Ryan Thompson's definitions
by Ryan Thompson January 4, 2004
Get the Fartman mug.Gemstone in the corundum family. Ranges from deep pink to blood red to purple-red. Birthstone for July. Mined primarily in Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Myanmar (formerly Burma), Afghanistan, Pakistan, Vietnam, Australia and India.
The gem is difficult to find without internal flaws and in deep color. The element chromium is responsible for the red color. Heat treatment is very common in ruby (as in all corundums). Ruby may be any color of red depending on the chromium and iron content of the stone. Sometimes the stones display a 6-rayed star effect when cut as cabochon (dome-shaped) stones.
It is also very, very difficult to find in larger sizes. In 1988, a 15.97-carat unheated Burmese ruby known as the Mogok Ruby was sold by Sotheby's auction house in New York for $3,630,000.
The gem is difficult to find without internal flaws and in deep color. The element chromium is responsible for the red color. Heat treatment is very common in ruby (as in all corundums). Ruby may be any color of red depending on the chromium and iron content of the stone. Sometimes the stones display a 6-rayed star effect when cut as cabochon (dome-shaped) stones.
It is also very, very difficult to find in larger sizes. In 1988, a 15.97-carat unheated Burmese ruby known as the Mogok Ruby was sold by Sotheby's auction house in New York for $3,630,000.
by Ryan Thompson December 30, 2004
Get the ruby mug.A term for Americanisms or inventions that are gradually disappearing, as described in the book "Going Going Gone: Vanishing Americana" by by Susan Jonas and Marilyn Nissenson.
Hood ornaments. Prank phone calls. Phonebooths with doors. Blue laws. Hitchiking. Men's clubs. Garter belts. The 'Red Menace'. Typewriters. Rotary telephones.
by Ryan Thompson January 6, 2004
Get the Vanishing Americana mug.Ebonics. To give birth to a child, or children. Actual spelling of this term is 'birthing babies', even though it is pronounced differently. Even the correct pronunciation isn't really used outside the world of ebonics.
by Ryan Thompson September 5, 2004
Get the Birfing babies mug.Cubic zirconia (sometimes called simply 'cz') is the most popular diamond simulant in the world today. It is an oxide of the metallic element zirconium, ZrO². It has a hardness of about 8.5 on the Mohs hardness scale, as opposed to diamond, which is 10, sapphire/ruby which is 9, topaz which is 8, and so on. The refractive index of CZ is 2.42. It can be made in nearly any color and can be faceted into many cuts.
CZ occurs naturally but in pieces too small for jewelry purposes. It wasn't until the 1970s however when Soviet scientists learned how to grow this mineral in the laboratory, at which time jewelry designers first took notice of cubic zirconia. For the first few years it was on the market it was often sold for as much as $20 per carat (!!) and was only available in a few colors.
CZ is more dense than diamond -- it weighs more for its size than diamond does. Sapphire and ruby, both of which are the same gemstone, just different colors, are also more dense than diamond. CZ is about 75% heavier than diamond. As such, a CZ's size is referred to in carats usually in comparison to diamonds. CZs are more accurately measured in millimeters, referring to the width of the stone. A 6.5 mm cubic zirconia is equal in size to a one-carat diamond and actually weighs about 1.75 carats.
CZ isn't grown/created like any other imitation gemstone in the world, either. A high radio-frequency "skull crucible" system is used, in which the melting zirconia powder actually creates the sides of its own container during its formation. Cooling this extremely hot molten ore becomes the most crucial step in the entire process. A carefully programmed cooling procedure is required to form the flawless crystals -- metal pipes in a coil-shape with water running through them are used to cool down the material, in the center.
CZ occurs naturally but in pieces too small for jewelry purposes. It wasn't until the 1970s however when Soviet scientists learned how to grow this mineral in the laboratory, at which time jewelry designers first took notice of cubic zirconia. For the first few years it was on the market it was often sold for as much as $20 per carat (!!) and was only available in a few colors.
CZ is more dense than diamond -- it weighs more for its size than diamond does. Sapphire and ruby, both of which are the same gemstone, just different colors, are also more dense than diamond. CZ is about 75% heavier than diamond. As such, a CZ's size is referred to in carats usually in comparison to diamonds. CZs are more accurately measured in millimeters, referring to the width of the stone. A 6.5 mm cubic zirconia is equal in size to a one-carat diamond and actually weighs about 1.75 carats.
CZ isn't grown/created like any other imitation gemstone in the world, either. A high radio-frequency "skull crucible" system is used, in which the melting zirconia powder actually creates the sides of its own container during its formation. Cooling this extremely hot molten ore becomes the most crucial step in the entire process. A carefully programmed cooling procedure is required to form the flawless crystals -- metal pipes in a coil-shape with water running through them are used to cool down the material, in the center.
CZ is often spoken of negatively because it is a synthetic gemstone. It is durable, very bright, can be grown in a varity of colors and when well cut it is a very convincing diamond substitute.
See related:
diamond
gold
platinum
bling
bling bling
jewelry
See related:
diamond
gold
platinum
bling
bling bling
jewelry
by Ryan Thompson September 25, 2004
Get the cubic zirconia mug.A type of black-framed glasses often worn by emo enthusiasts and lesbians. Also occasionally seen worn by guys who are trying way too hard to look smarter than they actually are.
by Ryan Thompson August 10, 2004
Get the emo glasses mug.by Ryan Thompson July 15, 2004
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