Gem&JewelryPOCKETGUIDE

Atraveler’sguidetobuyingdiamonds,coloredgems,pearls,goldandplatinumjewelry

RenéeNewmanInternationalJewelryPublications

LosAngeles

Copyright©2015byInternationalJewelryPublications

Firstpublished2001

Revised&reprinted2003

Revised&reprinted2005

Revised&reprinted2006

Revised&reprinted2007

Revised2015(Firstdigitaledition)

Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybeused,reproduced,ortransmittedinanymannerwhatsoeverwithoutwrittenpermissionfromthepublisherexceptinthecaseofbriefquotationsusedincriticalreviewsandarticles.Thispublicationissoldwiththeunderstandingthatthepublisherandauthorarenotengagedinrenderinglegal,financial,orotherprofessionalservices.Allinquiriesshouldbedirectedto:

InternationalJewelryPublications

P.O.Box13384,LosAngeles,CA90013-0384USA

(Includeaself-addressed,stampedenvelopewithinquiry).

TheLibraryofCongressCataloginginPublicationDatafortheprintversionisavailablefromtheLibraryofCongress

ISBN:978-0-929975-30-6(print)

ISBN:978-0-929975-49-8(E-book)

Coverphoto:JewelryandgemsfromCynthiaRenée,Inc;photo:JohnParrish.Coverbackgroundphoto:DeanLange.

Titlepagephoto:Ruby,sapphire,emerald,diamondsandpearls.RingsandphotofromJyeLuxuryCollection.

ContentsAcknowledgments

1/ColoredStonePriceFactorsinaNutshell

Whythe4C’sisn’tanAdequatePricingSystem

PriceFactorsExplained

2/GemstoneTreatments

GemTreatments

WhySomeTreatmentsareMoreAcceptedthanOthers

PrecautionstoTakeWhenBuyingExpensiveGems

3/Synthetic&ImitationGems

DeceptivePractices

4/ColoredGemstones

Alexandrite&Cat’s-eye(Chrysoberyl)

Amethyst&OtherQuartzGems

Ammolite

Chalcedony

Emerald,Aquamarine&OtherBeryls

Garnet

Iolite

Jade(Jadeite&Nephrite)

Kunzite(Spodumene)

LapisLazuli

Malachite

Moonstone&SomeOtherFeldspars

Opal

Peridot

Ruby&Sapphire(Corundum)

Spinel

Tanzanite(Zoisite)

Topaz

Tourmaline(agroupofmineralspecies)

Turquoise

Zircon

5/Diamonds

DiamondPriceFactorsinaNutshell

6/GemsfromLivingOrganisms

PearlPriceFactorsinaNutshell

Amber

Coral

Ivory

7/Gold,Platinum,Palladium&Silver

OtherJewelryMetalTerms

8/JewelryCraftsmanship

Mountings

Settings

9/NotableGemSources

Africa

Asia

Europe

Near&MiddleEast

NorthAmerica

SouthAmerica

SouthPacific

10/Euphemisms,MarketingTerms&Misnomers

TradeEuphemismsTranslatedintoClearEnglish

Misnomers

11/HavingJewelryCustomMade

12/ChoosingaJeweler

HowtoDetermineifaSellerisKnowledgeableandCandid

13/MakingthePurchase

GeneralGuidelines

CreditCardsVersusDebitCards

WhenProblemsArise

14/ChoosinganAppraiser

HowtoFindaQualifiedIndependentAppraiser

QualificationstoLookFor

AppraisalFees

WhatDoestheInsuranceAppraisalInclude?

15/GemLabDocuments

HowLabReportsareSometimesMisused

TipsonUsingLabReports

16/Customs

CommonRegulations

Duty-freeGoodsandExemptions

U.S.DutyRatesonJewelryandGems

TipsonAvoidingHassleswithCustoms

WebsitesforCustomsRegulations

Index

OtherBooksbyRenéeNewman

AcknowledgmentsI’d like to expressmy appreciation to the followingpeople for their contribution to theGem&JewelryPocketGuide:

Dean&LoisLange.Theygavemetheideaofwritingapocketguidefortravelers.

Ernie and Regina Goldberger of the Josam Diamond Trading Corporation. This bookcould never have been written without the experience and knowledge I gained fromworkingwiththem.

EveAlfillé, C. R. Beesley,Michael Fleming, Pete Flusser, JoshHall, RichardHughes,James Joliff, DonKay, DougKato, Jack Liu, Dean& Lois Lange, Beryl Kirk, JurgenMaerz, Jeff Mason, Don Palmieri, Sindi Schloss, Kathrin Schoenke, Robert Shapiro,Nancy Stacy, John White and Cara Williams. They’ve made valuable suggestions,correctionsandcommentsregardingtheportionsofthebooktheyexamined.

CarrieGFineGems,PeggyCroft,Ernie&ReginaGoldberger,KingPlutarco,Danny&RonnyLevy,OverlandGems,AndrewSarosi, TimelessGemDesigns,Varna Platinum.Theirstonesorjewelryhavebeenusedforsomeofthephotos.

AGIL, AGL, A& Z Pearls, AIGS, Eve Alfillé, Robert Bentley, Barbara Berk,MarthaBorzoni, Hassan Bounkit, Katy Briscoe, Evan Caplan, Loretta Castoro, Coast-to-CoastRarestones, Columbia Gem House, Commercial Mineral Co, Sara Commers, PaulaCrevoshay,CynthiaRenée Inc.,ThomasDailing,DesertSunMining,DifferentSeasonsJewelry, DMSCo., Gary Dulac, Roy Rudolph Duran, JohnDyer, Earthstone Co., LisaElser,ClaudiaEndler,Finer Jewelry,FireAgateArtStudio,GGTL,GIA,DaveGibson,MarkGrunland,Gubelin,CaryHarris,AlexandraHart,VincentHawley,BarbaraHeinrich,Lou Hernandez, Hubert, Jade by Nikolai, Jye Luxury Collection, Lore Kiefert, King’sRansom,KoriteIntl,JoeLandau,LangAntique&EstateJewelry,GailLevine,JackLiu,MarkHenryJewelry,Mason-Kay,Mayer&Watt,FredMouawad,PearceJewelers,OmiPrivé, Pala Intl, Guy Pushee, Quadamas, Linda Quinn, Todd Reed, Repousse Jewelry,WhitneyRobinson,MarkSadovsky,MarkSchneider,SherrisCottier-Shank,SSEF,StoneGroupLabs,StudioJewelers,SunaBros,ThreeGracesAntiqueJewelry,VarnaPlatinum,StephenVincent,TatyanaVyalkin,LeslieWeinberg,JeffWhite,LarryWoods,Zaffiro,andClayZava.Photosorlabreportsfromthemhavebeenreproducedinthisbook.

LouiseHarrisBerlin, theeditor.Thankstoher, thisbookiseasierforconsumerstoreadandunderstand.

Mysincerethankstoallofthesecontributorsfortheirhelp.

1/ColoredStonePriceFactorsinaNutshellThefollowingfactorscanaffectthepricesofcoloredgems:

Color

Cutquality(proportionsandfinish)

Stoneshapeandcuttingstyle

Caratweightorstonesize

Clarity(degreetowhichastoneisfreefromflaws)

Transparency(degreetowhichastoneisclear,hazy,cloudyoropaque)

Treatmentstatus(untreatedortreated?typeandextentofthetreatment)

Distinctnessofphenomena ifpresent(e.g.,stars,cat’s-eyes,alexandrite’scolorchange,opal’splay-of-color)

Thepricingofcoloredgemsisalsodeterminedbymarketfactorssuchasdemand,formofpayment,buyer’screditrating,amountpurchasedandcompetitors’prices.Sometimesyoucanfindthesamedealersellingastoneofhigherqualityforlessthanoneoflowerquality.Thisisbecausetheroughforthehigherqualitystonemayhavecostless.Or,therateofcurrency exchange could have beenmore favorable at the time the dealer purchased it.Therefore, you should not assume that higher price necessarily means higher quality.Conversely,lowerpriceisnotnecessarilyindicativeofadeal.

