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Treatments Used for Changing Colors of Gemstones

By Allen Jesson

When shopping for colored gemstones, another question you should definitely ask and one you could not evaluate without a definite honest answer is if the color is natural or applied. There are several commonly used and accepted color treatments that are applied to gemstones in order to change their appearance like heat treatment, irradiation, dyeing, and straining.

Heat Treatment

This is the most commonly utilized and one of the oldest treatments for modifying the color of gemstones today. This treatment may use temperature ranging from 100 degrees Celsius to more than 2000 degrees Celsius and improves color distribution as well as reducing visibility of flaws.

Irradiation

Low or high electromagnetic waves or energy particles are used to change the color of a given gemstone. Like heat treatment, there is little remaining evidence that could clue a buyer to its use.

With irradiation, certain gemstones have their colors enhanced. Bleached, off-color pearls will obtain a darker tint. Brown or light yellow diamonds can become colored. Light yellow or colorless sapphires may turn yellow to orange, but the change could only last for days. Colorless quartz may turn into smoky quartz. Colorless as well as pale pink and dark blue beryl may become yellow. Time, light, and heat may, however, cause the color for treated beryl jewelry to fade.

Dyeing and Straining

This is the major term used to refer to various techniques utilizing a foreign and differently colored substance to modify the color of a given gemstone. A combination of techniques, like dyeing and clarity enhancement for beryl, may be used to improve overall effects. In coating, the application of a second substance is only done on the surface.

Practice makes perfect so browse jewelry shops to familiarize yourself with the various signs that could alert you to the use of applications and treatments on gemstones.

It is also important to understand the clarity and transparency of gemstones. Clarity, together with cut, color, and carat weight, is one of the four important C's used for evaluating and appraising gemstones. Clarity determines the level of flawlessness of a given gemstone. With great clarity comes great transparency as well. Transparency determines the ability of light to pass through a gemstone and inclusions, which are a no-no in judging quality, can also hinder transparency. Use the following tips to help you evaluate the clarity and transparency of gemstones.

How to Evaluate Clarity in a Gemstone

Clarity assesses and grades the external and internal characteristics of a given gemstone. Inclusions such as feathers and crystals are examples of internal flaws. They originate from within but may extend to the surface. Blemishes such as scratches and nicks are examples of external flaws.

Blemishes are generally quite small and only appear on the surface of gemstones. Feathers are cracks or fissures within a gemstone. Crystals are minerals trapped inside gemstones. Inclusions carry greater weight in diamonds than other colored gemstones. While they are expected to occur in certain gemstones like red tourmaline and emerald, inclusions hardly occur in gemstones like aquamarine and citrine.

At times, inclusions and blemishes occur due to the cutting technique utilized. Also, inclusions, at times, increase the value of a gemstone. This is true in the cases of eye in cats eye and stars in rubies and sapphires.

Upon assessing the number, color, nature, location, and size of these flaws, an authorized individual will then grade the clarity of the gemstone on a scale of 0 to 10.

Unlike cut, clarity definitely affects the prices of gemstones.

Types of Gemstones according to Clarity

Type 1 These gemstones are free from inclusions most of the time. They include but are not limited to yellow beryl, blue topaz, and amethyst. Their grades range from VVS to I.

Type 2 These gemstones generally possess inclusions. They include but are not limited to sapphires, rubies, and alexandrite. Their grades range from VVS to I as well.

Type 3 These gemstones are rarely without inclusions. They include but are not limited to red tourmaline and emeralds. Their grades range from VVS to I1.

About The Author

Allen Jesson writes for several sites that specialize in Vintage Engagement Rings and Antique Engagement Rings, Providing you with product reviews, information and guides that are essential when purchasing any type of Engagement Ring.

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Our Featured Gemstone Article

Collecting Gemstones

By Lee MacRae

Many people, young and old, say collecting loose gemstones or loose diamonds is their favorite hobby. Many people have a great love Of the assorted number of gemstones found around the world today. Read long as we look at a number of factors you should understand when starting to collect gemstones yourself.

At the very beginning you need to read up on each of the gemstones out there. This knowledge will help you to know what exactly you're looking for and prevent you from making mistakes. Without the proper knowledge you can make costly mistakes.

