Heating of Corundum - an investment?

[JewelryLover]

I'm not going to write a bunch of information. I'll just share some pictures of Corundum (Sapphires) before & after heating. The pictures are stock photos, and not my personal Sapphires. I'm not in the trade. Sapphires pictured has been heated with regular heat (no diffusion, no chemicals).

Heating of unheated Sapphires that are clean and nice - an investment? Yay or nay?
Green unheated Sapphires of FL/VVS quality at 5 carats is equal to approx. $100/carat. And as I can see, stores are charging over $27,000 for heated Blue Sapphires of a 6 carat.

Would it be beneficial? an investment? Yay or nay?

 

[Lady_Disdain]

All treated stones are treated because it will, potentially, increase their value. A heated stone is usually less expensive than a similar, unheated one but it is still more valuable than in its original state. Unless it cracked during heating. Or it overheated and lost colour. Or any of the many things that could go wrong, did. Heating stones is, usually, specialized knowledge. Although some zircons, for example, can be heat treated with an open flame.

From your photos, I would say that there was a helping of beryl on the white to orange example and on the blue to brighter blue example. Heating sapphires usually only improves clarity, not colour. That is where BE comes in.

 

[JewelryLover]

All treated stones are treated because it will, potentially, increase their value. A heated stone is usually less expensive than a similar, unheated one but it is still more valuable than in its original state. Unless it cracked during heating. Or it overheated and lost colour. Or any of the many things that could go wrong, did. Heating stones is, usually, specialized knowledge. Although some zircons, for example, can be heat treated with an open flame.

From your photos, I would say that there was a helping of beryl on the white to orange example and on the blue to brighter blue example. Heating sapphires usually only improves clarity, not colour. That is where BE comes in.

Okay, that make sense I sent 9 of my own Sapphires for heating yesterday, so it will be interesting to see how they turn out.

From the report I got the pictures, it's only stated heat at 1650*C. No chemicals are used in the report at all. The yellow might have been introduced to chemicals, but there's only stated "heating" on that one as well.

 

[LD]

I don't understand why these would be an investment? No gemstone is an investment unless it's highly rare or sought after.

Heated sapphires are worth less than unheated sapphires (if they have the same size/clarity for example). Since about 90% of sapphires are heated - I don't understand why somebody would buy an unheated and then heat it?

Also, when stones are sold as "heated" the presence of filling, dyeing, BE diffusion etc., may not be disclosed. If a gem is sold as heated it's wise to assume another more invasive treatment may be present. My understanding is that having something heated may be risky because BE may well creep into the stones as it may be present in the furnace from previous diffusion treatment.

 

[JewelryLover]

I don't understand why these would be an investment? No gemstone is an investment unless it's highly rare or sought after.

Heated sapphires are worth less than unheated sapphires (if they have the same size/clarity for example). Since about 90% of sapphires are heated - I don't understand why somebody would buy an unheated and then heat it?

Also, when stones are sold as "heated" the presence of filling, dyeing, BE diffusion etc., may not be disclosed. If a gem is sold as heated it's wise to assume another more invasive treatment may be present. My understanding is that having something heated may be risky because BE may well creep into the stones as it may be present in the furnace from previous diffusion treatment.

What I do mean is for example to begin dealing in the trade with heated Sapphires? In the way of purchasing Unheated Sapphires for maybe $500, then heat them, and charge $5000 if they reach a royal blue (cornflower, kashmir) color? Wouldn't that be beneficial?

The reason I ask is because an oven that can reach 2000*C do only cost approx. $1000. So if purchasing cheap Green sapphires and the heat them to blue (if lucky) and then sell them (regular heat, no diffusion, no BE heating (chemicals)?

There must be a reason why stores in the US charge over $27,000 for a heated Blue sapphire at 6 carats. I dont know, that's why I'm asking. When looking at the market, it seems extremely beneficial if they turn from poor green to good blue.

 

[ChrisA222]

I am really interested in how this all works out...although, I was really hoping to see you heat one of those purple Cu-Tourmalines...or, one of the many available unheated "tanzanites". I recently saw a 5ct brownish one sold for cheap....but I have no means to heat it or try to heat it...

Can someone confirm (with Sapphires) that it only helps with clarity (Like LD suggested)? If so, then we are to assume that the photo examples given were all treated with BE?