Whythe4C’sisn’tanAdequatePricingSystemYoumaybesurprisedthattherearemorethanfourpricefactorsifyou’veheardaboutthe4C’sofcolor,cut,clarityandcaratweight.The4C’ssystemofvaluinggemsisaclever,convenient way to explain gem pricing. The problem is that it causes consumers tooverlooktheimportanceofcutquality,transparencyandtreatmentstatus.

Ifyouseeaminigem-labreportstatingthattheshape/cutofagemstoneisroundbrilliant,you may assume that this tells you everything about the cut of stone when in fact itdoesn’t.Thequalityofthecutisimportantandit’saseparatepricefactorfromshapeandcuttingstyle.

If you’re not informed about gem treatments, you may assume, for example, that twoequallyattractivejadestonesshouldbepricedalike.However,ifoneisdyedorbleachedandtheotherisofnaturalcolor,theirpricesshouldbequitedifferent.Chapter2describesthewaysinwhichgemsaretreated.

Ifyou’recomparingacloudystonetoa transparentone,beaware that transparencycanhave a significant impact on each stone’s value. Transparency and clarity are ofteninterconnected,butthey’renotthesame.Astonecanbetransparentlikecrystalyethavealowclarity.Likewiseastonemaybeflawless,yetbecloudyandmilkyinappearance.

PriceFactorsExplainedCOLOR:Itcanbebrokenintothreecomponents:

Hue:Basicspectralcolors likethoseinarainbowsuchasblue,greenandbluishgreen.Brown,black,grayandwhitearen’thuesbecausethey’renotpartofthecolorspectrum.

Tone:Amountofcolor,thedegreeoflightnessordarkness

Saturation:Amount of grey or brownmasking the hue. This component is also called“intensity” and “chroma”dependingupon the color systemyou’re using. Stoneswith ahighcolorsaturationhavehardlyanygreyorbrownmaskingthehue.

Gemdealersoftendisagreeonwhatisthebesthueandtoneforagivengemstonesuchassapphireoremerald.Theyagree,however,thatformostgemvarieties,thelessbrownorgraythatispresent,themorevaluablethestone.Forexample,thecenterrubyinfigure1.1isworthmuchmorethanthebrownishrubiesoneachside.

Ifyou’rebuyingagemstoneforyourself,itdoesn’tmatterwhatcoloryouchooseaslongasyoulikeitandthecolorlooksgoodonyou.However,whenbuyinggemsforresaleoras gifts, find out what hues and tones gem dealers prefer. Chapter Four describes thepreferredcolorsforvariousgemvarieties.Usuallythestrongestandrichestcolorsarethemostvaluable.Verylightandverydarkstonestypicallycostless.

Whenjudgingcolor:

•Cleanthegemstonewithasoftclothifit’sdirty.

• Rotate the stone and examine it from various angles, keeping inmind, however, thatcolorisjudgedintheface-upposition.

• Look at the stone under different types of light such as an incandescent light-bulb,fluorescent light and daylight. Top quality stones look good under all types of light.Daylightequivalentlightisthestandardusedforgemgrading.

•Examinethestoneagainstavarietyofbackgrounds—white,blackandagainstyourskin.

•Examinethestoneforcolorzoning—theunevendistributionofcolor.Whenthecolorisuneven or concentrated in one spot, this can sometimes decrease the stone’s value.Obviouscolorzoningismostseriouswhenvisibleintheface-upviewofastone.

•Comparethestonesidebysidewithotherstonesofthesamevariety.Colornuanceswillbemoreapparent.

Fig.1.1Arubywithgoodredcolorflankedbytworubieswhichhaveamuchlessvaluablecolor–brownishred.RubiesfromAndrewSarosi;photo©RenéeNewman.

Fig.1.2Tanzanitewithoutawindow.Fig1.3Tanzanitewithawindow.Photos©RenéeNewman.

CUTQUALITY:Awell-cutgemstonedisplaysbrillianceandcolorthroughoutthestone(figure1.2).Itshouldn’thaveanobviouswindow–apale,washedoutareainthemiddleof the stone that allows you to see right through it (fig. 1.3). In general, the larger thewindow,thepoorerthecut.

Tolookforwindows,hold thestoneaboutan inchor two(2–5cm)aboveacontrastingbackgroundsuchasyourhandoraprintedpage.Thentrytolookstraightthroughthetopofthestonewithouttiltingit.Thestonehasawindowifyoucanseeyourhand,theprintorthebackgroundthroughthecenterofit.

Whenbuyingagemstone,besuretolookatitsprofile.Thesideviewwillshowyouifthestoneistoodeepforthemounting,tooshallowortoobulky.Diagram1.1showsyoutheprofileofawell-cutcoloredgemstoneanddefines terminologyrelated togemstonecut.Figure1.4isanotherexample.

Figure 1.5 illustrates a poorly proportioned tanzanite. This stone was cut to maximizeweight from the roughat theexpenseofbeauty.The shallowpavilion (bottom) reducesbrillianceandcreatesalargewindow.Thehighcrown(top)andthickgirdle(rimaround

stone)addunnecessaryweight,whichincreasesthepriceof thestone.Facetedgemsareusuallypricedbyweight.

Diagram1.1Profileofamixed-cutcoloredgemstone.

Copyright1978byAmericanGemologicalLaboratories.

Fig.1.4Profileofawell-cuttanzanite.Fig.1.5Tanzanitewithacrownthatistoohigh,apavilionthatistooshallowandagirdlethat’stoothick.Photos©RenéeNewman.

When judging cut, consider, too, the quality, complexity and originality of the faceting(arrangementofsmallpolishedsurfacescalledfacets).Someofthebestfacetingisdoneon low-andmedium-pricedgemmaterial suchasaquamarine,garnet,quartz, tanzanite,topaz and tourmaline. The faceting and proportioning of more expensive gems likeemeralds,rubiesandalexandritesisoftenlessprecisebecausethehighercostoftheroughleadsmanycutters tobemore interested in retainingweight than inmaximizingbeauty.For a fuller discussionof cut evaluation, consult theGemstoneBuyingGuide byRenéeNewman.

SHAPE&CUTTINGSTYLE:Agem’sshapeisitsface-upoutline.Themostcommon

gemstone shapes include the round, oval, square, triangle, pear, marquise, heart andcushion,asquarishorrectangularshapewithcurvedsidesandroundedcorners.Gemscanbe any geometric shape or theymay resemble objects such as animals, bells, stars, themoon,etc.

Gemscanalsobecutasabstractfreeforms.Cutterstrytoselectshapesandcuttingstyleswhich allow them to emphasize preferred colors and brilliance, minimize undesirableflaws, and/or get themaximumweight yield from the rough. In small calibrated sizes,thereisatendencytocutwhatjewelrymanufacturerswant,evenwhensomeshapescauseagreaterweightloss.Standardsizesandshapesarerequiredformass-producedjewelry.

The effect of shape on price varies depending on the seller, the gem variety, the stoneweight, the stonequalityand thedemand for the shape.Ahigh-quality,one-carat roundruby, forexample,maycost15%to20%more thanonewithacushionshape. Insmallsizesandlowqualities, theshapemayhavenoeffectontheprice.Thesubjectofshapepricingistoocomplicatedforthisbook.Simplyremembertocomparegemstonesofthesameshapeandcuttingstylewhenevaluatinggemprices.

Cuttingstylereferstothewayinwhichastoneiscutorfaceted.Anoval-shapedstone,forexample,mayjustberoundedasacabochon(unfacetedstonewithadome-shapedtopandeitheraflatorroundedbottom)oritmayhavefacets(polishedsurfaceswithvaryingshapes)thatarearrangedindifferentstyles.Therearethreetraditionalfacetingstyles:

Stepcut:Hasrowsoffacetsthatresemblethestepsofastaircase.Thefacetsareusuallyfour-sidedandelongated,andparalleltothegirdle.Step-cutswithcut-offcornerscreatinganoctagonalshapearecalledemeraldcutssinceemeraldsareoftencutthisway.