First, color is a major part in evaluating a gemstone. The closer the color comes to its purer spectral value the more highly prized it is. Traditional spectral colors are orange, green, yellow, Violet and blue. Colors that tend to be darker or paler diminish the value of the stone.

How a gemstone is cut is the second most important factor to consider before a purchase. The precision of cut is the factor that determines the amount of light the gemstone stone will reflect. It will ultimately factor highly in the brilliance of the stone and its final value.

The next factor to consider is the clarity. This refers to the purity of the gemstone or the absence of internal inclusions, spots, or particles within the crystal. Obviously, stones with a lack of flaws will make a gemstone very valuable.

You will often find that gemstones are often listed according to their size aspect because of being more uniform than carat weight. But different gemstones may be the same size but different carat weights and consequently, different in prices as well. This is due to gemstone difference of specific gravity depending upon the materials chemical composition and characteristic crystalline structure. A one carat round brilliant diamond, for example with normal proportions is approximately 6.5 mm around. A comparable round brilliant ruby of the same size and proportions will weigh in at 1.55 carats instead.

Collecting gemstones as a hobby can give you an enjoyable pastime and rewarding in the long run. You can start small and don't have to spend a lot of money and yet you can build a very exquisite collection. Many people loved to spend weekends to go hunting gemstones. Just in the United States in Nevada you can hunt for Rock Crystal, Citrine, Nevada Turquoise and Virgin Valley Black Fire Opal. Or you can take the time to travel and find opal in Coober Pedy, Andamooka or Mintabie in South Australia, topaz in Killiecrankie, Tasmania or check out the quartz regions in Cloncurry in Queensland, Australia.

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Our Latest Gemstone Article

Starting The Hobby Of Loose Gemstone Collecting

By Lee MacRae

Why would someone go to the trouble of collect loose gemstones? Well to begin with gemstones are extremely beautiful. And like their more familiar cousin, natural diamonds, they can appreciate in value over time. Many hobbyists love to find, collect and finish the wide variety of gemstones available today. Follow along as we look at the hobby of collecting loose gemstones.

Right at the beginning, what you need is to visit the library and get some books. You want to understand as much as you possibly can about the subject of gemstones. The more you know about each kind of gemstone the less likely you are to make a mistake. With adequate knowledge you are less likely to be fooled.

Color is a very important part in the value of the stone. The closer a color is to its purer spectral value the more valuable the stone becomes. Traditionally, these specter colors are orange, green, yellow, Violet and blue. Colors that are darker or palerthan a pure color are considered a lower value.

Gemstone cut is very important and factors into appraisal of diamonds but you're gemstones as well. An excellent cut will showcase the natural color of the gemstone, diminishes its inclusions, and exhibits good overall symmetry and proportion. One way of determining the excellence in the cut of the stone is to consider if it is able to reflect light on a consistent level over its entire surface. If the stone is cut on the shallow side much of the light will refract out of the gem instead of reflecting inside. Gemstone color will be washed out.

The next factor to look at is the gemstone's clarity. This refers to the stones purity or the lack of internal inclusions, particles or spots within the crystal structure. Needless to say, stones with no flaws would make the gemstone highly valuable.

Next thing to look at is the duo of weight and size. Due to their nature gemstones can vary greatly in density and specific gravity. Weight and size are not necessarily equal across the board. If a diamond of a certain size weighs 1.00 carats then an equal sized Sapphire would weigh more than 1.20 carats. An equal sized Emerald would be 0.95 carats while an Alexandrite stone would be about 1.23 carats.

Taking up the hobby of gemstones can give you an enjoyable pastime and also rewarding in the long run. You don't need to spend a lot of money and yet you can end up with some very beautiful stones. Many people love to take vacations to go hunting for raw gemstones. Take the example of the US. In Florida you can find Chalcedony and Conch Pearl. Or ou can take a longer vacation and find opal in Opalton, Yowah, Queensland, Austalia, topaz in Killiecrankie, Tasmania or hunt the quartz regions in Yellowdine Lake in Western Australia.

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In geological terms gem quality sapphire is rarer than diamond. Sapphire is the
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