Is Strontium Titanate Still Used As A Diamond Simulant?
There is a wide range of titanates available from a supplier, many of which are used as part of electrical equipment, either as part of ceramics, capacitors or optical instruments.
Whilst strontium titanate is used for all of these, it has also historically been used as a functional and aesthetic replacement of diamonds, with its peak as a diamond simulant being between the early 1950s and the mid-1970s.
There is no shortage of competition when it comes to materials that replicate the properties of diamonds, including lab-grown diamonds themselves in recent years.
Outside of this, cubic zirconia is the most popular synthetic diamond substitute for purposes such as costume jewellery due to its affordability and durability.
However, strontium titanate is still sometimes used despite alternatives being available, and the biggest reason for this is that, when cut and polished, it actually can shine brighter than a diamond.
Brightness and lustre are measured in terms of their fire, and strontium titanate notably refracts light into a kaleidoscopic dispersion of bright colours.
Known most famously as Fabulite, it was often bought instead of diamond because of how it looked, and whilst it has since become unsuitable for certain types of jewellery, it is still a popular option for earrings, brooches and pendants with larger stones.
It is less commonly found in rings or bracelets, because if not set properly it can be chipped or nicked if in constant contact with hard surfaces.
The reason for this is that despite the best efforts of laboratories to replicate the hardness of diamonds, no other stone, synthetic or otherwise, has been able to replicate the prismatic beauty of Fabulite.
It is no longer as common in jewellery and is rarely ever used as a diamond simulant, but unlike other imitation diamonds, it has forged its own identity both practically and aesthetically.