Brilliantcut:Hasmostly3-sidedfacetswhichradiateoutward.Kite-or lozenge-shapedfacetsmayalsobepresent.

Mixed cut: Has both step- and brilliant-cut facets. This is a popular faceting style forcoloredstones.

Manynew faceting styles have appeared on themarket and gemstones are also carved.Well-proportioned,designercutstypicallycostmorethantraditionalcuts.Thecabochonisthelowestpricedcuttingstyle.

CARATWEIGHTORSTONESIZE:Acaratisaunitofweightequalingafifthofagram.Inmostcases,thehigherthecaratweightcategory,thegreatertheper-caratprice.However,aone-caratuntreatednaturalruby,forexample,isworthfarmorethanseveralsmallrubiesofsimilarqualitywithatotalweightofonecarat.Thisisbecausethesupplyoflargerubiesismorelimited.Sowhenyoucomparejewelryprices,besidesnotingthequality, you should pay attention to individual stone weights and notice the differencebetweenthelabels1ctTW(onecarattotalweight)and1ct(theweightofonestone).

When comparing the cost of transparent gems, you should also note the per-carat costinstead of concentrating on the total cost of the stone.Thismakes it easier to compareprices more accurately, which is why dealers buy and sell most gems using per-caratprices.Thefollowingequationswillhelpyoucalculatetheper-caratcostandtotalcostofgemstones.

Per-caratcost=stonecost÷caratweight

Totalcostofastone=caratweight×per-caratcost

Manytranslucenttoopaquestonessuchasjade,malachiteandchalcedonyaresoldbythepieceorstonesize,notbyweight.Designercutsmayalsobepricedperpiece,andcoloredstonesunderaboutahalfcaratareoftenpricedbymillimetersize.

CLARITY:Clarity is the degree towhich a stone is free from flaws (clarity features).Flaws inside the stone (e.g., cracks, crystals, fluid-filled spaces) are called inclusions.Flaws on a stone’s surface (e.g., scratches, pits, abrasions) areblemishes.When gemshavenoeye-visibleflaws,they’resaidtobeeyeclean.

Fig.1.6Ahigh-claritytanzanite.Fig1.7Alow-claritytanzanite.Photos©RenéeNewman.

Fig.1.8Emeraldwithahightransparencyandnoticeableflaws.Fig.1.9Lesstransparentemeraldthantheoneinfigure1.8.Photos©RenéeNewman.

Some gems are more likely to have inclusions than others. Emeralds, for example,typically have some eye-visible flaws.Aquamarine, on the other hand, is normally eyeclean.Asaresult,thereisagreatertolerancefornoticeableinclusionsinemeraldthaninaquamarine.

Twoothergemsthatusuallyhaveeye-visibleflawsarerubyandalexandrite.Somestonesthatoftenhaveahighclarity likeaquamarinearebluezircon,citrine,green tourmaline,kunzite, topazand tanzanite.Somecoloredgems that fallbetween thesehigh-and low-clarity groups include amethyst, blue tourmaline, garnet, iolite, peridot, sapphire, spinelandzirconthatisgreen,orangeorred.

Sinceclaritycanvaryfromonegemvarietytoanother,comparestonesofthesametypewhenjudgingclarity.Thehighertheclarity,themorevaluablethegemstone.Judgeclarityfirstwiththenakedeye.Thenusea10-powermagnifiertohelpyouspotinclusionssuchascracks,whichcreatedurabilityproblems.Magnificationmayalsohelpyoudetectdyeandothertreatments.

Althoughclaritygradingsystemshavebeendevelopedforcoloredstones,there’snoonestandardizedsystem.Evenwhenasinglesystemisused,therecanbeawidevariationinhowgradesareassignedbyappraisers.Therefore, it’sbestforyoutoaskappraisersandjewelerswhattheirclaritygradesmeanwhentheyusegrades.

TRANSPARENCY: Gemstones that look cloudy or translucent have finely dividedparticlesthatinterruptthepassageoflight.Somegemlabsrefertothesefineparticlesastexture. Large particles may also create texture and diminish the transparency of agemstone. The presence of a lot of texture also affects the color, making it lookmoregrayishanddull.

Transparencycanhaveamajor impacton thevalueofagemstone,Forexample, a$10sapphire that’s nearly opaque could possibly sell for hundreds of dollars if it weretransparent.(Anopaquematerialdoesnotallowlighttopassthrough.)

Normallythehigherthetransparencythemorevaluablethestone.Thereareacoupleofexceptions. Rubies and sapphires with a slight amount of texture, which disperses thecolor,maybevaluedthesameorsometimesabitmorethanstoneswithadiamond-liketransparency.Opaqueblackopalstendtobemorehighlyvaluedthanthosewithahighertransparency.

TREATMENTSTATUS:Mostcoloredstonesaretreatedinsomewaytoimprovetheircolor, clarity and/or brilliance.Highquality untreatedgems are usually themost highlyvalued.Notalltreatmentsareequal.Sometreatmentssuchasdyeingandfracturefillinghaveamorenegativeimpactonvaluethanotherssuchasheattreatment.Thenextchapterdiscussesthevarioustypesofgemtreatments.

Fig.1.10Distinctstarinasapphire.RingfromLangAntiques&EstateJewelry;photobyColeBybee.Fig.1.11Lowplay-of-colorinanopalwithfractures.Photo©RenéeNewman.

Figs.1.12&1.13LightningRidgeblackopalswithanexcellentplay-of-color.Rings&photoscourtesyCaryHarris.

DISTINCTNESS OF PHENOMENA: Phenomena are unusual optical effects. Forexample, somegemvarieties suchas ruby, sapphire,garnet, spineland rosequartzmayshowastareffect.Acat’s-eyeeffectmaybeseenonsomequartz,emerald,aquamarine,chrysoberylandtourmaline.Thesharperandmoreobviousthestarorcat’s-eye,themorevaluablethestone,allotherfactorsbeingequal.However,don’texpectthephenomenaofnaturalstonestobeasdistinctasthoseonman-madestones.

Gems display other kinds of phenomena too, but themost familiar type is the play-of-colorfoundinopal.Seethesectiononopalformoreinformationaboutevaluatingplay-of-color.Ingeneral,themoreprominentthephenomenaleffectthemorevaluablethegem.

2/GemstoneTreatmentsIfthesupplyofgemswerelimitedtothosespecimensthatarenaturallyattractive,they’dbesoexpensivethatmostofuscouldneverownthem.Therefore,manygemsaretreated.Atreatmentisanyhuman-controlledprocessotherthancuttingorpolishingthatalterstheoriginalappearanceofagem,e.g.,heating,oiling,irradiation,waxing,dying,etc.

GemTreatmentsHEAT TREATMENT: For centuries, gems have been heated to improve their color.However,inthepast40years,heattreatmenthasbeenconductedonawiderscaleandatmuchhighertemperatures—1600oC(2900oF)andabove.Besideslighteningordarkeningthecolorofastone,heatcanimproveitsclarity.Unlessareceiptorlabdocumentstatesotherwise, assume that the following gemstones have probably been heat-treated:aquamarine,carnelian,citrine, ruby,sapphire, tanzanite,pink topaz,blueandredzircon,andgreentourmaline.Thecolorisusuallystable.

Figs.2.1&2.2(Left)typicalcolorofSriLankansapphireroughpriortoheattreatment;(right)resultsofheatingsapphiresinfigure2.1.PhotosbyC.R.Beesley.

Fig.2.3Leadglass-filledrubyviewedunder10-powermagnification.Photo©RenéeNewman.Fig.2.4Whitespider-web-likefracturelinesinleadglass-filledrubyaftercontactwithanacidicsubstance;photobyDr.LoreKiefertoftheGubelinGemLab.