 

[JewelryLover]

I am really interested in how this all works out...although, I was really hoping to see you heat one of those purple Cu-Tourmalines...or, one of the many available unheated "tanzanites". I recently saw a 5ct brownish one sold for cheap....but I have no means to heat it or try to heat it...

Can someone confirm (with Sapphires) that it only helps with clarity (Like LD suggested)? If so, then we are to assume that the photo examples given were all treated with BE?

I will heat a Purple Cuprian Tourmaline when I get my hands on one I sent 2 rubies, and 7 sapphires for heating yesterday (regular heat), all already had "nice" color but I want to see if they can get even nicer with heat.

The heat for only inclusions and not for color, that's is NOT true. Heat can improve color as well. You can contact GIA or AGL to confirm this, because I know I'm right.

Regarding your Tanzanite suggestion, I want to let you know that I heated an unheated Tanzanite couple days ago. The sad thing is that I found out after heating that the seller had glued it or coated it with something unfamiliar to me. Because when it got heated, something sticky were pouring out of the stone and it went from a SI2 to I3 in clarity as well. So I just threw it, only garbage.

 

[LD]

I am really interested in how this all works out...although, I was really hoping to see you heat one of those purple Cu-Tourmalines...or, one of the many available unheated "tanzanites". I recently saw a 5ct brownish one sold for cheap....but I have no means to heat it or try to heat it...

Can someone confirm (with Sapphires) that it only helps with clarity (Like LD suggested)? If so, then we are to assume that the photo examples given were all treated with BE?

Do you mean heating only improves clarity or BE? Heat treatment by itself can improve colour and clarity. I don't think I said it only improved clarity.

Some of these articles are quite old so you need to assume that things have moved forward, however they're good as a starting point to learn about BE diffusion.

http://lgdl.gia.edu/pdfs/su03a1.pdf
http://www.ruby-sapphire.com/beryllium-treated-blue-sapphire.htm
http://www.ruby-sapphire.com/beryllium_sapphire.htm

 

[JewelryLover]

I am really interested in how this all works out...although, I was really hoping to see you heat one of those purple Cu-Tourmalines...or, one of the many available unheated "tanzanites". I recently saw a 5ct brownish one sold for cheap....but I have no means to heat it or try to heat it...

Can someone confirm (with Sapphires) that it only helps with clarity (Like LD suggested)? If so, then we are to assume that the photo examples given were all treated with BE?

Do you mean heating only improves clarity or BE? Heat treatment by itself can improve colour and clarity. I don't think I said it only improved clarity.

Some of these articles are quite old so you need to assume that things have moved forward, however they're good as a starting point to learn about BE diffusion.

http://lgdl.gia.edu/pdfs/su03a1.pdf
http://www.ruby-sapphire.com/beryllium-treated-blue-sapphire.htm
http://www.ruby-sapphire.com/beryllium_sapphire.htm

He/she is refering to the comment from Lady_Disdain

 

[LD]

I don't understand why these would be an investment? No gemstone is an investment unless it's highly rare or sought after.

Heated sapphires are worth less than unheated sapphires (if they have the same size/clarity for example). Since about 90% of sapphires are heated - I don't understand why somebody would buy an unheated and then heat it?

Also, when stones are sold as "heated" the presence of filling, dyeing, BE diffusion etc., may not be disclosed. If a gem is sold as heated it's wise to assume another more invasive treatment may be present. My understanding is that having something heated may be risky because BE may well creep into the stones as it may be present in the furnace from previous diffusion treatment.

What I do mean is for example to begin dealing in the trade with heated Sapphires? In the way of purchasing Unheated Sapphires for maybe $500, then heat them, and charge $5000 if they reach a royal blue (cornflower, kashmir) color? Wouldn't that be beneficial?

The reason I ask is because an oven that can reach 2000*C do only cost approx. $1000. So if purchasing cheap Green sapphires and the heat them to blue (if lucky) and then sell them (regular heat, no diffusion, no BE heating (chemicals)?

There must be a reason why stores in the US charge over $27,000 for a heated Blue sapphire at 6 carats. I dont know, that's why I'm asking. When looking at the market, it seems extremely beneficial if they turn from poor green to good blue.

Ask yourself this ...........

