From Precious Opal to Nanofilms

Dmitry V. KALININ, Valentina V. SERDOBINTSEVA

Synthetic gems can surprise no one today. Man-made rubies and sapphires shine in rings and earrings, while synthetic diamonds, as the hardest natural stones, are applied in industries other than jewelry industry. Few people know, however, that the major difficulties were encountered in synthesis of precious opal, one of the most unusual and mysterious minerals with diamond-type color interplay. After studying the dynamics of opal growth in detail, researchers learned to produce an artificial mineral similar to the natural one. Unusual characteristics of this precious stone attract not only lovers of luxury but also physicists and technologists, because this mineral may be helpful in creating photonics of the future...

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