Can a heated sapphire be identified? continued --->

[Coloratura]

Hi.

I''m curious , I found a beautiful , emerald-cut sapphire ring and it''s "natural" but the website claims that through the cutting process their sapphire are heat-treated and subject to heating.

I like this sapphire but , I''m concerned that the fact that it was heated takes away from the integrity of the gem. Also , I wonder if it would be clearly obvious to gem lovers that the sapphire was heated. Can one tell by looking at it?

Thanks so much for the help.

 

[chrono]

Unless you have the right tools and a very strong microscope, you can''t tell if a stone is heated or not. Gentle heating is an accepted practice and the colour is permanent and does not affect the integrity of the stone. All other heating methods (BE or lattice diffusion) is currently frowned upon as the colour can be removed and they are sometimes passed of as "natural" stones by shady vendors.

 

[bar01]

Almost all sapphires are heated, it is rare (maybe less than 2%) that are completely untreated by any method. As mentioned, unless a gem lover has a microscope they are not going to be able to know if it is treated or untreated, heated or unheated. Heating will not affect durability. Depending on your budget and the cost of this ring, you may wish to have it independently examined and appraised which should confirm all this.

 

[Richard M.]

Date: 4/29/2008 3:25:07 AM
Author:Coloratura


I''m curious , I found a beautiful , emerald-cut sapphire ring and it''s ''natural'' but the website claims that through the cutting process their sapphire are heat-treated and subject to heating.

This is just playing with words to give consumers the wrong impression. Mined sapphires that have been heated are "natural" sapphires. The word "natural" doesn''t imply that a stone has not been treated in some way. The clear colorless topaz that''s coated or color-diffused into a variety of colors is still "natural" topaz, as opposed to synthetic or man-made topaz or a simulant. The same is true of sapphire or any other stone.

The subject of heating and other treatments involving corundum (ruby and sapphire) is very complex and much research is still underway. As always when dealing with such issues, examination and certification by an independent gemological laboratory is recommended.

Richard M.

 

[Coloratura]

Hello ,

Thank you all for responding and for the help. You''ve cleared up a lot.

Thanks!