GEMSTONE ENHANCEMENT and ITS DETECTION in the 1980S
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GEMSTONE ENHANCEMENT AND ITS DETECTION IN THE 1980s By Robert C, IZainmerling, John I. Koivula, and Robert E. Kane The impact that enhancen~entshad on oncern about gemstone enhancements and the search the gem market in the 1980s may be un- cfor methods to detect them are not new. Written paralleled in the history of the industry. descriptions of treatment methods date back almost 2,000 Heat treatment brought hundreds of thou- years, and reports on enhancement detection were being sands of carats of blue and fancy-color published as early as 1502 (Nassau, 1984). sapphires and rubies to the trade, irradia- However, a number of developments in the last decade tion turned literally millions of carats of have brought greater attention to the subject of gemstone white topaz into attractive blue stones, and the filling of surface-reaching separa- enhancement. These include the proliferation of enhanced tions introduced an entirely new variable stones in the market, the increasing sophistication of the to the evaluation of color and clarity in treatment methods used, the need to relay accurate infor- diamonds. One of the key challenges to mation both within the trade and to the consumer, and the gemologist during this decade was the government interest in mandatory enhancement dis- identification of these and other enhance- closure. ments. This article reviews the enhance- Because treatment can significantly affect the value of a ments that were introduced or played a gem, this article focuses on the one aspect of enhancement major role during the 1980s, focusing on that is the gemologist's primary concern: detection. their detection by standard gemological Through a review of the literature and the authors' own techiqnes. experience, this article examines those enhancements that were new in the 1980s or had a major impact on the gem market during the decade, and describes the detection methods that are now available. The emphasis is on tests that can be performed using standard gemological equip- ment; reference will be made to tests introduced in the 1980s or new variations on previously known techniques (for more information on the "classic" tests, we recom- ABOUT THE AUTHORS mend that the reader consult Liddicoat, 1989, or Anderson, Mr. Kammerling is director of technical develop- 1980).However, some discussions will necessarily include ment, and Mr. Koivula is chief gemologist, at the techniques that require more advanced instrumentation. Gemological Institute of America, Santa Monica, California. Mr. Kane is a supervisor of gem identi- We will also consider some enhancements for which there fication at the GIA Gem Trade Laboratory, Inc., are currently no practical, nondestructive tests. The chart Santa Monica. included with this article lists many of the key identifiable Acknowledgments: The authors are indebted to treatments currently in the trade and the principal Jennifer Rowland for her considerable help in per- forming archival research for this article, and to methods available to detect them. Shane F. McClure for useful comments and obser- vations. HEAT TREATMENT Gems & Gemology, Vol. 26, No, 1, pp. 32-49 Corundum. The 1980s witnessed an extraordinary influx 0 1990 Gemological Institute of America of sapphires and rubies onto the market-over 95% of 32 Enhancement and Its Detection GEMS & GEMOLOGY Spring 1990 Figure 1. Heat treatment brought great ~117rnhersof attractive blue and fancy- color sapphires to the gem market. All of the sapphires shown here have been heat en- hanced. Courtesy of Gemsource Interna- tional, Miami, FL; photo 0 Tino Hammid. which were believed to have been heat treated by features around inclusions (mayhave lacy fringes); one method or another (Abraham, 1982; figure 1). (2) stubby, partially absorbed (dot-like; figure 3) Nassau (1981) has described no fewer than nine silk; (3)pockmarked, melted facets, and abnormal specific treatments used on natural or synthetic multi-plane girdles where part of the original corundum. surface was missed in repolishing; (4)blotchy color Heat treatment is most widely used to develop banding or diffused zoning in blue stones (rarely, blue color in light or near-colorless corundum with brown color zoning); and (5) colored halos ("geuda") by means of an intervalence charge surrounding solid mineral inclusions (Crown- transfer involving iron and titanium ions (Moon ingshield, 1980, 1981 c, 1982b, 1983b, 1987; Nas- and Phillips, 1986). Thermal treatment also came sau, 1981; Gubelin, 1983; Schmetzer et al., 1983; into extensive use in the 1980s to induce or Scarratt, 1985; Koivula, 1987ej Hurwit, 1987; enhance yellow to orange to brown colors in Koivula and Kammerling, 1988b). corundum. The resulting stones