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US 7,442,660 B2Granted
Synthetic fire opal
AssigneeRhea Industries
InventorRajneesh Bhandari
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A synthetic fire opal having similar physical and chemical properties as natural fire opal. The synthetic fire opal is colored, hard, and transparent. The synthetic fire opal comprises SiO2 and water.
Claims6
A synthetic fire opal composition for use in jewelry arid ornaments, the synthetic fire opal composition comprising SiO2 and water and having:
- a. a hardness of 5.5 to 6.5 on Mho's scale;
- b. a specific gravity of 1.96 to 2.20:
- c. a refractive index of 1.37 to 1.47;
- and
- d. a color selected from the group consisting of orange, pink, red, green, yellow and blue, the color being uniform throughout, and wherein said synthetic fire opal composition is transparent and translucent.
2 more elements
A non crazing synthetic fire opal for use in jewelry and ornaments, said synthetic fire opal formed according to the following process, said process including the steps of:
- a. mixing at room temperature and atmospheric pressure ethanol, nitric acid, distilled water and at least one inorganic salt to obtain a homogeneous reaction mixture;
- b. adding tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) to this homogeneous reaction mixture to obtain a clear sol;
- c. gelating the clear sol at room temperature to obtain a gel;
- d. drying the gel at temperatures ranging from 50° C. to 100° C. to obtain a colored and transparent material;
- and,
- e. sintering the dried gel at temperatures ranging from 250° C. to 800°C.,
- whereby said synthetic fire opal comprises SiO2 and water and has uniformity of color, has a non porous silica matrix, a hardness of 5.5 to 6.5 on Mho's scale, a specific gravity of 1.96 to 2.20, and a refractive index of 1.37 to 1.47.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.