1. Why would somebody who looks at rough for a living, sell something that could be improved greatly without it having a nice price tag? With that in mind, do you think it's realistic that you can pick up "cheap" sapphires and make them better? Cheap sapphires are cheap sapphires and they're cheap for a reason.

2. If something can be improved why wouldn't they already have done it?

3. By the time you buy a gemstone you're at the end of a very long chain. Somebody in that chain would have taken any good material (or material that had potential) and treated it if there was even a chance of it being more valuable.

4. Material is sorted and sold by grade/potential etc. Again, by the time it gets to you, the pieces that could be vastly improved to the sorts of money you're talking about is virtually nil.

If what you're suggesting is so easy, why wouldn't most of the posters on this forum be doing it for years?

 

[ChrisA222]

OOPS!!! Sorry, LD. It was this comment, posted by Lady Disdain "Heating sapphires usually only improves clarity, not colour"

I had always assumed heating helped both color and clarity, which is why I wanted someone to clarify. No pun intended

JL, Im definately a "he" and not a "he/she"....

 

[ChrisA222]

I agree with you here, LD...but...

You have to think, there may be a chance that someone either doesn't want to take the risk of heating something that may break during treatment (and, then taking the chance and hoping it doesnt..which is what Ive thought about with a few Cu-Tourmalines).

Also, there has to be some stones out there which either weren't graded correctly, etc.

But generally speaking, you would have to be really, really lucky to find a diamond in the rough, so to speak. (Im sorry, thats two bad jokes in one day)

 

[JewelryLover]

I don't understand why these would be an investment? No gemstone is an investment unless it's highly rare or sought after.

Heated sapphires are worth less than unheated sapphires (if they have the same size/clarity for example). Since about 90% of sapphires are heated - I don't understand why somebody would buy an unheated and then heat it?

Also, when stones are sold as "heated" the presence of filling, dyeing, BE diffusion etc., may not be disclosed. If a gem is sold as heated it's wise to assume another more invasive treatment may be present. My understanding is that having something heated may be risky because BE may well creep into the stones as it may be present in the furnace from previous diffusion treatment.

What I do mean is for example to begin dealing in the trade with heated Sapphires? In the way of purchasing Unheated Sapphires for maybe $500, then heat them, and charge $5000 if they reach a royal blue (cornflower, kashmir) color? Wouldn't that be beneficial?

The reason I ask is because an oven that can reach 2000*C do only cost approx. $1000. So if purchasing cheap Green sapphires and the heat them to blue (if lucky) and then sell them (regular heat, no diffusion, no BE heating (chemicals)?

There must be a reason why stores in the US charge over $27,000 for a heated Blue sapphire at 6 carats. I dont know, that's why I'm asking. When looking at the market, it seems extremely beneficial if they turn from poor green to good blue.

Ask yourself this ...........

1. Why would somebody who looks at rough for a living, sell something that could be improved greatly without it having a nice price tag? With that in mind, do you think it's realistic that you can pick up "cheap" sapphires and make them better? Cheap sapphires are cheap sapphires and they're cheap for a reason.

2. If something can be improved why wouldn't they already have done it?

3. By the time you buy a gemstone you're at the end of a very long chain. Somebody in that chain would have taken any good material (or material that had potential) and treated it if there was even a chance of it being more valuable.

4. Material is sorted and sold by grade/potential etc. Again, by the time it gets to you, the pieces that could be vastly improved to the sorts of money you're talking about is virtually nil.

If what you're suggesting is so easy, why wouldn't most of the posters on this forum be doing it for years?

Answer to number 1 & 2 (I'm not a specialist, only suggestions):
First of all, I think that sellers from Asia will earn more money on "unheated" because people almost always go for unheated gemstones (including me myself). Unheated sounds more "exotic". Second, I think many dont heat them because they might get ruined in the heating process as well as I dont think all can afford the heating ovens (in Asia atleast). Not affording oven, but affording the gemstones? Asian sellers on ebay probably got direct contact with the mines (some digging by themself as well), something that make it cheap for them. They cut and facet the gemstones as well. There might be 1 or 0 persons between them and the mines. Same as with Chinese jewelry stores, direct contact with the Gold Mines, this is the only way it make sense in my head that Asia is the cheapest traders out there, and then on second we got India (also mines in their own country).

I dont know, if it get ruined, the heater will loose $500. It might be that people aren't willing to take that chance?