HPHT TREATMENT (High pressure, high temperature heat treatment): This is adiamondtreatment.It’susedtoturnaspecialclassofbrowndiamondscolorlessaswellasgreenishyellow,blue,pink,redororange.Thecolorisstable.

FRACTURE & CAVITY FILLING: If surface fractures in gems are filled with anappropriate substance, the fractures are less noticeable and the overall color andtransparencymay improve.Oil,wax, glass, resins or epoxy-like substances are used asfillers.Somefillingscanevaporateover timeand leaveawhiteorbrownresidue.Mostfillersareaffectedbytheheatofajeweler’storch.Thelessfillingpresent,thebetterthe

stone.Fracturefillingsaremorestablethancavityfillings

Almost all emeralds are fracture-filled with oil, wax, resins or epoxy like substances.Somediamondsarefracture-filledwithaglass-likefilm.Rubiesandsapphiresmayhaveoil,epoxyorglassfillings,andthefillingsmaybeinfracturesorcavities.

Lead glass-filled rubies were first reported by the Gemmological Association of AllJapan (GAAJ) inMarch 2004. Large quantities of these stones have become availableworldwidesincethen.Oftenverypoorquality,heavilyfracturedcorundum(themineralname for ruby and sapphire) is treated with acid to remove impurities and thenimpregnatedwithalargeamountofcoloredleadglass.

Contactwithajeweler’storchduringrepairmaycauseleadglass-filledstonestocrumbleinto pieces. Acid substances like lemon juice and household cleaners can cause whitespider-web-likelinestoformonthestonewherethefillingis.

Somelabscall leadglass-filledrubiescompositeruby,hybridruby,ormanufacturedproduct because they contain somuch glass and do not have the durability of normalgemstones.Atgemshows, leadglass-filled rubiesmay sell for as little as$5-$20/carat.Many soldiers and consumers havepaid large sumsofmoney for these stones thinkingthey have bought highly valuable rubies when in fact they have purchased a stonecomposedprimarilyofglass.

Most leadglass-filledrubiesare relativelyeasyforgemologists to identifybecause theyusuallydisplayabluetopurpleflasheffectinfracturesorinternalcavitieswhenexaminedwithobliquelightundermagnification.Sphericalgasbubblesaretypicallypresent.

COLORLESSIMPREGNATION:Somegemsareimpregnatedwithmeltedwax,resinorplastictofillpores,hidecracksandtomakethesurfacelookshiny.Impregnationcanalso improve durability and color. Examples of stones undergoing this treatment areamazonite,coral,jade,lapis,malachiteandturquoise.

IMPREGNATIONWITHCOLOREDSUBSTANCES: Lead glass-filled rubies are agood example of this treatment process. In his book Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector’sGuide(p312),RichardHughesidentifiestheleadglassfillingprocessofrubiesas“heat+coloredglassimpregnation,”whichinvolvesremovingimpuritiesfromfractureswithacidandthenimpregnatingthegemwithacoloredglasstoimproveclarityandcolor.

BLEACHING:Chemicalsmaybeusedtolightenorremovecolor.Pearls,coralandivoryarecommonlybleached.Jadeiteisoftenbleachedandthenimpregnatedwithasyntheticmaterial.

DYEING:Rubies,emeralds,jadeandotherstonesthatmayhavesmallsurfacefracturesmaybedyedwithcoloredoils,epoxiesordyes,especiallyifthey’reoflowquality.Somegemslikelapislazuli,turquoise,chalcedonyandagatedon’tneedsurfacecrackstoacceptdye. They’re naturally porous and are often dyed. Black onyx is just dyed chalcedony.Pearlsandmatrixopalmayalsobedyed.Magnification,immersionandfluorescencecanrevealcolorconcentrationsinthefracturesofdyedstones.

IRRADIATION: Only certain gem varieties can be enhanced with irradiation. Theyinclude:

“Black”ordark-colorpearls:fromoff-colorbleachedpearls;stable,afteraslightfadingjustaftertreatment.

Bluetopaz:fromcolorlesstopaz;irradiationturnsitbrownandthenheattreatmentmakesitastablebluecolor.

Diamondsthataregreen,blue,yellow,orbrown:fromlightyelloworbrowndiamond;stable.

Smokyquartz:fromcolorlessquartz(rockcrystal);stable.

Pinkandredtourmaline: from lightpink tourmaline; relatively stable,but strongheatfromlights,forexample,maysometimescauseittofade.

Yellowberyl:fromcolorlessberyl;somefadesinlightorheat.

Yellowororangesapphire:fromcolorlessandlightyellowsapphire;fadesquickly.Mostyellowsapphireisheattreated.

DIFFUSIONOF FOREIGNCOLORING ELEMENTS: Initially this treatment wasdone tomake the surfaceareaofnearcolorless sapphires lookblueandsometimes red,orangeoryellowor to create a star formation.Around1988, itwas alsobeingusedoncoloredsapphirestoimprovetheircolor.In1992,reportsofredandpinkdiffusion-treatedcorundumbegantoincrease.Thesurface-diffusedsapphiresandrubieshadbeenheatedinthepresenceoftitaniumorchromium—coloringelementsthatweretoolargetopenetratefar below the surface of the stone. The color is permanent, but remains only on thesurface.Consequently,thecolorcanbepolishedorscrapedoff,leavingthegreyorwhiteinteriorexposed.

Blue-to-green topaz surface-treated with cobalt has been sold as an alternative toirradiatedbluetopaz.Somefeldsparhasbeenheatedwithcoppertoproduceredorgreenandesine-labradorite.

Fig.2.5&2.6(Left)Songea,Tanzaniasapphiresbeforeberylliumtreatmentusingfluxandchrysobeyrlpowders;(right)samesapphiresafterheattreatmentwithberyllium.PhotosbyVincentPardieu,©AIGSGemstoneLaboratory.

Figs.2.7&2.8Face-upandsideviewofadiamondwithlaserdrillholes.Photos©ReneeNewman.

Possibly starting in the late 1990s, some sapphireswere heatedwith beryllium, a smallelementwhichallowedthecolorationtopenetratetheentirestone.Namesthathavebeenusedforthisdeeperreachingcoloringtreatmentincludelatticediffusion,bulkdiffusion,andberyllium treatment. Beryllium treatment has beenmainly done to produce pink-orangeandyellowsapphires,butithasalsobeendonetomakedarksapphireslighterandrubiesamoreintensered.

Gemologists detect diffusion of heavy elements such as titanium by examining stonesundermagnificationoverdiffusedlight(coveredwithafrostedglassorplasticplate)andbyimmersingtheminglycerinormethyleneiodide.(Theimmersionmethodisthemostreliabletechnique.)

Stonesthathavebeendiffusion-treatedwithtitaniumorchromiumwillshowsomeofthefollowingcharacteristics:strongconcentrationsofcoloralongcracks,facetedges,orthegirdle;colorlessareas;ablotchycolor;andahighrelief(untreatedstonestendtofadeintothebackgroundwhenimmersed).

Beryllium diffusion can be difficult to detect, especially when the color is diffused

throughout the stone. Unlike surface-diffused stones, the facet junctions and girdle ofberyllium treated stones show no highlighting. Immersion is a key method ofidentification. Rims around the stone have a different color than the core. Chemicalanalysismaybe required for positive identification.Corundums showing signs of long-termhigh-temperatureheattreatmentgenerallyrequireadvancedtestingbeforeberylliumdiffusioncanberuledout.

LASERDRILLING:Thistreatmentisdonetogetridofdarkinclusionsindiamonds.Afocusedlaserbeamisusedtodrillanarrowhole to thedarkareain thediamond.If theinclusion(whichisoftenacrystal)isnotvaporizedbythelaseritself,thenit’sdissolvedorbleachedwithacid.Afterthetreatment,theholelookslikeawhitedotface-upandlikeathinwhitelinefromthesideview,unlessithasbeenglass-filledtohelpconcealtheline.

WhySomeTreatmentsareMoreAcceptedthanOthersNot all treatments are regarded as equal. Consider these factors when determining theacceptabilityofatreatedgemstone:

•Isthetreatmentpermanent?