are often of a color Heat-treated blue sapphires may show a dull, that has been described as "rare and somewhat chalky green fluorescence to short-wave unnatural" (Keller, 1982). U.V radiation, and may lack both the orange With magnification, the following identifying fluorescence to long-wave U.V and the 450-nm features may be seen in both blue and yellow absorption line associated with some natural-color (unless otherwise noted) heated sapphires: (1)in- blue sapphires. Heat-treated "golden" sapphires ternal stress fractures (figure 2) or cotton-like typically show no iron absorption and only weak Enhancement and Its Detection GEMS & GEMOLOGY Spring 1990 33 Gem Material EnEz- Purpose Spectrum Ultraviolet Comments Magnification Other (Offlt Fluorescence Improve clarity, May also be dyed: look for color darken color. "Sun spangles" discoid fractures. concentrations in surface-reaching AMBER Heat induce "sun fractures 1 spangles" Produce larger, "Roiled structure, flattened elongated gas bubbles, LW strong, patchy. Polariscope: irregular Also called "pressed amber. workable oieces drain boundaries, irreaular clear and cloudv areas. chalkv blue strain oatterns Surface-reaching fractures, pits may be Improve apparent Very low relief of surface-reaching breaks, possibly LW: chalky Heat may cause oil to filled with clastic or resin: maanification BERYL clarity, conceal sliaht outlinina of breaks DecomDosed oils mav leave yellowish green "sweat" from fractures. May key to detection "~otpoint" to test Emerald fractures whitish~~ellowishdendritic possible in fractures stain stone papers. emeralds strongly discouraged Oiled stones may have oily Deepenhnduce odor. Heat may cause oil 630-670 LW: chalky green color. to "sweat" from fractures. Dye concentrations best detected using Color concentrations in surface-reaching fractures. band yellowish green improve apparent May discolor stone paper, diffused transmitted light. possible possible in fractures ^- clarity acetone-dipped cotton swab. Dyed green: fine lines at Mav be dved anv color. Mav be 640. 670 Dyed blue, green: appear sel&tively or uniformly treated. Alter color Rarely, uneven color distribution. Dyed blue: red to orangy red through Treatment often not detectable by bands at Chelsea color filter. routine tests. 540, 585, 640 31ue: LW-lacks Blue: very Cotton-like features around inclusions>; rneltedburst orange reaction; '"Geuda" material usually used to weak or no solid inclusions3; ruptured fluid inclusions; "dot-like" SW-dull chalky produce blues. Yellow-to-orangy brown 450 line Deepenlinduce silk; diffused color zoning, blotchy color banding green, yellowish stones typically show neither iron Heat absorption of ThaiIAustralian stones nor Sapphire color (blues); internal color diffusion around solid inclusions; Yellow to green sintered, unpolished surfaces and pockmarked, brown: no strong orangy LWUV reaction of Sri CORUNDUM Yellow to brown: melted facets. iron lines Lankan stones. I LW & SW-inert Lighten color, Treatment typically performed on iron- Discoid fractures3; meltedburst solid inclusions3; SW: patchy bluish remove secondary rich stones like those from Thailand1 ruotured fluid inclusions: dot-like silk: internal color zones possible in hues, improve Australia. Inclusions best seen with diffusion around solid inclusions; sintered surfaces. ruby claritv darkfield illumination. May have unnatural, Color diffusion: color concentrations along facet SW chalky Immersion key to detection. watery appearance; higher yellowish green Magnification may show other evidence Induce surface iunctions. airdle edae4: localizationblotchiness of relief of facet Junctions, Diffusion possible in blue of hiah-temcerature treatment. color andlor color; color "bleeding" in pits and surface-reaching girdle outline in methylene stones; may be ~e~&shingmay remove color. Star may asterism fractures. Star diffusion: rutile needles confined iodide than untreated patchy be unnaturally sharp. to thin surface layer. stones. LW & sw: Don't confuse cavity fillings Improve Difference in surface luster, polish, transparency, and1 filling material Always reaches with included crystals1 Cavity filling appearance, add or relative relief (when immersed) between host and inert (also to surface of stone. natural glass inclusions weight, seal voids filling materials; gas bubbles in contact zone. X-rays) breaking surface. Deepenhnduce Dyeing Color concentrations in surface-reaching fractures. color Filled breaks mav exhibit: "flash effects"-oranael Treatment may lower Cleavage! improve apparent blue6 or purplelgreen; flattened, trapped gas bubbles apparent color grade; acid, Body color of colored diamonds may (may have fingerprint pattern); How structure; crackled DIAMOND fracturefilling clarity extreme heat may remove mask "flash effect." texture;