My opaque sapphires are losing color

[caniegia23]

Hello again every body,
Since i posted here on May 2009, in the topic:
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/new-member-with-old-quistions.114744/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/new-member-with-old-quistions.114744/[/URL]
I have became addicted to this site, there are some people here who really know what they do, and say, and write.
And i gained some experience through these years, lots of it was because of suggestions made by members on this site.
..Any how...
My question today is about my opaque blue sapphire stones, i had bought some from about 3 years, and now they started to fade and lose the blue color, and the white lines started to appear.
I surfed the net and found that it is normal for blue color treated stones to lose the color after a while...
The question is: is there any way or trick to restore the deep blue color of my stones? Something that can be made by me in home, not by a professional lab.
And thanks in advance

 

[chrono]

I do not think we are able to restore the colour of the gems using items at home. First off, I'd like to know how sure you are that those are sapphires because the normal treatment (diffusion) is permanent and stable. Sapphires that have been irradiated tend to fade after a while but typically, these are done to yellow sapphires, not blue, although I have recently heard that blues are now being irradiated too.
http://www.minsocam.org/msa/collectors_corner/arc/gemxray.htm

 

[LD]

Hello!

Can you post some photos please? From your description only it sounds like the sapphires have been dyed (or coated) and the dye or coating is wearing off. The very old style diffusion also could be scratched off but the newer BE diffusion permeates through the stone so doesn't fade.

If it is dye or a coating I'm afraid there are no tricks to restore it other than to have it re-done.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

Dying opaque sapphires (as well as opaque emeralds and rubies) is quite common. You see a lot of it in inexpensive Indian silver jewelry, for example, or those fist sized "gems" on ebay. I have no idea what sort of dyes are used but I wouldn't try it at home!

 

[mohs_hardness_9]

Weird question, but is the material cloudy, or cracked with dyes in the cracks?

 

[vickygigi]

It seems photos are the best way for the forum to help advise you. I have never experienced stone fading myself.

 

[caniegia23]

Chrono , LD , Lady_Disdain , mohs_hardness_9 , vickygigi,
Thank u all... a lot
here comes the pics , sorry if they r not clear , but this is the best my cam can does...

https://www.pricescope.com/files/images/2_11.JPG

https://www.pricescope.com/files/images/3_6.JPG

can u see the cloudy spots?

 

[GliderPoss]

Hmmm looks like dyed stones to me. Sorry I don't think that is fixable..

 

[LD]

Definitely looks like filling/dyeing that for some reason has changed chemically (maybe heat) but I wonder if this is reconstituted as well? If I'm right then I'm afraid there's probably nothing you can do. I hope I'm wrong.

Edit: was this opaque to start with? If so, I got 3 free stones when I bought something from Ebay years ago (an opaque ruby, sapphire and emerald) and interestingly the other day I noticed that the plastic bag which had the red one is, has loads of red all over the inside of the bag. I only keep them as curiosities but it's interesting. Here's a photo of them - did yours look like this?

 

[chrono]

I am sorry to say that this is definitely a dye job. You can tell by the darker blue colouration along the fractures within the sapphire. There's nothing to be done about it, I'm afraid and it's not worth the hassle to fix it at home yourself, even if it is possible.

I'd like to make a note for those who are reading this thread that are also new to coloured gemstones. It is not normal for blue sapphires to be dyed. It might be something to be expected if one purchases a $10 sapphire from eBay but not from a reputable source. Actually, even if the sapphire costs $5000 on eBay, it could also be dyed if purchased from a scammer. This is why PSers strongly recommend a select few vendors over the millions out there. I'd rather get a diffused sapphire over a dyed sapphire, and that says a lot because I always shy away from diffused stones.

 

[caniegia23]

They were bought from Ebay, where can u find such a "DEAL"??
and yes LD, they were exactly like yours, 3 years ago.
If they are not fixable, then as the others said:
Think twice before buying from the bay, i will keep the vendor name, though he has thousands of positives Star??!
what a waste of gold

 

[chrono]

Believe it or not, there ARE reputable gemstone eBay vendors but they are far and few between. Thousands of positive stars on eBay does not tell the full story as they can be manipulated. Use Toohaus for a true review.

 

[vickygigi]

So sorry you didn't get the answer you wanted. Can you re-use the setting or enjoy the stone as it is?

 

[LD]

I agree with Chrono, the feedback you see on Ebay may not tell you whole story. If you look at Toolhaus and look at the vendor's "negative/neutral" history, you'll be surprised at what you find out!