•Hastheinternalcharacterofthegemstonebeenchangedbythetreatment?

•Doesthetreatmentdecreasedurability?

•Hasthetreatmentaddedforeignmaterialtothegemstone?

•Doesthetreatedgemcompetewithanaturalgem?

•Howavailableareattractiveuntreatedgemsofthesametype?

PERMANENCE: Irradiatedyellowsapphiresmayfadewithinminutesofbeing treatedso they’renotaccepted.However, theheat treatmentof sapphires isacceptedbecauseastablecolorisusuallyproduced.

Thecolorof irradiatedpearls isstableanddoesnotruboffonyourskinlikethedyeofsomedyedpearls.Thisisonereasonirradiatedpearlsmaybepreferredtodyedpearls.

Laserdrillingisamoreaccepteddiamondtreatmentthanfracturefillingbecauselaseringproduces permanent results. Fracture filling is subject to change if the filled diamondscome in contactwith a jeweler’s torch or if they’re subjected to prolonged ormultipleultrasonic cleanings. Some fillings cloud or discolor when exposed to light for longperiods.

INTERNALCHANGE: Heat treatment done at 1600oC (2900oF) and above canmeltinclusions, create tiny stress cracks, produce a hazy appearance and change the overallinternalcharacterofagemstone.Thisisonereasonwhylow-temperatureheattreatmentispreferredtohightemperatureheating.

DURABILITY: Treatments can have a negative effect on durability. Dr. Kurt Nassauwrites in his book,Gemstone Enhancement (pg.43), “High temperature heat treatmentsmaycausesomematerialstobecomemorebrittleandshowmorewear.”

TheGIAGemReferenceGuidenotesonpage262 in thesectiononzircon,“Toughness:heat-treated stones–poor to fair; untreated stones–fair to good.”According toDr.HorstKrupp,aheattreaterandphysicist,hightemperatureheattreatmentcancauserubiesandsapphires to become brittle and abrade if they’re not properly cooled during the heattreatmentprocess(personalcommunication).

Burmesejadeissometimessoakedandbleachedinchemicalstoremovebrownoryellowimpurities.Thisweakensthejade.

Leadglass-filled rubies (alsocalledcomposite rubiesormanufactureproducts)mayfallintopiecesiftheycomeintocontactwithatorchduringjewelryrepair.

Occasionally treatments can improve durability. Most natural turquoise can crack orcrumble.Whenit’simpregnatedwithaplasticmaterial,itbecomesmoredurable.

ADDITION OF FOREIGN MATERIAL: Stones that are heated in the presence ofchemicals such as borax, beryllium, cobalt, copper and titanium are less accepted thanthose that are simply heated. Similarly, stones that are treated with dyes, lead glass,plastic, and epoxy substances are less valued than those that are only heated or laserdrilled.Theadditionofartificialsubstancesmakesgemslessnatural.Oneexceptionisthatthewaxingofjadeisawell-acceptedtreatment.

COMPETITION: Small Japanese pearls (akoya pearls) that have been darkened byirradiation and/or dyes are accepted by the trade because the treatments provideconsumerswithanoptionnotavailablefromnatural-colorakoyapearls.

ArtificiallycoloredSouthSeapearlsarenotwellaccepted.Infactthey’rebannedinTahitibecause they compete with Tahiti’s naturally colored black pearls, and they confusebuyers.

TherehavebeenstrongobjectionstoHPHT-treateddiamondsbecausetheycompetewithhigh-quality untreated diamonds and they complicate buying, selling and identification.Nevertheless,HPHTdiamondtreatmentisincreasing.

AVAILABILITY: Oiling emeralds is a well-accepted trade practice because emeraldstypically have cracks and need to be fracture filled to improve their clarity. Thereforewhen buying expensive emeralds, assume they’ve been fracture-filledwith oil or someothersubstance.Yourmainconcernshouldbetowhatextenthasthetreatmentaffectedtheappearance.Thisinformationisnowprovidedonmanyemeraldlabreports.

Unoiled rubies aremoreavailable, so rubyoiling isn’twell acceptedalthough it’softendonewhensurfacefracturesarepresent.

PrecautionstoTakeWhenBuyingExpensiveGemsWhen you spend a few hundred dollars on a gem, the treatment status is usually not amajorissue(oneexceptionisleadglass-filledrubies).Infact,youcanjustassumethattherubies, sapphires, aquamarines and tanzanites you see have been heat treated and theemeraldshavebeenfracture-filled,unlessotherwisestated.Enjoywearingthesegemsandappreciatethatfactthattreatmentsallowyoutobuymoreattractivestonesatlowerprices.

However,whenyouspenda few thousanddollarsormoreonagemstone, the typeandextentofthetreatmentisanimportantbuyingfactor.Taketheseprecautions:

•Dealwithsellerswhocanexplaintreatmentsinfranksimplelanguageratherthanwitheuphemismsandvagueterms.

•Dealwithsellerswhowilltellyouboththebadandgoodpointsabouttreatments.

•Askifandhowstoneshavebeentreated.Theanswerwillgiveyouinsightintotheseller’sethics.

•Havethesalespersonincludetreatmentinformationonthereceipt.Ifthestoneisuntreated,havethiswritten.

•Forexpensivegems,getareportfromalabthatautomaticallyincludestreatmentinformationontheirdocuments.

3/Synthetic&ImitationGemsAnaturalgemstonecomesfromthegroundandisaproductofnature,notofman.Thewordsyntheticisusedtodescribeaman-madegemstonethathasthesamebasicchemicalcompositionasitsnaturalcounterpart.Forexample,syntheticrubyhasthesamechemicalcompositionasnaturalruby.Italsohassimilarchemical,opticalandphysicalproperties.

Imitations,ontheotherhand,donothavethesamechemicalcompositionasthestonestheyresemble,andtheymaybemadebynatureorbyman.Redglass,forexample,canbeaman-madeimitationofruby.Garnetsusedtomimicrubieswouldbenaturalimitations.

Sinceconsumers tend to interpret theword“synthetic”differently than jewelers,peoplewho sell synthetic stones usually prefer to describe themwith terms such as “created,”“lab-grown”or“man-made.”Gemologistsandnaturalstonedealersusuallyidentifylab-grownstonesassyntheticstones.

Cultured is sometimesused incorrectly as a synonym for “lab-grown.”The two terms,however, are not equivalent. Culturing pearls is a more natural process than growinggems.

Fig.3.1Syntheticsapphire.RingandphotocourtesyofVarnaPlatinum.Fig.3.2Bottomofaglassimitationemeraldthathaslostmostofitsfoilbacking.Photo©RenéeNewman.

Figs.3.3&3.4(Left)sideviewofacompositestoneimmersedinwater.Notethedarkgreenlinearoundthegirdlewherethetwopartsarejoinedwithgreencement;(right)face-upviewofthesamestone,whichwasmadetolooklikeadeep-greenemerald.Photos©RenéeNewman.

Syntheticgemsarenotarecentphenomenon.Lab-grownruby,thefirstsynthetic,hasbeensoldcommerciallysincetheearly1900s;ifyourgrandmotherhassomerubyjewelry,thestonescouldverywellhavebeenmadeinalaboratory.Today,lab-grownstonesareevenmorecommon,especiallyinbirthstonejewelryandclassrings.Syntheticstonesarealsofoundindesignerjewelry(fig.3.1),setwithdiamondsingoldorplatinum.Someofthestones that are synthetically produced and sold to consumers in jewelry are: syntheticalexandrite, synthetic opal, synthetic amethyst, synthetic ruby, synthetic chrysoberyl,synthetic sapphire, synthetic diamond, synthetic spinel, synthetic emerald, and syntheticturquoise

Some sellers call imitation stones “synthetic.” For example, imitation tanzanitemay besoldas“synthetictanzanite”because“synthetic”soundsbetterthan“imitation.”

