Flanigen's patent for the flux-melt method of growing synthetic beryl crystals was granted, securing her innovative emerald synthesis technique.
On September 12, 1967, patent US 3,341,302, titled "Flux-melt method for growing single crystals having the structure of beryl," was officially granted, with Edith M. Flanigen credited as a co-inventor. This patent secured legal protection for a novel technique used to grow synthetic beryl-structure crystals, including emerald, through controlled flux-melt crystallization.
The grant of this patent, coming shortly after the grant of her molecular sieve patent earlier the same year, underscored the extraordinary range of Flanigen's inventive contributions during the 1960s. While her molecular sieve work would ultimately prove more economically transformative on an industrial scale, her synthetic emerald research demonstrated her versatility as a crystal chemist capable of working across radically different material systems—from microporous catalytic materials to gem-quality single crystals.
Synthetic emerald production had significant implications for both the gemstone industry and materials science more broadly, offering a controlled alternative to natural gem mining and enabling more precise study of beryl's crystal structure and optical properties.
This patent remains a distinctive part of Flanigen's legacy, illustrating that her scientific curiosity and inventive skill were not confined to a single subfield but spanned multiple domains of solid-state and crystal chemistry throughout her long career at Union Carbide.