Gemstone Enhancement Guide

All stones used in our jewelry are naturally mined
gems unless specified in the description.

The letter codes below indicate whether they
are known to have been enhanced.

N - Natural stone and color.

H - Heated to permanently intensify or change
the natural color of a gem. As an example,
virtually ALL carnelian, citrine, ruby, and sapphires
used in widely available, commercial quality jewelry
are heat treated gems - naturally colored stones
are extremely rare and expensive.

R - Irradiated to intensify or change color.
A good example of this treatment is London Blue,
Swiss Blue and other deep shades of Blue Topaz.
These are extremely rare natural colors for topaz.
Virtually all deep blue color topaz is naturally a very
slight blue to clear gemstone which is irradiated
and then heat treated to create the blue color.

A - Assembled from what may be a combination of
natural and created materials. A good example of
this treatment is Baltic Amber, most of which is heated
and pressed to form large pieces. This amber occurs
naturally as very small droplets. Another example of an
assembled gemstone is an opal triplet, which is a thin
slice of genuine or created opal sandwiched between a
dark colored base (usually potch, or common opal) and
a clear cap or top (usually crystal quartz).

D - Permanently dyed - Examples include many varieties
of agate, virtually all black onyx, most rose quartz and
inexpensive (chalk) turquoise.

S - Synthetic - A man made gem with the same appearance
and physical characteristics as a natural gemstone. Examples
of synthetic gems are Gilson® opal, Moissanite, lab grown
emeralds, rubies and sapphires and virtually all hematite.

O - Oiled - Wax, oil or resin may be used to fill small pits,
cracks and cavities on the surface of a stone.
This treatment is commonly used on emeralds.

Other treatments of commercial quality stones for jewelry are:

Reconstituted - Powdered gemstone material is mixed with a
coloring agent to improve the color and an epoxy type binder.
This mixture is molded to form large pieces which are then
cut into cabochons or beads. Examples include reconstituted
lapis lazuli, coral and turquoise.

Stabilized - This treatment is done to improve the surface
durability of soft stones, and is primarily used on turquoise.
A clear layer of liquid acrylic is applied to the surface.
This seals the stone and helps to protect it from damage.

Chemical Diffusion - This is the addition of a chemical to
the surface of a gemstone under extreme heat to produce
an intensification or a change in the color of a gemstone.
The chemical actually diffuses into the surface of the stone,
combining with the existing mineral - which produces a
color change. Many of the intense orange colored Padparadscha
sapphires currently being produced in Thailand are enhanced this way.

These treatments are widely used and are accepted,
common practices in the jewelry industry.

Consumers have the right to be informed of any
treatment used on gems in the jewelry they purchase.

We will prominently disclose any known treatment
used on the gemstones used in the jewelry we sell.

Birthstones    Diamond Grades    Jewelry Metal Facts    Gem Care Guide