Green CZ (cubic zirconia) is often called synthetic emerald. Green CZ is a lab-grownstone,but it’snot syntheticemerald. It’s syntheticCZ,which ismuchcheaper than lab-grownemerald.

Inmostcountries,it’sagainstthelawtocallasyntheticruby,forexample,simplyaruby.Not all countries, however, have laws like this and some stores don’t follow the law.Thereforewhenbuyingexpensivegemsabroad,havethestorespecifyonthereceiptifthestoneisofnaturalorigin.Thisisaddedprotectionforyou.Technically,syntheticrubyisruby.Ethically,though,itshouldbecalledsynthetic,man-made,orlab-grownruby.

DeceptivePracticesListedbelowarepracticesthatarenormallydonewiththeintenttodeceive.Allofthem,however,canbeconsideredlegitimatewhenthey’reproperlydisclosedtobuyers.

SURFACECOATINGWITHCOLOREDSUBSTANCES:Plastic,wax,lacquer,paint,enamel, inkcalciumfluorideanddiamond-likecarbon thinfilmsarematerials thathavebeen used to coat gemstones. One of the newest coating processes is chemical vapordeposition.Applying colored coatingswithout disclosure is deceptive and therefore notacceptedbytradeorganizations.

Thecoatingsometimescoverstheentirestone,butoftenit’sappliedonlytothepavilionand/orthegirdleorafacetofthestone.Slightlyyellowishorbrownishdiamondscanbeturned into more expensive-looking orange, yellow, blue, green, red, pink, or purplediamondswhentherightcolorsubstanceisstrategicallyapplied.

Translucentopalcabochonsmaybepaintedonthebottomtoenhanceandintensifytheirplayofcolor.Peacockfeathers,multicoloredbutterflywingsandmotherofpearlhaveonoccasion been placed behind opal to improve color play, too. Sometimes purple ink isappliedonthebackofyellowishdiamondsorundertheprongsofthesettingtomakethediamondsappearalmostcolorlessandmorevaluable.Sincepurpleis thecomplimentarycolorofyellow,ithastheeffectofabsorbingpartoftheyellowcolor.Therefore,bewareofclosed-backsettingswithnoholes.

FOILBACKING:Forcenturies,foilbackingshavebeenusedtoaddcolorandbrilliancetogems.Asgem-cuttingtechniquesprogressedandbroughtoutmorebrillianceinstones,these backings became less popular. Today foil backings are occasionally found ongenuinestones,butthey’remorelikelytobeseenonglassimitations.Again,bewareofclosed-backsettings.Somethingsuchasfoilorpaintmightbeconcealedunderneaththestones. Foil-backed stones are commonly found in antique pieces. The price of thisjewelryshouldbebasedonitsantiquevalue.

QUENCHCRACKLING: Stones that are quench crackled have been heated and thenplungedintocoldwater.Thisprocedureissometimesdonetoproducecracksinsyntheticstones so they’ll lookmore natural.Colorless quartzmay be quench crackled so it canafterwardsbefracture-filledwithcoloredoilordyesandusedtoimitateemeraldorruby.

MAKINGCOMPOSITE STONES (Assembled Stones): Stones formed from two ormorepartsarecalledcompositeorassembledstones. If they’recomposedof twoparts,they’redoublets.Thoseconsistingofthreepartsaretriplets.Assembledopalsareoneof

themosttypicalcompositestones.

Opal doublets and triplets are normally disclosed and sold in a legitimate manner soselling them is not considered a deceptive practice. Ruby, sapphire, emerald and jadeassembledstones,however,aregenerallyusedtotrickbuyers.

Forexample,paleyellowsapphirepiecesmaybecementedwithabluegluetoformabluesapphire. Two pieces of pale emerald may be joined together with a green gelatin orcementtomakeitappearlikeadeepgreenemerald(figs.3.3&3.4).

Jadeissometimesmadeintotriplets.Theyconsistofpalejadethathasbeenhollowedout,filledwithagreengelandsmallercabochonandthencementedtoajadebacktomakeitlooklikeexpensivegreenjade.

The key to identifying a composite stone is to find where its parts have been joinedtogether. This can often be seen by immersing the stone in water (immersion tends tomake color differences and the glue layer more obvious). However, don’t immerseassembledopalsinwaterorotherliquids;justlookatthemfromtheside.

Magnification is another helpful identifying technique. It can reveal separation lines,flattenedairbubblesbetweentheparts,orswirlyareaswherethestonehasbeenbrushedwithglue.

Theterm“compositeruby”canhaveadoublemeaning.Itcanrefertoanassembledstoneortoverylowgradecorundum(mineralnameforrubyandsapphire)thathasbeencolorenhanced and impregnated with a lot of lead glass—in other words a composite ofcorundum and glass. It is not natural ruby and it requires special care.Avoid acid andjeweler’storches.

Bewareofgemprices that seem toogood tobe true.The stone(s) couldeitherbe fake,assembled,coated,lab-grownorfilledwithglass.

4/ColoredGemstonesAlexandrite&Cat’s-eye(Chrysoberyl)

Alexandriteandcat’s-eyelookverydifferent,yetthey’rethesamemineral—chrysoberyl(krisˊso berlˊ). Cat’s-eye is known for the band of reflected light across it, whereasalexandrite is characterized by light-induced color changes. Occasionally, however,alexandritecanexhibitthecat’s-eyeeffectifithasenoughfiber-likeinclusions.

Alessexpensivetypeofchrysoberyl,simplycalledchrysoberyl,istransparent,showsnoopticaleffectsandrangesincolorfromgreen,toyellowtobrown

Fig.4.1Chrysoberyl.Ring&photobyOmiPrivé.Fig.4.2Cat’s-eye.Photo©RenéeNewman.

Fig.4.3Alexandriteviewedindaylightequivalentlight.

Fig.4.4Samealexandriteviewedinincandescentlight.

RingsandphotoscourtesyMarkHenryJewelry.

Fig.4.5Alexandriteanddiamondmoonpendant.

Fig.4.6Alexandriteanddiamondring.

JewelryandphotoscourtesyMarkHenryJewelry.

ALEXANDRITE:Natural alexandrite isdifficult to find in jewelry storesbecause it isextremelyrare.It’sdefinedbyitscolorchangewhichrangesfrompurpleredorlavenderin incandescent light (e.g., lightbulb, halogen light, candle light) to bluish green orgreenishblueindaylightorfluorescentlight.Don’texpecttoseeacolorchangefromrubyredtoemeraldgreen.The“red”ofalexandritetypicallyresemblesthecolorofamethystand the “green” is not as green and intense as in top-grade emeralds, but more like atourmaline.Themoreyellowish thegreenand themorebrownishorgrayish thepurple,thelowertheprice.

Top quality alexandritesweighing less than one-half carat have retailed for asmuch as9000/ct.Insizesabovefivecarats,finealexandriteshavesoldformorethan$30,000/ct.Themostexpensiveoneshaveastrongcolorchangeinalldirectionsandonallthefacets.Alexandriteisaregalgemthatfetchesregalprices.

CAT’S-EYE: The unmodified term “cat’s-eye” means chrysoberyl cat’s-eye. Otherminerals such as quartz, tourmaline and beryl may also display a cat’s-eye (band ofreflectedlightacrossacabochon),butchrysoberylcat’s-eyeisthemostprizedandhasthesharpesteye.Othercat’s-eyestonesmustincludethemineralname,asforexample,cat’s-eyequartzorquartzcat’s-eye.

TheGIAColoredStonesCoursedescribes themostprizedbodycolor forcat’s-eyeasagolden yellow, slightly greenish or brownish yellow “honey” color. Keep in mind thatcolor is amatter of personal choice and that any cat’s-eyemay be attractive if it has adistincteyeandacceptableclarity.Cat’s-eyecanretailformorethan$9000/ct.Stoneswithfuzzy,non-sharpeyes,dullcolorsandeye-visibleinclusionsmaysellforlessthan$200/ct.

