Gemstone Treatments


Gemstone treatments can enhance a stone’s beauty. But can you detect them and how do you disclose them? Learn about the most common techniques.

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Sealing Cracks in Gemstones

Sealing Cracks in Gemstones

An old lapidary taught me an excellent trick for sealing cracks in gemstones. Some gems are inherently unstable. If a...
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Pearl Treatments Explained

Since the beginning of time, man has sought to improve upon nature. Pearls are no exception. The majority of today's...
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Gemstone Coloration and Dyeing – Introduction

The prime requisite for coloration of gemstone is that it be porous . That is to say there must be...
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Gemstone Care Tips

Many gemstone owners enjoy wearing their treasures. Few things can ruin that enjoyment faster than the discovery of damage such...
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Beryllium-Diffused Blue Sapphire

Beryllium diffusion typically brightens the color of ruby or sapphire, making a stone more yellow, orange, or red, depending on...
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Gemstone Fluorescence

Fluorescence is the emission of visible light from a substance under the stimulation of radiation of a shorter wavelength. It...
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Colored Stone Light Source

Can the colored stone industry choose a standard light source from the multitude on the market?
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Enhancing the Stone –  An Update on Diamond Treatment

Enhancing the Stone – An Update on Diamond Treatment

A summary of the most common treatment techniques used on diamonds, how they are identified by trained gemologists, and what...
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Gemstone Coloration and Dyeing – Pinks and Reds

There are only a few inorganic processes, in my experience at least, that will impart pinks or reds to gemstone....
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Detecting Golden Pearl Color Enhancement

When the first warnings about color enhancement of golden South Sea pearls came out five years ago, fear struck the...
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Chemically Induced Inclusions – Dendrites Moss Plume

Dendrites, moss, plume and similar inclusions have added interest and value to gemstone for about as long as man has...
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Gemstone Coloration and Dyeing – Table of Contents

This book is the culmination of some twenty-five years of personally supported research on the use of inorganic chemicals to...
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Gemstone Chemical Coloration Techniques

The most important detail in the preparation of gemstone for chemical coloration is that it be clean. Oil and grease,...
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The Treatment of Gemstones

The Treatment of Gemstones

The treatment and enhancement of gemstones has existed for centuries. Some enhancements improve on nature slightly, are undetectable, and they...
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Handling Colored Stones at the Bench Part 2

Handling Colored Stones at the Bench Part 2

I’m hoping this series of articles will save some of you time, money, and embarrassment by discussing some of the...
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Gem Creation and Enhancement

Historically gem possession has been reserved for wealthy, royalty, or high religious leaders. It has always been human nature to...
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Gemstone Coloration and Dyeing – The Blacks

There are only two ways that I know of to induce black into gemstone. One of these involves carbon while...
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Gemstone Coloration and Dyeing – Cobalt Series

The use of cobalt compounds to impart blue hues to glass, glazes and enamels has been known for centuries. "Cobalt...
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Gemstone Coloration and Dyeing – Copper Series

Various and attractive shades of blue can be induced in gemstone by the use of copper compounds. This is perfectly...
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Handling Colored Stones at the Bench Part 4

Handling Colored Stones at the Bench Part 4

I'm hoping this series of articles will save some of you time, money, and embarrassment by discussing some of the...
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Fracture Healing / Filling of Möng Hsu ruby

Fracture Healing / Filling of Möng Hsu ruby

Foreign affairs - A well-known European dealer sells a 2.5-carat Möng Hsu ruby to a major jeweler in Europe. This...
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Chemically Induced Inclusions – Copper Inclusions

Since the discovery that the principle of electrochemical displacement of metals can be used effectively and easily to induce inclusions...
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Gemstone Coloration and Dyeing – Iron Process

There are several reactions well known to chemists, involving iron compounds and prussiate compounds (ferrocyanides and ferricyanides) that yield characteristic...
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Gemstone Coloration and Dyeing – The Greens

It seems that everyone likes the greens in chemically colored gemstone. Probably this is because greens are almost universally pleasing...
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Handling Colored Stones at the Bench Part 1

Ever since childhood, I’ve been fascinated by rocks and gems. I started cutting cabs more than 40 years ago, and...
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Gemstone Coloration and Dyeing – Browns and Yellows

At first consideration, it might seem poor organization to include browns and yellows in the same chapter. However, I do...
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Lead Glass-Filled Rubies

GIA recently released a video that provides an overview of lead glass-filled rubies and explains why it has begun to...
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Chemically Induced Inclusions – Tin Inclusions

Tin inclusions can be induced in agate and other gemstone varieties in much the same way as with copper. Just...
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GemBits – Gemstone Enhancements

Which is the best to buy: natural, enhanced, imitation, artificial or synthetic gems? The answer depends on how you plan...
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