Gadolinium gallium garnet
Encyclopedia
Gadolinium Gallium Garnet (GGG) is a synthetic crystal
line material of the garnet
group, with good mechanical, thermal, and optical properties. It is typically colorless. It has cubic lattice, density 7.08 g/cm³ and Mohs hardness is variously noted as 6.5 and 7.5. Its crystals are made by Czochralski method and can be made with addition of various dopant
s for modification of color. It is used in fabrication of various optical components and as substrate material for magneto–optical films. It also finds use in jewelry as a diamond simulant
.
Crystal
A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituent atoms, molecules, or ions are arranged in an orderly repeating pattern extending in all three spatial dimensions. The scientific study of crystals and crystal formation is known as crystallography...
line material of the garnet
Garnet
The garnet group includes a group of minerals that have been used since the Bronze Age as gemstones and abrasives. The name "garnet" may come from either the Middle English word gernet meaning 'dark red', or the Latin granatus , possibly a reference to the Punica granatum , a plant with red seeds...
group, with good mechanical, thermal, and optical properties. It is typically colorless. It has cubic lattice, density 7.08 g/cm³ and Mohs hardness is variously noted as 6.5 and 7.5. Its crystals are made by Czochralski method and can be made with addition of various dopant
Dopant
A dopant, also called a doping agent, is a trace impurity element that is inserted into a substance in order to alter the electrical properties or the optical properties of the substance. In the case of crystalline substances, the atoms of the dopant very commonly take the place of elements that...
s for modification of color. It is used in fabrication of various optical components and as substrate material for magneto–optical films. It also finds use in jewelry as a diamond simulant
Diamond simulant
The high price of gem-grade diamonds, as well as significant ethical concerns of the diamond trade, have created a large demand for materials with similar gemological characteristics, known as diamond simulants or imitations. Simulants are distinct from synthetic diamond, which unlike simulants is...
.