[Jewelry making - Article 00566] - Re: [Orchid] Semiprecious stone ID

[Robert]

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>     Another time Robert Lowe offered me a sack full of heat fractured
>     tourmalines he wanted to sell as recutters. I turned him down. 

    This was posted a while back, and even though I am sure that Gerry
    did not intend to give the impression that I had tried to sell him
    the material without disclosing that it had been heated (very badly
    heated at that - with some stones looking like the result of a stone
    colliding with an automobile windshield) =96 it is probably a good
    idea to reinforce the fact that the disclosure was made on this
    material. 

    In fact, I make it a habit to pick up parcels of faceted or even
    cabochon stones that have been badly executed and could possible be
    made better with the efforts of custom cutters. We call these stones
    re-cutters. The faceters use the material as if it was a pre-form
    and thus have a very good idea of what they will get out of the
    stone =96 as opposed to hoping a piece of rough will give them what
    they desire. 

    One of my suppliers stated it this way =96 "when we sell faceted
    stones, we are selling reality =96 but when we sell rough, we are
    selling them dreams." The faceter is basing his purchase upon what
    he imagines he will be able to do with the stone or what he thinks
    he can make out of it. Many times he gets it right, though sometimes
    there is a hidden flaw, a small inclusion, a needle he didn't see
    etc. and the intended finished stone has to be modified, if the
    intention is to make a flawless gem. 

>     That is why I state that most stones now on the market are heat
>     treated. 

    I don't know about the 'heat' part but the 'treated' part is
    probably true. It basically comes down to "if it looks like it needs
    some work and it can be done - someone along the line will do it"
    either heating or irradiation or oiling or diffusion. It seems very
    strange to me that the usual question one gets from a gemstone buyer
    is "Has this material been heated?" when the question should be "Has
    this material been treated or enhanced in any way?" Quite a few
    gemstones are not 'heated' but are 'treated' or 'enhanced' in other
    ways. 

    AGTA has a very useful booklet about Gemstone Enhancements and
    disclosure and it is very inexpensive (about $3.00). Everyone who
    buys or uses gemstones should have a copy of this booklet. 

    It really doesn't make sense that miners spend tens of thousands of
    dollars every month to get gemstone rough out of the ground and then
    they would throw away 95% of it because the color isn't great or it
    has silk or fractures etc. So it is a pretty good guess that 'if it
    can be done' and it will make the material look better or be more
    saleable - it will be done - some where along the distribution
    chain. 

    Best regards, Robert Lowe, Lowe Associates - Brasil,
    Gemstones-Rough-Specimens, Tucson-February 5-10, 2004 - GJX # 205
    e-mail: USA    <robertplowejr AT juno.com> February 2004 
    e-mail: Brasil <robertplowejr AT uol.com.br>


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