British jeweler-turned-scientist Sofie Boons recently announced her breakthrough in growing rubies within platinum settings, a discovery that has garnered widespread media attention. Using a flux solution as a growth medium and waste material as the “seed,” the gemstones form in just a few days. Boons’ process reportedly requires far less energy than growing stones from scratch.
Boons, a Senior Lecturer in Design Craft at the University of West England in Bristol and a PhD candidate, spoke to JCK about the uniqueness of her method, whether it can be applied to sapphires, emeralds, and diamonds, and her hope that someday every jeweler could grow their own gemstones.
How did you get started on this?
I trained as a jeweler in Antwerp before moving to the UK for studies, eventually working at the British Academy of Jewelry. In 2016, I had the opportunity to visit a company that grows gemstones. I realized how little I knew about crystal growth. I knew about lab-grown gemstones, but I had been taught to see them only as synthetics. When I saw the factory, I saw great potential and a lot of discarded waste. The waste was too valuable to be thrown away but wasn’t being used for anything else.
When I started my PhD, I wanted to explore ways to use waste material. We've been growing rubies since the early 20th century, but the techniques haven’t changed much.
I began my research in a very DIY way, using sugar, salt, and alum in my kitchen to understand how crystals grow.
My process uses a furnace and crucible, which isn’t unique in itself. What’s unique is that it operates under low pressure, and I can grow the ruby directly onto jewelry. So, I can plant a ruby seed on a ring, and it will grow on the ring. As far as I know, no one has done this before.
So, this isn’t a high-tech process.
No, it’s completely DIY. We’ve made a few adjustments to the setup, which will be detailed in the PhD thesis when it’s published.
Are the rubies growing in their raw form?
I don’t cut them at all. Due to their crystal structure, they naturally form facets. You could cut them afterward, but I prefer to celebrate their uniqueness.
Would people be able to tell the difference between these naturally grown facets and those made by a cutter?
Some facets are very sharp and could look like they were cut by a faceting machine. But others might show fine lines or natural patterns. Most people could likely tell the difference.
How do you prevent the furnace from damaging the setting?
The temperature doesn’t get high enough to damage platinum. As long as the formula’s temperature is controlled correctly, it won’t harm the platinum piece.
Can this be done with gold or silver?
Currently, the temperature of the formula exceeds the melting point of gold, but that’s something I’m actively researching, so we’ll see. Silver has an even lower melting point, so I can’t imagine it working for silver just yet. But gold is a dream.
Is your method faster than other processes?
Because I’m using waste material, if I have a seed large enough, I don’t need to grow the [ruby] from scratch. I only need to make it bigger. And because you have the starting material, the process doesn’t take as long as growing from the beginning.
Is the waste material natural or lab-grown?
It can be either. If it's a mined ruby that's too small and cracked to be economically viable for recutting, it can be grown larger rather than just sitting in storage.
But it could also be lab-generated waste, particularly from industrial processes. There’s a lot of waste in laser production, and that waste could be useful.
What’s the largest ruby you’ve grown?
It's about 6 x 6 millimeters. But if you have a larger seed or a larger crucible, you can make bigger stones.
How clear are they?
I haven’t sent them to any labs, and that’s not my current plan. They’re not perfect. Because they grow based on crystal structure, there’s less control than in other growth processes. You get unique results, and they look more like natural rubies. As a designer, that excites me.
Have you tried this process with other gemstones, like sapphires, emeralds, or even diamonds?
Not yet. But I’m looking for opportunities. I have some collaborations planned.
Do you think it’s possible?
Yes. Right now, it’s all speculative, but I believe it’s possible, and I’m actively working on it.
Are there other potential applications you see for this?
I’ve worked with a crystal grower who wanted to develop glow-in-the-dark gemstones. We can add characteristics to these materials that nature cannot achieve. That’s something I’m exploring as a researcher and designer.
Are you surprised no one has tried this before?
It is surprising. I have a theory. Many chemical reactions happen in chemistry labs, which don’t necessarily involve collaboration with jewelers. There hasn’t been much crossover. I approach these processes from a jeweler’s perspective.
Your press release mentions sustainability. You may know that there’s debate in the industry over how to define that term. Some worry that lab-grown substances could harm people in developing countries who rely on mining for income.
I’m not a sustainability expert. I don’t think people should say all lab-grown gemstones are sustainable. You can grow a gem and understand its impact because it’s a measurable process, but you still have to consider the impact, and you still have to take measures to use the most sustainable materials and shorten growth times. If you don’t do that, calling them a sustainable alternative is greenwashing. What’s unique about my process is that I use waste and shorten the growth time.
Why issue a press release about this—are you seeking funding?
Yes. As my PhD comes to an end, I’m looking to secure further funding and collaborate with people interested in these techniques.
What’s your bigger vision?
My dream is for jewelers to more easily access this process and be able to grow what they need, when they need it, rather than having it dominated by a few big companies. It can be a creative process, not just a chemical one.
This article is provided by the AIDI International Diamond Association. For more information, visit www.aidi.org.