Thejournal of Gemmology
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Volume 23 No. 3. July 1992 TheJournal of Gemmology THE GEMMOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION AND GEM TESTING LABORATORY OF GREAT BRITAIN OFFICERS AND COUNCIL Past Presidents: Sir Henry Miers, MA, D.Sc., FRS Sir William Bragg, OM, KBE, FRS Dr. G.F. Herbert Smith, CBE, MA, D.Sc. Sir Lawrence Bragg, CH, OBE, MC, B.Sc., FRS Sir Frank Claringbull, Ph.D., F.Inst.P., FGS Vice-President: R K. Mitchell, FGA Council of Management D.J. Callaghan, FGA C.R Cavey, FGA E.A. Jobbins, B.Sc., C.Eng., FIMM, FGA 1. Thomson, FGA V.P. Watson, FGA K. Scarratt, FGA RR Harding, B.Sc., D.Phil., FGA, C. Geol. Members' Council A. J. Allnutt, M.Sc., G.H. Jones, B.Sc., Ph.D., FGA P. G. Read, C.Eng., Ph.D., FGA H. Levy, M.Sc., BA, FGA MIEE, MIERE, FGA P. J. E. Daly, B.Sc., FGA J. Kessler 1. Roberts, FGA T. Davidson, FGA G. Monnickendam E.A. Thomson, R Fuller, FGA L. Music Hon.FGA D. Inkersole, FGA J.B. Nelson, Ph.D., FGS, R Velden B. Jackson, FGA F. Inst. P., C.Phys., FGA D. Warren C.H. Winter, FGA Branch Chairmen: Midlands Branch: D.M. Larcher, FBHI, FGA North-West Branch: 1. Knight, FGA Examiners: A. J. Allnutt, M.Sc., Ph.D., FGA G. H. Jones, B.Sc., Ph.D., FGA L. Bartlett, B.Sc., M.Phil., FGA D. G. Kent, FGA E. M. Bruton, FGA R D. Ross, B.Sc., FGA C. R Cavey, FGA P. Sadler, B.Sc., FGS, FGA S. Coelho, B.Sc., FGA E. Stem, FGA A.T. Collins, B.Sc., Ph.D Prof. 1.Sunagawa,D.Sc. B. Jackson, FGA M. Virkkunen, M.Phil., FGA E. A. Jobbins, B.Sc., C. Eng., FIMM, FGA C. Woodward, B.Sc., FGA Editor: E. A. Jobbins, B.Sc., C.Eng., FIMM, FGA Editorial Assistant: Mary A. Burland Curator: C. R Cavey, FGA The Genunological Association and Getn Testing Laboratory of Great Britain 27 Greville Street, London EClN 8SU Telephone: 071-4043334 Fax: 071-4048843 ^Journal of Gemmology VOLUME 23 NUMBER THREE JULY 1992 Cover Picture An orange coloured pearl showing a 'flame structure' comparable with that displayed by pink pearls from the Giant Conch, Strombus gigas. This pearl was fished off the Mergui archipelago, Myanmar (Burma) around 1960 and is 20mm in diameter; others have been found in the Baler shell, Melo amphora in Australian and Malaysian waters. Photograph taken in sunlight by E. A. Jobbins ISSN: 0022-1252 F.G.AF.G.A.. youyourr kekeyy ttoo ththee fascinatingfascinating worlworldd ooff GemmologyGemmology ThThee GemmologicaGemmologicall TheThe GemmologicalGemmological AssociatioAssociationn anandd GeGemm AssociationsAssociations coursecourse TestinTestingg LaboratorLaboratoryy ooff hashas beenbeen speciallyspecially GreaGreatt BritaiBritainn hahass beebeenn compiledcompiled intointo aa seriesseries activelactivelyy involveinvolvedd iinn ofof teachingteaching modulesmodules ththee ververyy beginninbeginningg ooff thatthat aarre bothboth readablereadable GemmologGemmologyy aass aann andand lavishlavishlly independenindependentt sciencescience.. illustrated.illustrated. Today. the Together they Today, the Together they Association takes provide a Association takes provide a pride in its comprehensive step pride in its comprehensive step- international by-step guide to the international by-step guide to the reputation as a lea rn ed fascinating world of reputation as a learned fascinating world of society dedicated to i gemmology and an society dedicated to the promotion of opportunitygemmology toan earnd an thgemmologicale promotion o f theopportunit covetedy initialsto earn gemmologicaeducation andl the thFGAe covete - Fellowd initial of thes educatiospread ofn and the GemmologicalFGA-Fellow o f the spreagemmologicald of AssociationGemmologica. l gemmologicaknowledge. l AssociationTo find out. more knowledgeThe Association. 's Gemmological Association compTo finletde outhet morcoupone Gemmological Association covetedThe Association Fellowships is and Gem Testing Laboratory belowcomplet ande th wee coupowill n covetea markd ofFellowshi excellencep is and Gem Testing Laboratory beloimmediatelyw and w eforward will aonly mar besk oftowed excellenc upone Of Great Britain theimmediatel Association'sy forwar d onlmembersy bestowe. whod upo n Of Great Britain thprospectuse Association givings memberssuccessfu, llywh undertakeo the Association's fu ll details of this uniqprospectuue course.s giving successfullwritten andy practicalundertak eDiploma the Association examinations.s full details of this unique course. writte,------n and practical Diplom--a examinations--- . --------- - , To GAGTL Education Department, 27 Greville Street, London ECl N 8SU I I TPleaseo GAGT sendL Educatio details nand Department applicotion, 2 7form Grevill fore the Street Diploma, Londo inn Gemmology EC1N 8SU Course. I Please send details and application form for the Diploma in Gemmology Course. I Name: I I Name: I I Address : I I Address: I