Majorsources

Brazil and Sri Lanka are the primary sources of chrysoberyls. Other deposits are inMadagascar,Myanmar,Russia,TanzaniaandZimbabwe.

Beware

Becauseofalexandrite’sprestige,ordinarychrysoberylisoccasionallysoldasalexandrite.Ifachrysoberyldoesn’tchangecolorwhenmovedfromdaylighttoincandescentlight,itisnotanalexandrite.

There’salotofimitationandman-made(synthetic)alexandriteonthemarket.Man-madealexandrite is themost difficult to separate from natural alexandrite because both havebasicallythesamechemicalcomposition,andmostoftheirphysicalandopticalpropertiesarethesame.Akeytestfordeterminingifastoneisnaturalornotishighmagnification.Themostcommonimitationalexandritesarecolor-changesyntheticsapphire(sometimescalledalexandrine)andsyntheticspinel.Zandriteisaglassthatimitatesalexandrite.Itisavailableintwocolors:pinkandpurple.Zandritethatispinkinincandescentlightturnsgreen under fluorescent lighting, whereas purple zandrite turns blue. If a color-changestoneislargeandeye-clean,itprobablyisnotnaturalalexandrite.Alexandritesabovefivecarats are rare, and even smaller stones often have eye-visible inclusions. Likewise,bewareofunusuallylowprices,whichsuggestthatthestonesmaybeimitations.Ifasellertellsyouastoneisnatural,havehimwrite“naturalalexandrite”onthereceipt.Dealwithreputablejewelers,andwhenbuyingexpensivestones,getareportfromareputablelab.

Lowerpricedquartz cat’s-eye isoften soldas cat’s-eye.Thereforeverify that cat’s-eyesare chrysoberyl, and have this written on the receipt if your intention is to buy achrysoberylcat’s-eye.

Basicchrysoberyldata

Chemicalcomposition:BeAl2O4—Berylliumaluminumoxide

RI:1.74–1.76,Hardness8.5,SG:3.64–3.80.AlexandriteisabirthstoneforJune,alongwithpearlandmoonstone.

Caretips

If chrysoberyl stones are not fractured or heavily flawed, it’s safe to clean them inultrasonics and steamers; otherwise they can be safely cleaned in soap and water.

Chrysoberyl’s Mohs hardness of 8.5 makes it harder than all other natural gemstonesexceptruby,sapphire,anddiamond.Chrysoberylisstabletoheatandlightanditdoesn’treacttochemicals.Overall,it’shard,strongandgenerallyverydurable.

AdditionalinformationandphotosonchrysoberylareavailableinExoticGems,Volume2by RenéeNewman. That volume contains three chapters on chrysoberyl, cat’s-eye andalexandrite.RussianAlexandritesbyDr.KarlSchmetzerisanotherhelpfulsource.

Amethyst&OtherQuartzGemsBecause of their abundance, quartz gemstones are quite affordable.Amethyst, themostexpensivevariety,mightretailfrom$2–$150/ctdependingonquality,cutandsize.Evenamethystthatsellsfor$15/ctcanbeveryattractive.

AMETHYST (Purple or violet quartz): The most expensive color is an intense, deep,evenly-coloredpurplewithflashesofredunderincandescentlight.Theleastcostlyispalelavender.Major sources of amethyst include Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia, Zambia and theU.S.Alotofsyntheticamethyst,citrineandothercolorsofsyntheticquartzaremadeinJapan and especially in Russia. Some amethyst is heat-treated to lighten its color andremovebrownishhuesor to transform it intocitrineandsometimesgreenquartz.Somematerialundergoesacombinationheatandirradiationtreatmenttoimprovecolor.

Fig.4.7ArizonaFourPeaksamethyst(7cts).AmethystfromCommercialMineralCo;photobyMichaelRomanella.

Fig.4.8CitrinefashionedbyMarkGronlund.PhotobyRobert&OrasaWeldon.

Fig.4.9Ametrine(21.73cts)cutbyJohnDyer.PhotobyLydiaDyer.Fig.4.10RosequartzringbyZaffiro.PhotobyElizabethGualtieri.

CITRINE (Yellow or orange quartz): Most citrine is heat-treated amethyst or smokyquartz.Natural-colorcitrineisrareandisusuallypaleyellow.Itsnameisderivedfromthe

Frenchword for lemon—citron.A lot of citrine is sold as topaz. It can retail from$2–$100/ct.Greenish yellow citrine is sometimesmarketed as “green gold” or “oro verde”quartz.

AMETRINE(Purpleandyellowquartz,amethyst+citrine).ThispopulargemisminedcommerciallyinBoliviaandhasonlybeenavailablesincethelate1980’s.Ametrinecanretailforabout$2–100/ct.

GREENQUARTZ, PRASIOLITE: Most green quartz is either heated and irradiatedcolorless quartz or heat-treated amethyst. Natural color green amethyst is rare and itsgemological name is “prasiolite.” Green quartz is also marketed under the non-gemologicalnamesof“greenedamethyst”and“lemonquartz”whichalsoreferstocitrine.

QUARTZCAT’S-EYE: Sri-Lanka, India andBrazil are sources of quartz cat’s-eye. Itmaybewhite,green,yelloworbrown.Quartzcat’s-eyerangesfromabout$4–$100percabochon.

ROCK CRYSTAL (Colorless quartz): This is the most widely distributed variety ofquartz.Besidesbeingcutasbeadsandfacetedstones,rockcrystalisusedforlensesandallsortsofdecorativeobjects.

ROSEQUARTZ(Pinkquartz):Thisquartz,whichistypicallytranslucent,issometimesirradiatedtointensifyitscolor.Occasionallyitshowsacat’s-eyeeffect.

RUTILATED QUARTZ: This is colorless transparent quartz that has needle-likeinclusionsofamineralcalledrutile.Brazil,MadagascarandtheU.S.aremajorsources.Ifthe needle inclusions consist of tourmaline, the stone is called TOURMALINATEDQUARTZ.

Fig.4.11Rutilatedandtourmalinatedquartz.NecklaceandphotofromRobertBentleyCompany.

SMOKY QUARTZ (Brown to black quartz): Even though smoky quartz is foundworldwide, someof it on themarket is irradiated rockcrystal and this tends tobeverydark. This quartz is often sold incorrectly under the misnomer “smoky topaz.” Smokyquartzisveryaffordable;it’softenpricedbythestoneandcanretailforabout$1–$20/ct.

TIGER’S-EYE:Thisisatranslucenttoopaquequartzwithasilkylusterandbrownandgoldstripes.Stonescutencabochonwithagoldbandalongthecenterresembleacat’s-eye.SouthAfricaisthemostimportantsourceoftiger’s-eye.Agrayish-bluequartzwithasimilarcat’s-eyeeffectiscalledHAWK’S-EYE.

BasicQuartzData

Chemicalcomposition:SiO2—silica(crystallinequartz)

RI:1.544–1.553,Hardness:7,SG:2.64–2.66.

AmethystisthebirthstoneforFebruary.

Quartzcaretips:Avoidstrongheatbecauseitmaychangethecolorofamethyst,citrine,rose quartz and smoky quartz. Some rose quartz and amethyst may fade in light. Ingeneral, quartz is a fairly durable stone and can be safely cleaned in most ultrasoniccleaners if it’s not fractured. It can also be safelywashed inwarm soapywater.Avoidsteam cleaning and sudden temperature changes because they can cause fracturing orcleaving.Quartzreactstohydrofluoricacidandalkalies.

AmmoliteAmmonite isan iridescentgemformedwithinanancientmarinefossil forwhich itwasnamed—ammonite. Originally discovered by the Blackfoot Indians, ammolite is minedonlyinSouthernAlberta,Canada.Mostammoliteisassembledintodoubletsortripletstoincreasedurabilitybecausesolidammoliteisusuallythinandfragile,Ifit’suntreatedandsolid,ammoliteisusuallypricedpercaratandshapedasafreeformtomaximizeweight.

