What Does It Mean When A Stone Is Filled?Ĭavities and fractures within the stone can compromise a sapphire’s clarity. While some consumers have learned to accept heat-treated stones, even without disclosure, connoisseurs prize those rare stones that show fine color and clarity without this enhancement. But that means those multitude of stones could still be subject to enhancing treatments. As trends along these lines continue into 2020, the transparent rough continues to be more valuable in their natural state. However, since the demand for transparent rough has increased in recent decades, treatments to create asterism are not frequently encountered. When corundum is heated to between 1200-1600 degrees Celsius, star sapphires can be created or improved. Knowledgeable gemologists will be able to discern whether a sapphire has been subjected to this kind of extreme heating. The results can be dramatic, transforming pale stones into ones with lively, saturated colors. Over the last couple of decades, high temperatures in excess of 1700 degrees Celsius has been applied to sapphires, which improves clarity by dissolving silk as it improves color. These are commonly used on pink sapphires from the mines of Madagascar and may also be applied to Madagascar’s coveted padparadscha sapphires.Īn unheated ruby with natural inclusions. Some heat treatment procedures are relatively mild, involving temperatures of about 400 degrees Celsius for brief periods of time. Heat treatment is used to improve a sapphire’s color, remove color zoning, and improve clarity. The oldest and most common sapphire enhancement is heat treatment, and the majority of the sapphires in the marketplace have been heat-treated or thermally enhanced in furnaces. What Does It Mean When A Gemstone Is Heated?īefore and after examples of heated sandpaper quality sapphires. This is especially important with the modern technology that is abundant in 2020. It is important to understand the ways in which sapphires may be treated so you can make an informed decision. Throughout history, it has been a common practice to treat sapphires in some way to enhance their color and clarity. #Does heat treated amethyst fade in sun professional#Photo: Robert Weldon, Copyright Professional Jeweler MagazineĮditors Note: This article is © 2002-2014 Jewelers of America Inc.The majority of commercial-grade sapphires have had some measure of treatment, the most common being heat treatment. Because of this, you should never wear your citrine jewelry while sunbathing or when using a tanning bed. Some citrine, whether treated or not, may fade if exposed to sunlight or heat for long periods of time. Be sure to rinse and dry your jewelry thoroughly after cleaning. Citrine can be cleaned with most any commercial jewelry cleaner or plain soap and water using a soft brush. Citrine should be protected from sharp blows and scratches but is otherwise quite resistant to normal wear. The beautiful color in your citrine, if properly taken care of, will last indefinitely. The color of citrine, whether treated or not, may fade if exposed to heat or sunlight for prolonged periods. Other important sources include Madagascar, Bolivia and the United States.Īlmost all citrine on the market today has been heat treated to improve its appearance. It’s not uncommon to find beautiful faceted gems over 10 carats, especially in lighter shades of yellow.Ĭitrine is an alternate birthstone for November. Citrine is also readily available in larger sizes. Sunny and affordable, citrine is the perfect complement to any jewelry wardrobe, blending especially well with pastel colors and bright, polished surfaces. Its broad range of colors and outstanding affordability make citrine one of the most popular and desirable gemstones in the world.Ĭitrine is a gemstone that generates a feeling of warmth and often sparks an attitude of lightheartedness in the wearer. Citrines range from the soft hues of golden champagne to the rich, deep color of a fine Madeira wine. But don’t think that all citrine is the color of lemonade. As the golden variety of the quartz family, citrine takes its name from citron, the French word for lemon. The following is brought to you by the Jewelers of America.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |