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.