 

[JewelryLover]

OOPS!!! Sorry, LD. It was this comment, posted by Lady Disdain "Heating sapphires usually only improves clarity, not colour"

I had always assumed heating helped both color and clarity, which is why I wanted someone to clarify. No pun intended

JL, Im definately a "he" and not a "he/she"....

haha, I got yah!

 

[innerkitten]

I am really interested in how this all works out...although, I was really hoping to see you heat one of those purple Cu-Tourmalines...or, one of the many available unheated "tanzanites". I recently saw a 5ct brownish one sold for cheap....but I have no means to heat it or try to heat it...

Can someone confirm (with Sapphires) that it only helps with clarity (Like LD suggested)? If so, then we are to assume that the photo examples given were all treated with BE?

Do you mean heating only improves clarity or BE? Heat treatment by itself can improve colour and clarity. I don't think I said it only improved clarity.

Some of these articles are quite old so you need to assume that things have moved forward, however they're good as a starting point to learn about BE diffusion.

http://lgdl.gia.edu/pdfs/su03a1.pdf
http://www.ruby-sapphire.com/beryllium-treated-blue-sapphire.htm
http://www.ruby-sapphire.com/beryllium_sapphire.htm

No not you. Lady Disdain said it ( unless I read it wrong). And I heard someone else say it on the forums here recently too. After hearing that the other week, I thought all these years I'd been wrong that heating stones the old fashioned way could potentially change the color of sapphires.

 

[PrecisionGem]

There is a lot more to heating a stone, especially sapphire, than just taking it up to a certain temperature. It's almost an art. Your typically $1000 oven isn't going to do the trick with sapphire.

I really doubt you will be able to buy rough sapphire that will respond well to heating, that hasn't already been heated. The people dealing with these stones are not fools, and if the value can be increased, they will increase it. If you want to experiment with heating, I suggest you work with zircon. Zircon can be heated just over a candle flame. Or if you really want to mess with sapphire, then get some Montana sapphire, you can buy this material unheated.

 

[Jim Rentfrow]

Am I the only one who is wondering about the math here?

1. $100 a carat for a rough 6 carat green sapphire? It was not this much when I last looked, unless it was a spectacularly clean piece and also had a good blue color on the other axis.
2. $27K for a blue sapphire in a retail store means you would get a lot less for your gemstone since it would maybe come out to 1-1.5 carats when cut.
3. You also would be selling on a sub wholesale or wholesale level.
4. Where will you get the stone cut? What will the yields be? The cutting charges and so forth?

Its a hard market to get into, and the best piece of advice I can give you is to buy untreated, good quality rough that is light in tone so it will finish in a nice medium color.

 

[JewelryLover]

There is a lot more to heating a stone, especially sapphire, than just taking it up to a certain temperature. It's almost an art. Your typically $1000 oven isn't going to do the trick with sapphire.

I really doubt you will be able to buy rough sapphire that will respond well to heating, that hasn't already been heated. The people dealing with these stones are not fools, and if the value can be increased, they will increase it. If you want to experiment with heating, I suggest you work with zircon. Zircon can be heated just over a candle flame. Or if you really want to mess with sapphire, then get some Montana sapphire, you can buy this material unheated.

as mentioned above, I have already sent 9 pieces of Unheated Corundum for heating already (as I dont got an oven by myself .. yet?). If they turn out well, I will deffinetely buy an oven myself. There's no question in my mind. I will post before and after pictures of the Corundum, and we can all see how it did turn out

I sent: Orange Red (ruby), red (ruby), blue, dark blue, green, pink, and so on. Different colors. 9 stones of maybe a total of 30 carats. Most with a clarity of VVS-VS already. Almost free of inclusions.

 

[JewelryLover]

Am I the only one who is wondering about the math here?

1. $100 a carat for a rough 6 carat green sapphire? It was not this much when I last looked, unless it was a spectacularly clean piece and also had a good blue color on the other axis.
2. $27K for a blue sapphire in a retail store means you would get a lot less for your gemstone since it would maybe come out to 1-1.5 carats when cut.
3. You also would be selling on a sub wholesale or wholesale level.
4. Where will you get the stone cut? What will the yields be? The cutting charges and so forth?

Its a hard market to get into, and the best piece of advice I can give you is to buy untreated, good quality rough that is light in tone so it will finish in a nice medium color.

