For the first time, a ruby has been successfully grown in situ by planting a “ruby seed” inside a platinum ring. This innovative technique could revolutionize the jewelry industry by showing that we may no longer need to mine for high-quality gemstones.
The ruby seed, which was used to grow the stone, can be created from waste gemstone materials, which are widely available. This idea was developed by Sofie Boons, a jeweler-turned-scientist at the University of the West of England (UWE). Boons spent four years perfecting a process that transforms waste materials into stones that are identical to traditional mined rubies.
“I hope this innovation will put an end to the long-held belief that lab-grown gems are ‘synthetic’ or less valuable than mined ones,” Boons stated. As a Senior Lecturer in Design Crafts, she emphasized that these neo-gemstones form naturally, resulting in unique facets each time a seed is grown.
Boons envisions her research as the beginning of a new era of “urban mined gemstones.” This approach aims to address the environmental issues associated with both mined and lab-grown gems. Mining can lead to soil erosion, deforestation, and ecosystem destruction. Meanwhile, lab-grown gemstones have their own drawbacks, primarily due to the energy-intensive process required to create them from scratch.
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