Synthetische Schmucksteine

The first industrially feasible process for the synthesis of rubies was developed by Verneuil around the turn of the century. Progress in crystal-growing technique led in time to a number of other processes, some of which can be applied to the production of gem stones, making it possible to synthesize the most important gem stones. Even crystals that do not occur in nature, but were originally of interest in other connections, have acquired importance for jewelry in recent years.     

Carbonaceous chondritic material in the solar system

Carbonaceous chondritic matrix material (CCMM) appears to be an important planet-forming unit in the mid-solar system, from the orbit of Mars to that of Uranus. The type specimen for CCMM is the lowtemperature (400–500 K) assemblage of clay minerals, organic polymer, magnetite, and Ni-rich iron sulfides which constitutes the black, fine-grained matrix of primitive carbonaceous chondrites. Solar-system objects which appear to be partly or wholly made of CCMM are the satellites of Mars, most asteroids, interplanetary dust, and, perhaps, comets, satellites of the outer planets and the rings of Uranus. CCMM constituents probably formed by low-temperature reactions of higher-temperature condensates with the ambient solar composition gas, or in the case of the organic polymer, by reactions of gaseous species catalyzed by solids.     

Early diagenetic alterations of biogenetic organic compounds

Plant matter from a beech forest, leaves, and soil were extracted and analyzed by GC-MS technique. The amount of the extract varies with the CPI value. Characteristic compounds like phytadienes, plant alcohols, polycyclic aromatics, sterols, and triterpenes are observed in different samples at various concentrations. It seems there is a rapid change in the composition of extracts from recent plant material during early diagenesis based on reactions such as hydrolysis, dehydration, oxidation, and polymerization.