1. Faceted, not rough.
2. Refer to the above comment.
3. Refer to top comment.

 

[innerkitten]

I'm not going to write a bunch of information. I'll just share some pictures of Corundum (Sapphires) before & after heating. The pictures are stock photos, and not my personal Sapphires. I'm not in the trade. Sapphires pictured has been heated with regular heat (no diffusion, no chemicals).

Heating of unheated Sapphires that are clean and nice - an investment? Yay or nay?
Green unheated Sapphires of FL/VVS quality at 5 carats is equal to approx. $100/carat. And as I can see, stores are charging over $27,000 for heated Blue Sapphires of a 6 carat.

Would it be beneficial? an investment? Yay or nay?

Is the 2nd photo from the natural sapphire company?

 

[LD]

I agree with you here, LD...but...

You have to think, there may be a chance that someone either doesn't want to take the risk of heating something that may break during treatment (and, then taking the chance and hoping it doesnt..which is what Ive thought about with a few Cu-Tourmalines).

Also, there has to be some stones out there which either weren't graded correctly, etc.

But generally speaking, you would have to be really, really lucky to find a diamond in the rough, so to speak. (Im sorry, thats two bad jokes in one day)

Go on, do a third and have a hat trick!

Gene has just said it well - these people are no fools. If it can be done they'll have done it. Stones very rarely slip through the net because it's their job not to let that happen. I think you mentioned recently you were in sales? If there was a chance of you getting a deal/getting more money - you'd probably do it (and if you didn't, another person in sales would before it got to the public).

Have you ever seen the guys selling stones/rough in the country of mining? These guys KNOW what they're doing. It's their livelihood. Yes one or two may slip through the net but it's a pretty long net before it gets to us so the chances are somebody will have spotted it along the way.

You're right about assessing a stone that may be damaged during the process. This is always a risk and whether it's heated or not will depend on the inclusions, the colour (before treating), the size etc. They will always weigh up the pros and cons. Of course you're correct that one or two may not be heated when something better might have been produced BUT I've seen where stones have been altered for the worse as well so it's a game of considered chance!

I love Jim's comments as well - the maths don't add up!

 

[JewelryLover]

I'm not going to write a bunch of information. I'll just share some pictures of Corundum (Sapphires) before & after heating. The pictures are stock photos, and not my personal Sapphires. I'm not in the trade. Sapphires pictured has been heated with regular heat (no diffusion, no chemicals).

Heating of unheated Sapphires that are clean and nice - an investment? Yay or nay?
Green unheated Sapphires of FL/VVS quality at 5 carats is equal to approx. $100/carat. And as I can see, stores are charging over $27,000 for heated Blue Sapphires of a 6 carat.

Would it be beneficial? an investment? Yay or nay?

Is the 2nd photo from the natural sapphire company?

No, it's taken from Wikipedia.

 

[JewelryLover]

I agree with you here, LD...but...

You have to think, there may be a chance that someone either doesn't want to take the risk of heating something that may break during treatment (and, then taking the chance and hoping it doesnt..which is what Ive thought about with a few Cu-Tourmalines).

Also, there has to be some stones out there which either weren't graded correctly, etc.

But generally speaking, you would have to be really, really lucky to find a diamond in the rough, so to speak. (Im sorry, thats two bad jokes in one day)

Go on, do a third and have a hat trick!

Gene has just said it well - these people are no fools. If it can be done they'll have done it. Stones very rarely slip through the net because it's their job not to let that happen. I think you mentioned recently you were in sales? If there was a chance of you getting a deal/getting more money - you'd probably do it (and if you didn't, another person in sales would before it got to the public).

Have you ever seen the guys selling stones/rough in the country of mining? These guys KNOW what they're doing. It's their livelihood. Yes one or two may slip through the net but it's a pretty long net before it gets to us so the chances are somebody will have spotted it along the way.

You're right about assessing a stone that may be damaged during the process. This is always a risk and whether it's heated or not will depend on the inclusions, the colour (before treating), the size etc. They will always weigh up the pros and cons. Of course you're correct that one or two may not be heated when something better might have been produced BUT I've seen where stones have been altered for the worse as well so it's a game of considered chance!

I love Jim's comments as well - the maths don't add up!

Me? No, I'm not a trader nor a sales person.