I I I . I L __ _ _ __ _______ ~elephon ~ _ ___- GEM;-.J . Telephone: . GEM; L: _J J.J. Gemm.,Gemm., 1992,1992,23, 23, 3 131131 NotesNotes fromfrom thethe LaboratoryLaboratory - 1155 Kenneth Scarratt Kenneth Scarratt GemmologicalGemmological AssociationAssociation andand GemGem TestingTesting LaboratoryLaboratory ofof GreatGreat Britain,Britain, LondonLondon ECINEC1N 8S8SUU DamagedDamaged firefire opalopal GemsGems withwith a waterwater content,content, suchsuch asas opalopal andand pearl,pearl, needneed specialspecial carecare whenwhen beingbeing displayedisplayedd forfor sale.sale. TheseThese gemsgems whenwhen keptkept forfor extendedextended periodperiodss inin anan enclosedenclosed atmosphereatmosphere andand underunder strongstrong heatheat- generatinggenerating lightinglighting areare proneprone toto dehydrationdehydration whichwhich maymay resultresult inin crackingcracking oror otherother formsforms ofof damage.damage. TToo reducereduce thethe riskrisk ofof damagedamage manymany traderstraders keepkeep a smallsmall containercontainer ofof waterwater inin a showshow casecase wherewhere pearlspearls oror opalsopals areare onon display,display, andand alsalsoo regularlregularlyy wipewipe themthem withwith a dampdamp cloth.cloth. A clientclient soldsold a 2.31ct2.3 let pear-shapedpear-shaped firefire opalopal setset inin aa clustercluster ring,ring, seenseen inin FigureFigure 1,1, toto a retailerretailer approxapprox imatelyimately threethree yearsyears ago.ago. RecentlyRecently ththee retailerretailer rere turnedturned ththee ringring statingstating thatthat a largelarge opaqueopaque conecone hadhad appearedappeared stretchingstretching fromfrom thethe rearrear facetsfacets intointo thethe centrecentre ofof thethe stone.stone. TheThe newnew 'inclusion''inclusion' waswas easilyeasily visiblevisible toto thethe unaidedunaided eyeeye andand thereforetherefore thethe stonestone waswas nnoo longerlonger saleable.saleable. Fig.Fig. 1.1. Pear-shapedPear-shaped firefire opalopal setset iinn a dustercluster ring.ring. NotNotee thethe OurOur clientclient unsetunset thethe stonestone andand sentsent itit toto thethe opaqueopaque conecone atat thethe toptop rightright andand underunder thethe tabletable facet.facet. LaboratoryLaboratory forfor examinationexamination andand anyany recommendarecommenda stonestone waswas placedplaced inin a containercontainer ofof waterwater foforr a periodperiod tionstions thatthat couldcould bebe mademade toto brinbringg thethe stonestone backback toto ofof threthreee weeks,weeks, afterafter whichwhich thethe opacityopacity hadhad virtuallyvirtually itsits formerformer beauty.beauty. TheThe opaqueopaque conecone (see(see FigureFigure 2)2) disappeared.disappeared. AfterAfter a furtherfurther weekweek inin thethe waterwater thethe wawass indeedindeed quitequite larglargee andand hadhad a dramaticdramatic effecteffect onon opacityopacity hadhad disappeareddisappeared altogetheraltogether leavinleavingg onlyonly a thethe appearanceappearance ofof ththee stone.stone. smallsmall turbidturbid areaarea (Figure(Figure 3)3).. TheThe solutionsolution waswas bothboth simplesimple andand effective.effective. TheThe Fig.Fig. 3.3. TheThe pear-shapedpear-shaped firefire opalopal inin Figs.Figs. I1 andand 22 after after soakingsoaking Fig.Fig. 2.2. TheThe pear-shapedpear-shaped firefire opalopal inin Fig.Fig. I,1, unsetunset andand displaydisplay inin waterwater forfor fourfour weeks.weeks. TheThe opaqueopaque conecone hashas disdis iningg a sidsidee viewview ofof thethe opaqueopaque cone.cone. appearedappeared leavinleavingg onlyonly a smallsmall turbidturbid area.area. © CopyrightCopyright thethe GemmologicalGemmological AssociationAssociation ISSN:ISSN: 0022-12520022-1252 \0 \0 N ..- Vol Vol N - .lV Y' ';-< 132 J. Gemm., , 1992, 23, 3 4888.9 4848.1 e u ir\ ^O ir>SI65em·! 4730.2 T3 C coand ir> ro 4935 at J2 CO <U peaks 4Bi2.4 a £Hie C COand (em-i) Hlb H1b 4894.8 J3 the ÖC _C '>> «S "H. '•5displaying 4, 4978.7 dû Wavenumber Fig. .5in CJ o sdiamond .2 eoeB.8 •3 yellow -a o rd l» u treated tj e14i.O rn33ct <L> J3 the <•+-. Oof S 3 i- t> <U spectrum 8223.i a ~ac/5 <u w infrared Is ONPartial e30e.3 5. N m m ID '!If 0 0 0 0 0 III III III III m m ID OJ CIJ 0 • 0 III ID OJ CIJ N ID III • .CIJ o. • L • elll 00 ~. .g .gm Fig. J. Gemm., 1992, 23, 3 133 Large treated yellow diamond It is sometimes difficult to understand why certain stones are artificially treated. Obviously, colour or clarity enhancement can make a stone more saleable. However, when one has a 33ct diamond irradiated and annealed to produce a 'treated yellow' one has to question whether it is more saleable before or after treatment. Figure 4 shows a 33ct round brilliant-cut 'intense yellow' diamond recently submitted to the Labora tory for a report on the origin of its colour. Examination of the