{"product_id":"eots-cut-f-35-window-sapphire-earrings-in-sterling-silver","title":"F-35 Window Sapphire Earrings, EOTS and Round Cut F35 Gems in Sterling Silver","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThese are lab created sapphires which were grown for use as a sensor window in the F35 fighter jet but didn't quite meet spec.  They've been faceted and set in solid sterling silver jewelry.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNote these stones glow blue to varying amounts under shortwave UV because of titanium contamination.  In our testing 222 nm seems to work best but 254 nm does work to some extent.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is a really cool material--lab sapphire grown for windows on the F35!  These aren't used on the cockpit but on a sensor array right below.  There are numerous sensors on the bottom of an F35 that allow for a 365 degree view in a wide spectral range.  With the incredible accelerations and speed that have to be withstood an ultra hard, ultra durable material like sapphire is needed.  But how do you make giant, flat sheets of sapphire?  Normally you'd cut windows out of a big round boule grown by HEM or \u003cspan class=\"ZNx93QP1XNrBdT5MI6SY\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"expandableItem\"\u003eKyropoulos \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003ebut the shape really isn't conducive to larger flat shapes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo solve this problem Rubicon, at the time one of America's greatest sapphire growing companies, got a 5 million dollar grant to develop the LANCE furnace, an ultra high tech crystal growing machine that grows the world's largest flat sapphires via the \"boat\" method aka HDSM.  If you've ever been to a Quiznos think of the ovens with a conveyor belt they use to toast subs evenly--it's basically that but with a giant flat pan of molten, crystallizing sapphire.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThough the LANCE is absolutely incredible (we got to see it in person and meet the head crystal grower!!) it didn't have a 100% success rate, and over time the company built up a pile of defective sapphire crystals that had either been contaminated with titanium (which turns them pink and ruins UV transmission), developed bubbles, shattered during growth or usually all three.  They recently closed their factory in Chicago and auctioned off the contents, and we were able to buy the entire pile of defective crystals!  It was a dream come true!\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Turtle's Hoard","offers":[{"title":"Dangle Earrings, 8mm, 2.6tctw stones","offer_id":51480909185312,"sku":"Ear_EOTS_8x5.5","price":177.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Stud Earrings, 8mm, ~6tctw round stones","offer_id":51814035128608,"sku":"Stud_F35_RND8","price":374.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0753\/6794\/0384\/files\/EOTS_Earrings_8mm_3e1058c6-d1f0-4f9b-ba1e-9712496d27b9.jpg?v=1776140390","url":"https:\/\/store.gemsofscience.com\/products\/eots-cut-f-35-window-sapphire-earrings-in-sterling-silver","provider":"Gems Of Science","version":"1.0","type":"link"}