[Jewelry making - Article 00107] - Re: [Orchid] Gemstone Treatments Disclosure

[Michael . Hing]

========[ Invite a Friend - http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm  ]========


>     I would especially like to hear from Gemological Graduates about
>     the accuracy of dealer supplied disclosure and sales pitches on the
>     floors of wholesale shows 

    I don't know about gemstone wholesalers, but I can tell you that, in
    my experience with retail jewellers and auction houses, many
    professionals (including gemmologists) quite often get the details of
    treatment wrong.  So having gemmological qualifications doesn't
    necessarily equate to an in-depth knowledge of treatment techniques. 
    You need to know the basics to pass your exams, but the range of
    potential treatments is so broad that very few people in the industry
    have detailed knowledge. 

    For example, just last weekend I overheard a qualified gemmologist
    in an auction house tell a customer that the vast majority of
    emeralds were dyed green, and that the heavily-flawed emerald in
    question might break, but "only if you hit it with a hammer or
    something like that".  In fact, as far as gem-quality emeralds are
    concerned, the majority of oils and fillers are actually colourless
    ("commercial-grade" stones are a different matter).  As far as the
    second statement goes: one should always advise a customer to treat a
    heavily-fractured emerald with care, because they can and do break in
    normal use. 

?8-)
-Michael.



____________________________________________________________________
T h e   O r c h i d   L i s t
Open Electronic Forum for Jewelry Manufacturing Methods and Procedures
____________________________________________________________________
Orchid FAQ:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/faq.htm
Orchid Archives:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive
Orchid Galleries:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/gallery.htm
Invite a Friend:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm
____________________________________________________________________
Tips From The Jeweler's Bench - Article Archive
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/tip_sear.htm
The Jeweler's Selected Bibliography List
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/jewelry-books
Buy Orchid Jewelry:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/shop
____________________________________________________________________
-Unsubscribe:
-Email: orchid-request AT ganoksin.com Body=unsubscribe subject=blank
____________________________________________________________________