Asterism (gemology) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

12/21/15, 13:17

Asterism (gemology)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Asterism (from Ancient Greek: star), or star stone, is a name applied

to the phenomenon of gemstones exhibiting a luminous star-like shape when
cut en cabochon. The typical asteria is the star sapphire, generally a bluish-grey
corundum, milky or opalescent, with a star of six rays. In red corundum the
stellate reflection is less common, and hence the star-ruby occasionally found
with the star-sapphire in Sri Lanka is among the most valued of "fancy stones".
When the radiation is shown by yellow corundum, the stone is called star-topaz.
Cymophane, the chatoyant chrysoberyl known as cat's eye, may also be
asteriated. In all these cases the asterism is due to the reflection of light from
twin-lamellae or from fine tubular cavities or thin enclosures definitely
arranged in the stone. The astrion of Pliny the Elder is believed to have been a
moonstone, since it is described as a colourless stone from India having within
it the appearance of a star shining with the light of the moon. Star-stones were
formerly regarded with much superstition.

Asterism on the surface of a

blue star sapphire

Description
An asterism is an optical phenomenon displayed by some rubies, sapphires, and other gems (i.e. star garnet, star
diopside, star spinel, etc.) of an enhanced reflective area in the shape of a "star" on the surface of a cabochon cut
from the stone. Star sapphires and rubies get their asterism from the titanium dioxide impurities (rutile) present
in them.[1] The Star-effect or "asterism" is caused by the dense inclusions of tiny fibers of rutile (also known as
"silk"). The stars are caused by the light reflecting from needle-like inclusions of rutile aligned perpendicular to
the rays of the star. However, since rutile is always present in star gemstones, they are almost never completely
transparent.
A distinction can be made between two types of asterism:
Epiasterism, such as that seen in sapphire and most other gems, is the result of a reflection of light on
parallel arranged inclusions inside the gemstone.
Diasterism, such as that seen in rose quartz, is the result of light transmitted through the stone. In order to
see this effect, the stone must be illuminated from behind.

See also
Isomorphism (crystallography)

References
1. Emsley, John (2001). Nature's Building Blocks: An A-Z Guide to the
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Asterism (gemology) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Elements. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 451 53. ISBN 0-19850341-5.

12/21/15, 13:17

media related to Asterism

(gemmology).

D. S. Phillips, T. E. Mitchell and A. H. Heuer,"Precipitation in Star Sapphire I: Identification of the

Precipitates, Phil. Mag. A, 1980, v. 42, N0. 3, pp 385-404
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