Jewel bearings have always been relegated to use in things like watches and instruments, where their remarkable properties (very low stick-slip, virtually no thermal expansion, low wear) have distinct advantages.
But these bearings have other advantages: They run dry (no lube) and clean (generate virtually no particles), and their cost makes them competitive with ABEC-5 instrument bearings. Recent advances in synthesizing crystals, including sapphire, have made them more economical than they've been in the past.
Perhaps these pretty little bearings should be considered for general applications too.
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