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Can you tell treatment with loupe?

RRfromR

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Nov 5, 2022
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I have two ruby bands, one original antique and the other one vintage reproduction. I can only keep one. The modern reproduction is larger however the antique one can be heated at most, due to age. My appraiser is charging $$$$ to look at a stone, so I was hoping to get more (free) insight from the collective knowledge here :)
Are those gas bubbles/ fusion? Thank you in advance!!
 

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Heating can dissolve natural inclusions, remove silk, create artificial internal characteristics, alter crystal structure and, of course, improve color. Clarity enhancement leaves behind synthetic material in the fractures. This can all be identifiable under magnification (I would say a scope as opposed to a loupe though). Some markers may be obvious, some less so. Unless you're well-trained... I mean, it's tricky. With regard to lab-grown material, it's also not black and white. We know that even major labs have been wrong in the past on occasion. So I don't think anyone will really be able to tell you much (certainly not definitively) with regard to composition or treatments just by photos. And anyone examining it in person should be experienced (or, better, a G.G.). I know you don't want to bring it to your jeweler or send it out to a lab, but if you really want to be sure, that's what I'd suggest. It's a lovely piece! Good luck!!
 
It’s hard to say from just the photos, but this could be a negative crystal, partially healed crystal inclusion, or a silk encircled cavity. It’s certainly possible it could be a gas bubble, but I don’t see any curved growth lines, flux residue veils, or any other bubble like forms. It’s only a guess at this point, but I suspect the middle stone is natural. Given the inclusions, it may also be untreated or minimally treated. A UV test might be helpful (although not diagnostic on its own). Flame fusion synthetics usually glow bright red or orange.
 

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