Second Umbral Moon / 28th Sun
What exactly materia is is hard to explain. Where it is sourced is just as nebulous, with the best answer being “artifactsâ€. How it forms, precisely, is a technique even the Goblins don't understand fully and they developed the technique. Why it affects people is equally shrouded in mystery though I have developed theories on this matter with the help of those scholars who were intrigued enough in my work to lend a hand. Who it affects is limitless I have come to learn. Seemingly anyone can be affected by materia in some fashion, though the effects are not always positive.
As far as I can tell there is no need to assay materia. Its quality, or “grade†as some refer to it, is relatively simple to discern based off of how it looks. Materia rife with what I can only guess are impurities is seemingly weaker in application. It is also notably smaller in size compared to the larger, more gem-like appearing materia that are higher in purity. The impurities themselves also form into a crust-like scale on the outside of materia, marring it and making it resemble unrefined ore in a way. If someone did not have a discerning eye for what actual raw gems looked like, smaller impure materia could be confused as such. From what I have seen, materia grows in size as it's purity goes up. I suspect it is because the impurities are being more fully turned into the crystalline structure that materia is made out of leading to less waste and more expansion.
More on purity. I suspect materia impurities form on more than just the outside of the piece. I have handled many highly pure materia, some alleged to be perfectly pure. When held, they appear almost luminescent and are crystal clear. It doesn't even require polishing like traditional gems do. Lower forms of materia are brackish, even if you dare to scrape or cut the crust imperfections off, what remains is something you can not look through at all. For my needs, having access to higher purities is not a matter of pride, but practicality in application. No one will want to buy a ring adorned with an unsightly gem on it.
I have never heard of, nor seen materia that was not at least partially or wholly round-like in form. I've also taken extraordinary measures to find all of its variations. Most modern materia comes in predominantly these colors: red, white (something like a diamond), green, blue, yellow, and purple. Details are scarce, but before the Calamity, it existed in other colors though record is impossible to find, the most notable color that no longer exists is orange. In fact, pre-Calamity records on anything relating to materia are non-existent. I was able to have Integra locate, through pain-staking research, a small article from the Mythril Eye dated to years ago that talks about Goblins and materia. Apparently they brought the practice to Thanalan, and before them it wasn't something that existed in the regions. Ul'dah, at that time, was extremely apprehensive about materia and feared it was a weapon they couldn't contain, or could be turned into it, so this likely explains why little knowledge of it exists here.
This covers enough of the basic premises of materia for today. More to come in future entries that covers my delve into understanding the merits of the various colors materia can come in, and its potency as a whole. For those that care to learn more than just materia and its practical uses, I feel I have left enough starting points for research on other things like the history of materia. That is not my focus. I feel understanding how it actually functions will matter as knowing that will enable people like myself to come up with different designs for our materia-enhanced pieces while still retaining it's properties. I can't imagine only having one design of ring to sell with materia in it and maintaining my success. Innovation will need to continue if I want to stay relevant as a brand.
What exactly materia is is hard to explain. Where it is sourced is just as nebulous, with the best answer being “artifactsâ€. How it forms, precisely, is a technique even the Goblins don't understand fully and they developed the technique. Why it affects people is equally shrouded in mystery though I have developed theories on this matter with the help of those scholars who were intrigued enough in my work to lend a hand. Who it affects is limitless I have come to learn. Seemingly anyone can be affected by materia in some fashion, though the effects are not always positive.
As far as I can tell there is no need to assay materia. Its quality, or “grade†as some refer to it, is relatively simple to discern based off of how it looks. Materia rife with what I can only guess are impurities is seemingly weaker in application. It is also notably smaller in size compared to the larger, more gem-like appearing materia that are higher in purity. The impurities themselves also form into a crust-like scale on the outside of materia, marring it and making it resemble unrefined ore in a way. If someone did not have a discerning eye for what actual raw gems looked like, smaller impure materia could be confused as such. From what I have seen, materia grows in size as it's purity goes up. I suspect it is because the impurities are being more fully turned into the crystalline structure that materia is made out of leading to less waste and more expansion.
More on purity. I suspect materia impurities form on more than just the outside of the piece. I have handled many highly pure materia, some alleged to be perfectly pure. When held, they appear almost luminescent and are crystal clear. It doesn't even require polishing like traditional gems do. Lower forms of materia are brackish, even if you dare to scrape or cut the crust imperfections off, what remains is something you can not look through at all. For my needs, having access to higher purities is not a matter of pride, but practicality in application. No one will want to buy a ring adorned with an unsightly gem on it.
I have never heard of, nor seen materia that was not at least partially or wholly round-like in form. I've also taken extraordinary measures to find all of its variations. Most modern materia comes in predominantly these colors: red, white (something like a diamond), green, blue, yellow, and purple. Details are scarce, but before the Calamity, it existed in other colors though record is impossible to find, the most notable color that no longer exists is orange. In fact, pre-Calamity records on anything relating to materia are non-existent. I was able to have Integra locate, through pain-staking research, a small article from the Mythril Eye dated to years ago that talks about Goblins and materia. Apparently they brought the practice to Thanalan, and before them it wasn't something that existed in the regions. Ul'dah, at that time, was extremely apprehensive about materia and feared it was a weapon they couldn't contain, or could be turned into it, so this likely explains why little knowledge of it exists here.
This covers enough of the basic premises of materia for today. More to come in future entries that covers my delve into understanding the merits of the various colors materia can come in, and its potency as a whole. For those that care to learn more than just materia and its practical uses, I feel I have left enough starting points for research on other things like the history of materia. That is not my focus. I feel understanding how it actually functions will matter as knowing that will enable people like myself to come up with different designs for our materia-enhanced pieces while still retaining it's properties. I can't imagine only having one design of ring to sell with materia in it and maintaining my success. Innovation will need to continue if I want to stay relevant as a brand.
