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Synthetic Rutile


Properties
Chemical Composition: 
Titanium Dioxide - TiO2
Classification / Type: 
The material is found abundant as inclusions (silk, needles, crystals, etc.) in number of gemstones preferably in quartz, tourmaline, ruby and sapphire but large facet table crystals are quite rare therefore gemological importance lies in the synthetic counterpart produced by flame fusion method.
Colors / Varieties: 
All colors, generally colorless with a yellow tinge.
Crystal System / Forms: 
Tetragonal System
Hardness: 
6 - 6.5
Specific Gravity: 
4.20
Cleavage / Fracture: 
Distinct
Optic Character: 
Anisotropic, D.R.; Uniaxial Positive
Lustre: 
Vitreous
Refractive Index / Birefringence: 
2.616 - 2.903 / 0.287
Pleochroism: 
Weak
Dispersion: 
0.290 (high fire)
Magnification: 
Generally clean, strong doubling giving a hazy appearance, dispersive fire
U.V. Fluorescence: 
Inert.
Spectrum: 
Not diagnostic.
Cause of Color: 
As per dopant used.
Treatment (Enhancement): 
Dark colored boules of synthetic rutile are heated to give the light yellow color. Natural rutile is generally brown in color which is heated to give yellow color.
Specific Tests & Remarks: 
Very high doubling and dispersive fire.
Synthesis: 
Flame Fusion Method.
Simulants (with key separation tests): 
G.G.G. (dispersion, doubling, S.G.), Y.A.G. (dispersion, doubling), Synthetic Cubic Zirconia (S.G., dispersion, doubling), Diamond (dispersion, doubling), Strontium Titanate (dispersion, doubling), Sphene (doubling, dispersion, inclusions), Zircon (dispersion, spectrum), etc.
Geological Occurrence: 
Natural rutile as inclusions in quartz, tourmaline and corundum. Synthetic rutile in a laboratory.
Sources: 
-
Cuts & Uses: 
Facetted cuts, etc.
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