What Is a Lindy Star Sapphire?
A Lindy star sapphire is a cheap, synthetic star sapphire used heavily in the 1940s and 1950s as a less expensive alternative to star sapphires. Lindy star sapphires are popular today, even though it is not produced by its original company. Considered a collector's item today, original Lindy star sapphires are identifiable by its sharp, white starfish center and the clarity of its sapphire blue color. Today, Lindy star sapphires are collected or used in rings, necklaces or earrings. Does this Spark an idea?
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History
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In the late 1890s, A.V.L. Verneuil first developed the process for creating synthetic sapphires, which quickly became known as the "the Verneuil method." The Verneuil method was introduced to the United States during World War II, when the Linde Air Products Company used his method to mass produce synthetic star sapphires, called Lindy star sapphires. The original Lindy star sapphires are not produced today, but many companies have adapted similar methods for producing synthetic sapphires.
Identification
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Original Lindy star sapphires have an "L" symbol stamped on the back of the sapphire. Lindy sapphires have a strong color and a trademark 6-sided asterism (a thin star) in its center. Lindy star sapphires have more clarity than regular star sapphires, completely round and even in appearance.
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Geography
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Original Lindy star sapphires originate from the state of Ohio in the United States. Carl von Linde, the founder of the Linde Air Products Company, first mass produced Lindy star sapphires in Cleveland, Ohio, and sent them to companies and manufacturers throughout the United States.
Function
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Lindy star sapphires are used to make jewelry cheaper, but according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, they are also used in precision instruments and lasers. Lindy star sapphires are easier to mold and define, shortening the time for molding it in precision devices.
Colors
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Lindy star sapphires are manufactured in several colors. Blue is its most popular color, followed by ruby, pink, violet and yellow. Lindy star sapphires are still referred to as sapphires, regardless of the actual color.
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