typical range of a commercial heating cycle

Should You Invest Money In Treated or Untreated Gemstones

Hello Readers, This is the most difficult blog subject I had ever come across. Seriously, you have to trust me on that. To answer this subject is not straightforward. As sourced from industry experts more than 80% of the total gemstones traded in the market are treated or enhanced in some or another way. Let me first brief you about Untreated and Treated Gemstones.

Untreated Gemstones- Untreated Gemstones are the ones that are not enhanced in any way. They remain similar to what they have been mined from Earth’s crust. These gemstones are only cut and polished so that we can appreciate stones and wear them in jewelry. Fine examples of untreated gemstones are:

Types of Treatments:-

1. Heating– The gemstone is exposed to high temperatures to alter its color and/or clarity. The most commonly encountered heated gems are Amber, Amethyst, Aquamarine, Citrine, Ruby, Sapphire, Tanzanite, Topaz, and Zircon. Heating is accepted in the market.
typical range of a commercial heating cycle

2.Oiling– Oiling of Rubies and Emeralds is a very common and old practice. Oil makes surface inclusions less visible. Gemstones like Alexandrite, varieties of Chrysoberyl and Demantoid Garnet are often treated by oiling.
Emerald
3. Irradiation– Gemstones are exposed to an artificial source of radiation to change their colors. The most commonly encountered irradiated gems are Diamond, Corundum, Topaz, Pearl, and Quartz.
blue topaz
4.Fracture-Filling– The fractures and fissures of the gemstones are filled by using glass, plastic, or other materials. Diamonds, Rubies, and Emeralds are often fracture-filled.
glass-filled-ruby
5. Bleaching– Gemstone has been bleached by the use of chemicals to reduce or alter the entire color of the porous gemstone. Jadeite Jade, Pearl, Chalcedony, and Tiger’s eye are bleached to reduce the color.

6. Dyeing
– The fractures of gemstones are introduced to colored dyes. Gemstones like Pearl, Coral, Turquoise, Lapis Lazuli, Howlite, Jade, Chalcedony, and Quartz are often dyed. You can perform a simple action at home using acetone to check whether a stone is dyed or not.
Dyed Chalcedony

7. Diffusion– Chemicals like beryllium were infused into the gemstones at very high temperatures.

Other methods are:

•Lasering

•Infilling Diamonds

•Coating

•Impregnation and Stabilization.

Points in favor of Untreated Gemstones:-

1.Treated Gemstones are less durable- High heat treatments make gemstone surface brittle. After a period of time, the faceted edges will come out which makes Gemstone looked as chipped and this will surely reduce its future value.

2.Irradiated Gemstones might be a risk to the health- Right from the evolution of Irradiation treatment containing beryllium (a radioactive material) people are worried about possible harmful rays that might come out of Irradiated Gemstones.

3.Treated Gemstones do not retain their value- Every post day a post method of treating the gemstones is coming into the market. With the invention of post-treatments, the price of entire varieties crashes. Some examples from the past are:

•During the Tucson Gem Show in the ’90s, the price of heated Yellow Sapphire crashed immensely when post-treated Yellow Sapphires are introduced there.

• After the invention of Irradiation Treatment, it’s become very easy to radiate and heat colorless Topaz into blue color. As a result, the high prices Blue Topaz is now available for just a few dollars.

4. Some unique Untreated Gemstones- Despite many gem treatments, still there is a bunch of proliferation of gemstones that are never treated or enhanced in any manner. These gemstones have a great combination of good hardness, durability, brilliance, clarity, outstanding clarity and amongst all, they are available in affordable price ranges. They are Spinel, Spessartite Garnet, Rhodolite Garnet, Tsavorite Garnet, Tourmaline, Peridot and Orange, Brown and Rose Zircon.

5. Treated Gemstones are unnatural and not rare to be found.

Points in favor of Treated Gemstones:-

1..Treated Gemstones come in a variety of price ranges- This is the foremost advantage of Treated gemstones. Everyone cannot afford to buy an Emerald worth $50,000/carat (non-treated) but has a desire to wear an Emerald. The solution to their problem is Treated, Emerald. The price of treated Emeralds starts from $10/carat-$1o, 000/carat. A person can choose among these price ranges according to his budget.

2.Treated Gemstones are easily available- Untreated Gemstones in bigger sizes are very difficult to be found. An Untreated Diamond above 5 carats is rarest to be found and would cost millions of dollars. While treated Diamonds or any other gemstones are available in almost all possible sizes.

3.Change in Trend and Fashion- “Big and bold is the call of the hour”. Moreover, every post day one wants something post to wear. The high prices and rarity of the Untreated Gemstones do not fulfill the needs of the buyers.

4.Treated Gemstones, not as an Investments- Many people do not invest in treated gemstones for the sake of profits. They purchase gemstones and jewelry rather as keepsakes for sentimental value.

Conclusion- Both Treated as well as Untreated Gemstones have their respective pros and cons, selecting one is a difficult task. We advise your readers to weigh their decision based on two factors –

•Personal Preference

•Budgeted Allowance

As long as the buyer does not hold any objections against Treated Gemstones then why should we? It’s just a matter of personal preference for what to buy and what not to buy. The person who is willing to sacrifice in size, color, clarity, and gem quality can easily buy Treated Gemstones. The spectrum has both lower as well as upper-end customers. The lower end may be satisfied by small treated stones while the upper end might want the largest and most beautiful gemstone. Budgeted Allowance means how much a person wants to spend in purchasing a particular gemstone.

Finding a natural gemstone is very rare. Most of the stones you get in the market are either treated or manufactured synthetically using heat and chemical treatments. We have a vast variety of treated and unheated gemstones available. Before you buy any type of gemstone you must have a look at our collection of treated gemstones and untreated gemstones.

There is a room in the Gem Market for all types of stones- imitation, lab-created, heated, treated, enhanced, and natural. The buyer should ask the seller to fully disclose the enhancement treatments performed on the gemstone.