Feature
Gems & Gemology, Winter 1988, Vol. 24, No. 4
A Gemological Look at Kyocera's New Synthetic Star Ruby
John I. Koivula and Robert C. Kammerling
Kyocera Corporation of Kyoto, Japan, is currently marketing under the trade name "Inamori" a macroscopically natural-appearing semitransparent asteriated synthetic ruby. With the exception of obvious internal characteristics and a relatively strong fluorescence to ultraviolet radiation, all of the gemological properties shown by this material are essentially the same as those encountered in natural star rubies. For the majority of gemologists without access to research- grade testing equipment, the internal characteristics of Kyocera's synthetic star ruby are the only universally reliable means of identifying this new product.
