[Jewelry making - Article 00047] - Re: [Orchid] Gemstone Treatments

[Steve Green]

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    Dear Lee and All, 

    It does not really matter what, where, or to who Gerry's comments
    were directed. 

    What does matter though is that dubious information does not go
    uncontested on this public educational forum. 

    Gerry and some others here would have us believe or suspect-  "ALL
    GEMSTONES ARE TREATED". 

    This is not true, and with a little knowledge one should not even be
    suspicious of many gems. 

    Buying rough gem materials and mineral specimens for many years has
    given me some knowledge in this area. However, you do not need to be
    a rough buyer to have this knowledge as it is not secret, just of
    more interest and availability to gem cutters and mineral dealers. 

    As I stated in previous posts (many times) I have numerous gems that
    are not treated at all in any way. How do I know this?  I was not
    there when they were dug up, nor did I have my eye on them for the
    entire time. So how do I know this? How do I (or you) know anything? 

    As stated befoRe:  Knowledge equals Properly Justified True Belief 

    The above are not just fancy words but an analysis of what knowledge
    is. Knowledge is distinct from opinion, conjecture, or prejudice. 
    Nobody, none of you can prove everything you know. 

    In the words of John Locke - "He that, in ordinary affairs of life,
    would admit of nothing but direct plain demonstration would be sure
    of nothing in this world but of perishing quickly." 

    Personally, I know and believe many things which I did not
    personally witness. Contact with minerals, rough gems, knowledgeable
    people, actual mines, written materials, museums and more have given
    me a foundation of knowledge in this department. 

    There are many gems for which it is well known there are no
    treatments. So why suspect them?  Then there are many gems which
    could be treated but usually are not. You will have to evaluated the
    circumstances in this case and come to a properly justified true
    belief in these cases. If you do not have the knowledge,  it  pays
    to know a reputable knowledgeable dealer or person you can trust. 

    And then there is the distinction made in a recent post of mine
    between the high tech treatments (radiation and ultra high temps and
    diffusion to change color) and the low tech treatments (heat
    treatment in the range of normal kilns >700 C). In my opinion this
    is an important distinction and all gem treatments should not be
    lumped together. Some are considerably more insidious than others
    IMO (i.e. bulk diffusion in sapphires, recent diffusion in topaz,
    colored dyes, irradiation, and high temp corundum treatments). 

    The following are stones I have in my inventory that are not
    treated: (Remember I buy all my materials in the rough.) 

    amber from Chiapas, chrome beryl, chrysoberyl, moonstone,
    labradorite, sunstone, almandine, spessartite, grossularite,
    andradite, iolite, nephrite, lapis-lazuli, opal, peridot, rock
    crystal, red and gold rutilated quartz, quartz with edenite needles,
    strawberry quartz, rose quartz, amethyst from
    Bolivia-Zambia-Brazil-Madagascar-Mexico-Uruguay-Colorado, citrine
    from Mozambique, smoky quartz from Colorado, chrysoprase,
    chrysocolla, blue chalcedony, carnelian, Montana agate, sphene,
    spinel, turquoise, tourmaline-most of mine are not heated, imperial
    topaz from Ouro Preto, cassiterite, datolite, rhodocrosite,
    rhodolite, demantoid form my old mine in Veracruz, yellow apatite,
    fire agate, most of my aquas and green beryls, phenakite, danburite,
    scheelite, clinohumite, all colors & locales of my tourmalines
    (except some of the browns from Nigeria), sphalerite, ametrine,
    black jade from Wyoming,  charoite, sugilite, morganite,  green Mali
    garnet, tsavorite, hessonite, Maw Sit Sit, holly blue chalcedony,
    moldavite,  pink opal, rhodonite,  Transvaal jade (hydrogrossular
    garnet),  variscite 

    I also have heat treated materials: 

    Some tourmalines, some smokies, some aquas, all blue zircon,
    tanzanite, some citrines 

    And irradiated materials: 

    blue topaz, lemon citrine, "root-beer" topaz 

    Some questionable: Heliodor 

    I do not carry many corundums (ruby & sapphire), but the general
    feeling in the industry nowadays is that they are all treated with
    high heat, diffusion or both.  Of course there are some natural gems
    out there. 

    Nor do I have many emeralds which are usually well oiled under very
    high pressure. Sometime even with colored oil. 

    So now that I have stated my position on the gem treatment issues
    for the umpteenth time and listed my natural gem inventory,  I will
    let this comatose horse lie for awhile. 

    Steve Green / Rough and Ready Gems   (Tired of talking about gem
    treatments, I think I'll take a long ride on my motorbike.)
    www.briolettes.com 



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