Enhancement

Laser Drilled Diamond. The Drill Channels you See are Not All Individual Channels, for the Most Part They are Reflections. Image Courtesy of Conny Forsberg, FGA.
Laser Drilled Diamond. The Drill Channels you See are Not All Individual Channels, for the Most Part They are Reflections.
Image Courtesy of Conny Forsberg, FGA.

Definition

Enhancement, when used in gemological conversation, stands for a man-induced treatment that improves the appearance or durability of a gemstone.

Introduction

Gem minerals are rare, durable, and beautiful by definition; this is what distinguishes them from all other minerals. Most gem deposits do not solely yield gem-grade stones though. In fact, every gem miner will be able to tell you that only a small percentage of the stones he unearths is fit for jewelry. There may be too much or too little color in the stone, the color may be of an undesirable hue or it may be fractured or unstable. Since the demand for gemstones always outweighs the supply, causing their high prices, this is where non-gem grade stones become economically interesting. If a miner can offload his lower-grade stones as well as his prime stones his business has got a much better chance of surviving.

Because the natural, untreated product is extremely rare, high prices are commanded throughout the line of production from mine to consumer. Non-gem grade stones that are fit for treatment are in greater supply and don’t enjoy this natural rarity to the same extent. They can be bought cheaply from miners keen to cash in on their low-quality stones. Relatively inexpensive treatments are then performed to make the stones look exactly like the popular natural product. All too often it takes an expert to distinguish between natural and treated stones. Now here’s where problems may arise. This resemblance makes it possible for unscrupulous dealers to sell the treated product as natural and command top dollar. The proper way to deal with these stones is to disclose the treatments in full.

In some cases, the enhanced stones resemble the natural product in appearance but not in durability. A glass-filled ruby, for instance, isn’t as resistant to abrasion and chemical attack as the real deal. This is another reason proper disclosure is of the utmost importance, things that wouldn’t affect a natural stone may ruin a treated one.

So, are treatments an evil thing? The answer is no, not as long as they are properly disclosed. The increased prosperity that occurred over the last century allows far more people to indulge in wearing gemstones. Where gems were once reserved for the nobility and the wealthy in the past, now billions of people have surplus income and are happy to show that off by wearing expensive personal decorations. The demand for gemstones is so large these days that without gem treatments the prices for natural goods would go through the roof.

Treated goods have become an essential part of the jewelry trade. Consumers need them in order to meet their increased demand and the miner needs them to make a consistent living. Without the selling of treatable stones, he would be left at the mercy of his luck of finding a gem-grade stone every day. It is estimated that 80% of the world’s gemstones are mined by independent artisanal miners1 and it is important that this group can make a decent living. Without these hardworking souls, these beautiful gifts of nature wouldn’t reach you.

And for the jewelry historian? To those investigating the age of a jewelry item treatments may provide very helpful clues. We have a reasonably good idea of the invention dates of the different treatments and finding a stone that is clearly treated in a way that was invented in the 1970s in a Victorian jewel should raise alarm bells. The stone may either be a replacement of an old stone or indicate a recent reproduction. Either way, a closer look is warranted in such cases, and spotting a modern treatment may contribute to the correct identification of a well-made reproduction as such.

Treatments

Below you will find all possible treatments, the gemstones which can be enhanced by these treatments together with the effect of the treatment and the supposed introduction dates of these techniques. Follow the links below to learn more about specific treatments.

Notes

  1. G&G Fall 2010, ‘An Era of Sweeping Change in Diamond and Colored Stone Production and Markets’. Shor, Russel & Weldon, Robert.
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