One of the things you will learn if you become a frequent jewelry collector is that many of the gemstones you see being sold are treated in advance before they reach your eyes. Anyone who has personally worked with gemstones in their life will tell you that the so-called natural look of gemstones is not very pleasant to wear as fashion accessories. Keep in mind this assumes that the cutting and polishing process has already been completed.
If a gemstone loses color or has a less-than-desirable color, they can be treated. Depending on the treatment, it could be a temporary or a more permanent ordeal. In some treatments, cavities and fractures are filled in to conceal their appearance and provide a more polished look to the gemstone.
Diamonds and emeralds are most often subject to this kind of treatment process. Sometimes, a gemstone will be placed under extreme temperatures and pressures so that their color and shape can be changed into something new.
In the case of more fragile gemstones, they might be equipped with a special kind of polymer to improve their durability. There are many more treatment methods that exist, but these are the main ones that you will see most frequently.
The thing about these treatments is that they can be very difficult to detect unless you have a sharp eye for it. It is for this reason that vendors and sellers are required by law to disclose the treatment a gemstone-based accessory has received prior to the transaction being finalized.
There are also guidelines and rules about how certain gemstones need to be treated. Each gemstone undergoes different treatment due to different properties. The treatment that would work for one type of gemstone would completely ruin another type.
At Beads of Cambay, one of our core values is transparency. We pride ourselves on telling customers exactly how our gemstones have been (or have not been) treated. For example, if you check out our lovely turquoise beads, you will find the following information:
Turquoise treatments may include waxing to improve color and stability, color enhancement to improve the blue hue, color enhancement to add color, and “reconstructed turquoise” made from pulverized turquoise.
You will find that this same kind of transparency exists for all the gemstone-based products that are sold in our store. If you ever have any questions, please do not hesitate to give us a call. We will be happy to answer any concerns or queries you have before making a purchase. Even if you do not bring up any questions, we will remind you of the treatment process before you buy anything from us. We pride ourselves on exceptional customer service!
Here’s a hidden known fact about gem treatment: Without some of these treatment methods, certain kinds of gemstones would not exist! For example, the absence of heat treatment methods means that a gemstone like pink topaz would not exist. It simply does not occur in nature! There are certain gemstones that do not usually get treated at all, such as Iolite and Peridot. These are rarer gemstones that do not need treatment to be fashionable and conveniently available.
There is nothing wrong with gem treatment because it gives the look that you want and preserves them for years to come. In some cases, it is the only way through which certain gemstones become affordable and stay available to the general public for years to come.
If you are ever unsure of how a gemstone has been treated, do not be afraid to ask the salesperson or any other worker what the treatment process was. If you detect any hesitation in their answer, your best bet is to thank them for your time and walk away.
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