Biodegradable gemstone - Revision history

Apm: /* Biominerals */ added atacamite

2025-12-19T15:34:25Z

Biominerals: added atacamite

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:34, 19 December 2025
Line 46:		Line 46:
	– brucite Mg(OH)<sub>2</sub> (trigonal, Mohs 2.5–3.0)<br>		– brucite Mg(OH)<sub>2</sub> (trigonal, Mohs 2.5–3.0)<br>
	– dolomite CaMg(CO<sub>3</sub>)<sub>2</sub> (trigonal, Mohs 3.5–4.0) <br>		– dolomite CaMg(CO<sub>3</sub>)<sub>2</sub> (trigonal, Mohs 3.5–4.0) <br>
			– atacamite Cu<sub>2</sub>Cl(OH)<sub>3</sub> (orthorhombic, Mohs 3.0–3.5) - note the copper<br>
	– struvite (contains Mg,P,N,H2O) (orthorhombic, Mohs 1.5–2) <br>		– struvite (contains Mg,P,N,H2O) (orthorhombic, Mohs 1.5–2) <br>

Apm: /* Oxidic gems */

2025-12-19T15:30:15Z

Oxidic gems

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:30, 19 December 2025
Line 27:		Line 27:

	Generally the softer the gem the better degradable (by tumbling and abrasion). <br>		Generally the softer the gem the better degradable (by tumbling and abrasion). <br>
	– SiO2 (low): in quartz form: Mechanically degrades slowly as can nicely be seen with seaglass though this is often accelerated due to mixed in K or Na <br>		★ SiO2 (low): in quartz form: Mechanically degrades slowly as can nicely be seen with seaglass though this is often accelerated due to mixed in K or Na <br>
	– Al2O3 (no): in sapphire/corundum form: Very hard very slow virtually no degradation <br>		★ Al2O3 (no): in sapphire/corundum form: Very hard very slow virtually no degradation <br>
	– TiO2 (low to mid): in rutile/anatase/brookite form: Mohs (5.5-6.5) softer than quartz (Mohs 7) thus likely faster degrading <br>		★ TiO2 (low to mid): in rutile/anatase/brookite form: Mohs (5.5-6.5) softer than quartz (Mohs 7) thus likely faster degrading <br>
	– [[Salts of oxoacids]] (mid to high): These are typically softer gems even for the harder ones like [[appatite]](Mohs 5) <br>		★ [[Salts of oxoacids]] (mid to high): These are typically softer gems even for the harder ones like [[appatite]](Mohs 5) <br>

	== Biominerals ==		== Biominerals ==

Apm: added == Biaominerals ==

2025-12-19T15:29:37Z

added == Biaominerals ==

@@ Line 31: / Line 31: @@
 – TiO2 (low to mid): in rutile/anatase/brookite form: Mohs (5.5-6.5) softer than quartz (Mohs 7) thus likely faster degrading <br>
 – [[Salts of oxoacids]] (mid to high): These are typically softer gems even for the harder ones like [[appatite]](Mohs 5) <br>
 == Spill of gems in nanoparticulate form ==

Apm: basic page

2025-12-19T15:04:19Z

basic page

New page

This will be taken a bit more generally that just lifeforms using it as food. 
That is this will (also and more prominently) including processes 
that erode the material away in reasonable timescales 
and the effluents released slowly not being toxic to life but rather best case acting as fertilizer. 

== Simple cubic rock salt structure ==

Most of these will be too brittle and weak from many structural applications. 
Single crystals should not flow though as large mountain scale agglomerations do. 

★ alkali metal halogenides aka classical salts like NaCl NaBr KCl KBr NaI KI … 
These are usually too water soluble, could be used in perfecty sealed interiors though. 
This then shifts the problem of biodegradability to the sealing shell. 
defeats the purpouse of biodegradability as the sealing shell 

★ earths alkali chalkogenides like MgO CaO MgS CaS 
– Some are quite promising like MgO with decent hardness and decently low water solubility 
– Some are bad like CaO wich not only dissolves but energetically reacts with water. Needs sealing like salts. 
– The sulfides are quite soft but occur as minerals speaking for their lower (but nonzero) water solubility 

★ transition metal monoxides (and nonmetallides) 
– Particularly with abundant element titanium: TiO TiN and TiC 
– More abundant iron FeO wüstite works but not a high performance gem 

== Oxidic gems ==

Generally the softer the gem the better degradable (by tumbling and abrasion). 
– SiO2 (low): in quartz form: Mechanically degrades slowly as can nicely be seen with seaglass though this is often accelerated due to mixed in K or Na 
– Al2O3 (no): in sapphire/corundum form: Very hard very slow virtually no degradation 
– TiO2 (low to mid): in rutile/anatase/brookite form: Mohs (5.5-6.5) softer than quartz (Mohs 7) thus likely faster degrading 
– [[Salts of oxoacids]] (mid to high): These are typically softer gems even for the harder ones like [[appatite]](Mohs 5) 

== Spill of gems in nanoparticulate form ==

If the [[gem-gum]] product is [[skin sealed]] and the seal of that skin is broken open some may oxisdize right away. 
See: [[Oxidation#Fruit interior analogy]] 
The natural passivaing oydatin layer thickness that forms in seconds 
being way thicker then the size of the nanoscale parts ([[crystolecules]]). 

== External links ==

Wikipedia:
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodegradation Biodegradation]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnesium_sulfide] aka [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niningerite Niningerite](Mohs 3.5 to 4.0)
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium_sulfide Calcium sulfide] aka [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldhamite Oldhamite] (Mohs 4)
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnesium_oxide Magnesium_oxide magnesium oxide] aka [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Periclase Periclase] (Mohs 6)
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium_oxide Calcium oxide]