Yes, what you say sounds very correct. But at the same time I think that all Sapphires can be improved at some degree. As I wrote earlier I have sent my personal Sapphires for heating just to see and test out how this works, if it works. I will post the pictures here in this topic (before and after). And we will see. I dont know the outcome, it might be worth it, it might not.

 

[LD]

I agree with you here, LD...but...

You have to think, there may be a chance that someone either doesn't want to take the risk of heating something that may break during treatment (and, then taking the chance and hoping it doesnt..which is what Ive thought about with a few Cu-Tourmalines).

Also, there has to be some stones out there which either weren't graded correctly, etc.

But generally speaking, you would have to be really, really lucky to find a diamond in the rough, so to speak. (Im sorry, thats two bad jokes in one day)

Go on, do a third and have a hat trick!

Gene has just said it well - these people are no fools. If it can be done they'll have done it. Stones very rarely slip through the net because it's their job not to let that happen. I think you mentioned recently you were in sales? If there was a chance of you getting a deal/getting more money - you'd probably do it (and if you didn't, another person in sales would before it got to the public).

Have you ever seen the guys selling stones/rough in the country of mining? These guys KNOW what they're doing. It's their livelihood. Yes one or two may slip through the net but it's a pretty long net before it gets to us so the chances are somebody will have spotted it along the way.

You're right about assessing a stone that may be damaged during the process. This is always a risk and whether it's heated or not will depend on the inclusions, the colour (before treating), the size etc. They will always weigh up the pros and cons. Of course you're correct that one or two may not be heated when something better might have been produced BUT I've seen where stones have been altered for the worse as well so it's a game of considered chance!

I love Jim's comments as well - the maths don't add up!

Me? No, I'm not a trader nor a sales person.

Yes, what you say sounds very correct. But at the same time I think that all Sapphires can be improved at some degree. As I wrote earlier I have sent my personal Sapphires for heating just to see and test out how this works, if it works. I will post the pictures here in this topic (before and after). And we will see. I dont know the outcome, it might be worth it, it might not.

Chris is in sales - I was referring to him.

 

[JewelryLover]

I agree with you here, LD...but...

You have to think, there may be a chance that someone either doesn't want to take the risk of heating something that may break during treatment (and, then taking the chance and hoping it doesnt..which is what Ive thought about with a few Cu-Tourmalines).

Also, there has to be some stones out there which either weren't graded correctly, etc.

But generally speaking, you would have to be really, really lucky to find a diamond in the rough, so to speak. (Im sorry, thats two bad jokes in one day)

Go on, do a third and have a hat trick!

Gene has just said it well - these people are no fools. If it can be done they'll have done it. Stones very rarely slip through the net because it's their job not to let that happen. I think you mentioned recently you were in sales? If there was a chance of you getting a deal/getting more money - you'd probably do it (and if you didn't, another person in sales would before it got to the public).

Have you ever seen the guys selling stones/rough in the country of mining? These guys KNOW what they're doing. It's their livelihood. Yes one or two may slip through the net but it's a pretty long net before it gets to us so the chances are somebody will have spotted it along the way.

You're right about assessing a stone that may be damaged during the process. This is always a risk and whether it's heated or not will depend on the inclusions, the colour (before treating), the size etc. They will always weigh up the pros and cons. Of course you're correct that one or two may not be heated when something better might have been produced BUT I've seen where stones have been altered for the worse as well so it's a game of considered chance!

I love Jim's comments as well - the maths don't add up!

Me? No, I'm not a trader nor a sales person.

Yes, what you say sounds very correct. But at the same time I think that all Sapphires can be improved at some degree. As I wrote earlier I have sent my personal Sapphires for heating just to see and test out how this works, if it works. I will post the pictures here in this topic (before and after). And we will see. I dont know the outcome, it might be worth it, it might not.

Chris is in sales - I was referring to him.

Oh, sorry, misunderstanding.

 

[GregS]

Interesting pictures, I enjoyed them.

I don't understand why these would be an investment? No gemstone is an investment unless it's highly rare or sought after.

Heated sapphires are worth less than unheated sapphires (if they have the same size/clarity for example). Since about 90% of sapphires are heated - I don't understand why somebody would buy an unheated and then heat it?

Also, when stones are sold as "heated" the presence of filling, dyeing, BE diffusion etc., may not be disclosed. If a gem is sold as heated it's wise to assume another more invasive treatment may be present. My understanding is that having something heated may be risky because BE may well creep into the stones as it may be present in the furnace from previous diffusion treatment.

