions oriented in a plane perpendicular to the c-axis. asterism in some quartz varieties, other acicular in - Rarely, twelve-rayed stars are observed, which show clusions should not be neglected. six groups of needles (two sets of three) in the same To summarize, table 1 offers a short overview of plane. Even multi-star quartz samples revealing nu - the different star phenomena. merous stars on the surface of cabochons or complete spheres have been described in detail from a locality near Galle in Sri Lanka (Schmetzer and Glas, 2003). PRODUCTION OF ASTERIATED SYNTHETIC Rose quartz spheres also may show isolated light RUBY AND SAPPHIRE spots in addition to the typical six-rayed asterism In synthetic ruby and sapphire, asterism is produced (Schmetzer and Krzemnicki, 2006). in a two-step process: With respect to identification of the needles pro - 1. Growth of a non-asteriated crystal that con - ducing the phenomena, asterism in colorless quartz tains distinct amounts of titanium in the and rose quartz has frequently been associated with corundum lattice the presence of a network of oriented rutile needles (see, e.g., Eppler, 1958; Fryer et al., 1981, 1982b, 1985; 2. Heat treatment of the homogeneous titanium- bearing sample to form needle-like precipitates of a titanium-bearing phase In Brief Two variants are known for the first step of this process. In one variant, titanium oxide is added to the • Corundum (natural and synthetic) and quartz may ex - aluminum oxide powder used for the production of hibit asterism in the form of dual-color double stars. synthetic ruby and sapphire boules by the Verneuil • Reflection and scattering of light by acicular inclusions method (Burdick and Glenn, 1949; Burdick and near the dome of cabochons create a white star, while such reflection and scattering of light by inclusions near Jones, 1954a) or by the Czochralski technique (Keig the base create another star with the bodycolor of the host. et al., 1972). In another variant, titanium is diffused • Diffusion processes may contribute to the phenome - into whole and half boules as well as pre-cut cabo - non and have been used to create or improve asterism chons of synthetic Verneuil-grown corundum (Ever - in ruby and sapphire since the 1950s. sole and Burdick, 1954c; see also Carr and Nisevich, 1975a, 1976a, 1977). After either variant of the first production step, Kiefert, 2003). Rutile needles are found in quartz in heat treatment is performed for the formation of a multiplicity of crystallographic orientations, as es - needle-like precipitates in the corundum matrix. tablished by von Vultée (1955, 1956). By use of five This step exsolves three differently oriented series of these established orientations for rutile needles in of needles, composed either of rutile or of another quartz, a model was developed to explain all ob - titanium-bearing phase. Reflection and scattering of served multi-star networks in quartz from Sri Lanka light from these needles are then responsible for the (Schmetzer and Glas, 2003). A sagenitic network of three intersecting light bands of asteriated rubies acicular rutile crystals has also been mentioned re - and sapphires. The exsolution step is necessary re - cently as causing the asterism seen in quartz samples gardless of which variant of the first production step from Myanmar (Schmetzer and Steinbach, 2014). is employed. DUAL -C OLOR DOUBLE STARS IN RUBY , S APPHIRE , AND QUARTZ GEMS & G EMOLOGY SUMMER 2015 113 TABLE 1. Overview of various star phenomena. Ruby and sapphire Quartz and rose quartz Single six-rayed star Three series of needles in Three series of needles in planes parallel to the basal planes parallel to the basal face face Single twelve-rayed star Six series of needles (two Six series of needles (two sets of three) in planes sets of three) in planes parallel to the basal face parallel to the basal face Single-color double stars Twinned individual, each consisting of two part of the twin with a displaced stars with single six-rayed star identical color Multiple stars with Several series of needles identical colo ra (or parallel and inclined to additional light spots) the basal face (or additional flat inclusions) Dual-color double stars To be described in this To be described in this with a white star and a paper paper bodycolored second star aAlso observed in garnets and spinels due to the cubic symmetry of the host (see, e.g., Schmetzer et al., 2002) Numerous papers have dealt with the examina - Patents related to the different variants of produc - tion and identification of the needle-like precipitates tion mentioned above were assigned to the Linde Air formed in Ti-doped corundum after annealing at Products Company (New York) and later to Union temperatures in the range of 1500° to 1100°C (see ref - Carbide and Carbon Corporation or to Union Carbide erences below and patent documents in table A-1).