Synthetic ruby

[gussyy]

Hi, l have a piece of synthetic ruby do l treat it the same as real ruby (sapphire) are the angles the same. Is it the same hardness and everything.Await your reply.

                                            Cheers Gussyy.

[Aussie Sapphire]

yes - as long as it is synthetic corundum, everything is the same.  Treat it the same as natural ruby except without the hassle of inclusions.

cheers
Leah

[moonshadow_dancer]

Hi Gussyy,

I have never cut a real Ruby, but they have the same properties, and I have cut plenty of the Syn Rubies and I treat them identical to Sapphire. And as Leah said, no inclusions 

Take care,
Deb 

[fossickeract]

 Hi gussy,
    Sometimes you get an orange peel effect only on some facets using 1200 grit but I get rid of it with the prepolish, using 8000 or 15000 diamond on a ceramic lap , you can often polish softer stones straight from 1200 but not Sapphire or synthetic Ruby.There is an article on the net from Bob's Rock Shop on cutting a simple heart from synthetic ruby well worth reading and showing the onion peel effect.I don't have web address but you could google it.
        Ted

[mehoose]

This the one?

http://www.faceters.com/askjeff/answer49.shtml

[fossickeract]

Yes  thats the one, thanks Merryn have to improve my puter skills.

[mehoose]

I'm good at surfin in the seat.
Just don't ask me to get tekanikel.

[gussyy]

Hi, thanks for that info much appreciated, l finished my second stone being a peice of clear quartz, l was amazed at how quick the cerium oxide on my new darkside lap gave me a polish it was unbeleivable. My next is the synthetic ruby with this l will see how l go with the diamond powder, l would imagine that l will do the same as what l did with the cerium oxide.

                                                            Cheers Gussyy

[moonshadow_dancer]

Hi Gussyy,

Am so glad the Darkside Lap worked for you as it is a brilliant Lap.

With the cerium oxide I am assuming you used a slurry with water and oxide? With the diamond grit, you need to polorize the lap first, the best way to do this is, wash the lap first, I use some dishwashing detergent and a small nail brush, I scrub the detergent in circular motion with the brush, then rinse and dry with a paper towel.

To Polorize thew Lap, fold a tissue in half a few times, spray some Lube onto the tissue (Inox, WD-40 etc) then with the lap spinning run the damp tissue across the lap, I then usually run a dry tissue across also to remove the excess lube. Then sprinkle a small amount of the diamond grit onto the lap and again in circular motion rub the grit over the lap. If you do get scratching it can mean to much grit.

I hope this is of some help to you.

Take Care,
Deb 

[gussyy]

Thanks Deb, just another quick one with the quartz l went from 3000 chrystelite straight to cerium, can l do the same with synthetic ruby.

                                                                     Cheers Gussyy

[moonshadow_dancer]

Hi Gussyy,

I have done that before and it worked fine, but now I go from 1200 to 14000 then Darkside with Corundum.

Take care,
Deb 

[gussyy]

Hi, l have done the pavillion of my synthetic ruby to standard angles for corundum, do l do the crown to standard corundum angles or has someone got better angles for the synthetic ruby. Await your reply.

                                                 Cheers Gussyy.

[gussyy]

Hi, l have done the pavillion of my synthetic ruby to standard angles for corundum, do l do the crown to standard corundum angles or has someone got better angles for the synthetic ruby. Await your reply.

                                                 Cheers Gussyy.

[Aussie Sapphire]

standard corundum angles should work fine - others may have some advice for you but I doubt you'd go wrong with standard sapphire/ruby angles out of the book.

cheers
Leah

[gussyy]

Thanks Leah, people you talk to do seem to have their own angles for material, l met one chap up at the Willows gem field and he gave me the one set of angles that would suit all stones,dont know about that though.

                         Cheers and Thanks.