Many gemstones will likely be good long term investments. By long I mean 20-30 years. My father paid 1,000 dollars for my Mom's diamond in her engagement ring 41 years ago. It recently appraised at well over $10,000. Colorless diamonds aren't that rare and I don't think they qualify as highly sought after.

 

[LD]

I don't understand why these would be an investment? No gemstone is an investment unless it's highly rare or sought after.

Heated sapphires are worth less than unheated sapphires (if they have the same size/clarity for example). Since about 90% of sapphires are heated - I don't understand why somebody would buy an unheated and then heat it?

Also, when stones are sold as "heated" the presence of filling, dyeing, BE diffusion etc., may not be disclosed. If a gem is sold as heated it's wise to assume another more invasive treatment may be present. My understanding is that having something heated may be risky because BE may well creep into the stones as it may be present in the furnace from previous diffusion treatment.

Many gemstones will likely be good long term investments. By long I mean 20-30 years.

Or longer unfortunately and I'm not sure I'd agree.

For example, Tanzanite reached a peak about 10-15 years ago in price. It then dipped and has only just started going back to where it was.

Emeralds - even fine ones are not increasing in value. I have one that is exceptionally lovely BUT it hasn't risen in price much over the past 10 years (sadly). It has probably held its own and hasn't decreased (which I suppose is a bonus).

It would be more accurate to say that "SOME" gemstones "MAY" increase slightly in price over a 20-30 year period BUT it's not guaranteed and is a gamble. There are tons of threads on this subject and the general consensus is that only very rare or very very very beautiful examples will hold their value - even then, a gemstone is only worth what somebody will pay!

It's depressing but true I'm afraid.

 

[GregS]

I'll report back in 40 years.

 

[JewelryLover]

I don't understand why these would be an investment? No gemstone is an investment unless it's highly rare or sought after.

Heated sapphires are worth less than unheated sapphires (if they have the same size/clarity for example). Since about 90% of sapphires are heated - I don't understand why somebody would buy an unheated and then heat it?

Also, when stones are sold as "heated" the presence of filling, dyeing, BE diffusion etc., may not be disclosed. If a gem is sold as heated it's wise to assume another more invasive treatment may be present. My understanding is that having something heated may be risky because BE may well creep into the stones as it may be present in the furnace from previous diffusion treatment.

Many gemstones will likely be good long term investments. By long I mean 20-30 years.

Or longer unfortunately and I'm not sure I'd agree.

For example, Tanzanite reached a peak about 10-15 years ago in price. It then dipped and has only just started going back to where it was.

Emeralds - even fine ones are not increasing in value. I have one that is exceptionally lovely BUT it hasn't risen in price much over the past 10 years (sadly). It has probably held its own and hasn't decreased (which I suppose is a bonus).

It would be more accurate to say that "SOME" gemstones "MAY" increase slightly in price over a 20-30 year period BUT it's not guaranteed and is a gamble. There are tons of threads on this subject and the general consensus is that only very rare or very very very beautiful examples will hold their value - even then, a gemstone is only worth what somebody will pay!

It's depressing but true I'm afraid.

I think that depends on the reason. Not neccessary to go longer than Burmese rubies, I dont think they will ever decrease in value, unless they start to mine there again. The same will probably happen with other mines in Mozambique, Tanzania and so on, the value will probably get a lot higher if the mines there are shut down or run empty as well. Even if the gemstones are treated or not. Heated Burmese rubies are quite expensive as well.

But on another side, I bet that no one want to wait for 30 years and hope for it to happen! At least I wont .....

 

[ChrisA222]

LD, yes..in sales...I get your point..I was only saying, there have to be some that fall through the cracks...

I like the suggestion of buying up some Montana rough, which are available unheated, and experimenting. Although, I absolutely agree with what Gene said about how you need to know what you are doing..

Gene..Zircons, huh? That sounds fun...if it can be easy enough to do it over an open flame. I am interested!!

As far as Zircons go...what does heat generally do to them? I know the browns in cambodia heat to blue, but what do the other colors do, such as yellow? Do they get browner, paler? Is it a crapshoot what will happen with the color? This would purely be for fun and experimentation, NOT to increase value for investment or resale. Thats JLs game, not mine