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April 30, 2002
Creator of Ramaura Cultured Ruby Speaks at GIA
Larne Boyles
Larne Boyles/GIA
Judith Osmer (left) and Virginia Carter, owners of J.O. Crystal Co., Inc., speak to GIA staff and students about Ramaura cultured rubies.
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Larne Boyles/GIA
GIA students examine free samples of Ramaura cultured rubies produced by the J.O. Crystal Co., Inc.
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Judith Osmer prides herself in her Ramaura cultured rubies -- especially since the morphology between her crystals and their natural counterparts is identical.
However, if you ask her exactly how she manages to chemically reproduce the red crystal, be prepared for a limited response.
“I can tell you how we grow Ramaura rubies, and how long they take, but I’ll never share my secret ingredients,” she said. “So, how can you tell it from a natural? Good luck!”
Without giving away the details to her “secret” Ramaura recipe, Osmer, CEO of J.O. Crystal Co. Inc., along with co-owner Virginia Carter, shared a few details from her 42-year-career as a crystal grower with GIA students and staff in April.
Her Ramaura rubies are grown using the flux technique by mixing molten magma with various chemicals at 2,340 degrees Fahrenheit. Whereas other flux-grown rubies are embedded with a “seed” to initiate crystal formation, the Ramaura ruby grows spontaneously, just as a natural ruby would in the earth’s crust. This allows for many of the same inclusions, color zoning and growth lines that occur naturally, Osmer said.
As the temperature of the mixture slowly cools to 1,300 degrees, Ramaura crystals begin to grow -- reaching their completed stage in about two-to-three months. Though some may think the process is brief, Osmer is quick to point out this time frame closely matches that of natural ruby crystal formation.
“Some people think it takes millions of years for rubies to form. That is not true,” she said. “It only takes a few months for natural rubies to form, but it takes millions of years for humans to find them.”
Since Ramaura rubies grow like natural rubies, gemologists have difficulty identifying them, Osmer said. That’s why she adds a tiny chemical identifier to distinguish her crystals. This process makes the fluorescence in her Ramaura rubies more orange than their natural counterparts. It helps distinguish stones, but Osmer still joked about the remarkable similarities.
“Most of you gemologists are trying to figure out how to separate natural stones from synthetics. It’s my job to show you the similarities so you can’t,” she said.
J.O. Crystal Co. Inc., produces about 6,000 to 7,000 polished carats of the Ramaura ruby a year. Though the specimens are grown in similar conditions as in nature, two crystals never look the same. Over the years, Osmer has created a number of noteworthy crystals, including an 8-½ ct. flawless specimen, she said.
“That’s my baby. It’s perfect. When I took the rough crystal from the crucible, every side looked like a mirror. You could never put a price tag on that. I’m keeping this one,” she said.
One of Osmer’s crowning moments came last year when she was asked to display some of her specimens at the Smithsonian Institution. She proudly says that her Ramaura rubies represent the first laboratory-grown gemstones to join the museum’s collection. She also sees it as a fitting end to a remarkable career.
“Nothing has given me more satisfaction than to have my Ramaura ruby displayed in the same mineral collection with the Hope Diamond,” she said. “What better time to pass the torch than with Ramaura joining the world-famous gems of the Smithsonian.”
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