Extrafinequalityammolitesdisplaythreeormoresharp,brilliantcolorswithnoobviousdarkareasexceptforfinelineswhichseparatethepatchesofcolor.Thenarrowerthelinesthebetter.Themostprizedstonesarethosethatexhibitthefullcolorspectrumincludingblue and purple, which are the rarest colors, but ammolite with only two bright andbrilliant colors can also be attractive. Red and brown are themost common colors, sostoneswiththosepredominantcolorssellfor less.Thickdividinglinesanddull,grayishcolorsalsolowertheprice.

Basicammolitedata

Chemicalcomposition:(CaCO3)Aformofaragonitefromfossilizedammonite,anextinctshellfish.

RI:1.525–1.67,Hardness:3.5–4,S.G.2.75-2.84

Ammolitecaretips

Avoid ultrsonics, rough wear, heat and chemicals. Clean with damp soft cloth. KoriteInternational, the largestproducerofammolite, recommends limitingcontactwithwaterwhilewearingammolite.Somelocateshavehighmineralcontent in thewaterandthesemineralscandepositonthesurfaceoftheammoliteandsetting.

For amore in-depth discussion of ammolite, consultExoticGems, Volume 1 byRenéeNewmanandtheSpring2001&Fall2009editionsofGems&Gemology.

Fig.4.12Ammolite.Gem&photofromKoriteInternational.

Fig.4.13AmmoliteandfireopalpendantbyLeslieWeinberg.PhotobyRobert&OrasaWeldon.

Fig.4.14Montanaagate.PendantbyPearceJewelers;photobyCharlieFreiberg.Fig.4.15AgatizeddinosaurbonecarvedbyMarthaBorzoni.PhotobyJessicaDow.

ChalcedonyChalcedony (kal sedˊnee) is an aggregate composed of tiny sub-microscopic quartzcrystals.It’saffordable,durableandsuitableforfinecarving.Membersofthechalcedonyfamilyinclude:

AGATE: Dealers tend to apply the term agate to any patterned chalcedony that istranslucent to semi-transparent. This material generally has parallel twisted fibers ofquartz.Ontheotherhand,jasper,anotherchalcedony,isusuallysemi-opaqueoropaquetothenakedeyeandhasagrainystructure.

Inamorestrictusage,agateisachalcedonywithcurvedorstraightorevenangularbands(layers) of color. The bands may be multicolored or similar in color. Certain types ofcolorless or gray agates from Brazil and Madagascar are often permanently dyed red,black, green, blue or yellow with stable, inorganic chemicals. The main cutting andprocessingcenterforagatetraditionallyhasbeenIdar-0bersteininGermany,wherealotofagatewasoncemined.OthersourcesofagateareUruguay,Mexico, theU.S.,RussiaandIndia.

Somewhite,grayorcolorlesschalcedonywithinclusionsiscalledagate.MOSSAGATEhas moss-like green, brown, and/or red inclusions. DENDRITIC AGATE(LANDSCAPE AGATE) has dark inclusions that resemble trees or ferns like theMontanaagateinfigure4.14.

Fig.4.16Carnelian.RingbyClaudiaEndler;photobyBarryBlau.4.17Bluechalcedony.EarringsbyMarkSchneider:photobyDavidCarloPhotography.

Fig4.18Australianchrysoprase.RingandphotobyJessicaDowofDifferentSeasonsJewelry.Fig.4.19FireagatefromSlaughterMountain,AZcutbyRyszardKrukowskiofFireAgateArtStudio.PhotobyRyszardKrukowski.

AGATIZEDDINOSAURBONE:Dinosaurbonethathasbeenreplacedwithagate.Itisalsocalled“dinobone”or“gembone.”Othermineralssuchascalcite,ironpyriteandopalmayalsobepresent ingembone,butchalcedony is themost frequentmineral,which iswhy it is calledagatizeddinoboneevenwhen it containsotherminerals.Brightcanaryyellowistherarestcolorforgemboneandthereforesellsatapremium.Green,red,orangeandbluearealsodesirablecolors.Gray,brownbeigeandmustardcolorsare the lowestpriced, but can make attractive jewelry for people who like earth tones.ExoticGems;Volume2byRenéeNewmanhasachapterand58photosonagatizeddinosaurboneandpoop.

BLOODSTONE: An opaque dark green chalcedony with orange or red spots, whichsomeChristiansthoughtrepresentedthebloodofJesusChrist.Indiaisthemainsourceofbloodstone.

CARNELIAN or CORNELIAN (UK): Translucent orange or red chalcedony.Essentially all material sold as carnelian is heat-treated or stained and heat-treatedchalcedony.

CHALCEDONY:White,grayorbluishgraychalcedony.SomeofthemaindepositsareinBrazil,Madagascar,IndiaandtheUnitedStates.

BLUECHALCEDONY:Chalcedonythatrangesincolorfrombluishgraytoblue,violet,purpleorlavender.Malawi,Namibia,Turkey,Mexico,andtheU.S.havebeenimportantproducers of natural-color blue chalcedony.ExoticGems:Volume 3 byRenéeNewmanhasachapterwith53photosonbluechalcedony.

CHRYSOCOLLA CHALCEDONY: Greenish blue chalcedony that is colored bychrysocolla.It’salsocalledgemsilicachrysocollaorsimplygemsilica.Chrysocollaand

blue chalcedony are the most prized chalcedonies, with the possible exception of fineinclusionspecimens.

CHRYSOPRASE:Translucentlight-tomedium-greenchalcedony,somewhatresemblingjade. Itused tobe themostprizedchalcedonyvariety.ThebestqualitychrysoprasehascomefromQueenslandandWesternAustralia.OthersourcesareBrazil,Poland,MyanmarandtheUS.

FIRE AGATE: This agate contains iridescent thin films of iron hydroxides betweenlayersofchalcedonyandtypicallyhasabubblysurface.Fireagatewasfirstdocumentedin the 1940’s in Arizona and California. Arizona in the U.S. and the states of JaliscoAguascalientes,Chihuahua,andSanLuisPotosiinMexicoarethemostimportantsourcesof fire agate, but it has also been found inCalifornia andNewMexico. For additionalinformationandphotosonfireagate,consultExoticGems:Volume3byRenéeNewman.

JASPER: An opaque, fine-grained chalcedony. It’s usually multicolored, spotted orstripedbut canbeuniformly colored.Themost commoncolors are red, brown, yellow,grayandgreen.Jasperisfoundworldwide.Jasperwithpatternsreminiscentoflandscapesiscalledpicturejasper.

ONYX: Chalcedony that is composed of relatively straight, parallel layers of differentcolors. When the dark layers (bands) are brown or brownish red, it’s often calledSARDONYX.

BLACKONYXisnotreallyonyx.It’schalcedonythathasbeendyedblack.

PETRIFIEDWOOD:(FossilizedWood,AgatizedWood):Woodthathasbeenreplacedbychalcedony.

SARD: Brown or brownish-red chalcedony. It’s generally considered to be similar tocarnelian but is darker and brown. There’s no distinct dividing line between sard andcarnelian.BrazilandUruguayaresourcesofbothvarieties.

Basicchalcedonydata

Chemicalcomposition:SiO2—silicondioxide,a.k.a.silica.

RI:1.53–1.54,Hardness:6.5–7,SG:2.58–2.8

Fig.4.20Morrisonitejaspernecklace©2011byBarbaraHeinrichStudio.PhotobyHapSakwa.

Fig4.21Clearquartz(rockcrystal)andblackonyx.Ring&photofromHassanBounkit.

Chalcedonycaretips

Chalcedony is durable, and it’s usually safe to clean untreated high qualitymaterial inultrasonic cleaners. Treated, unstable or cracked stones, however, can be negativelyaffectedbyultrasonics.Soapywaterisalwayssafe.Chalcedonyisaffectedbysomeacids,andhighheatmaychangethecolor.Avoidprolongedexposuretostronglightunlessthesellerconfirmsthatthestonewillnotfade.Eventhoughchalcedonyhasgooddurability,avoid hard wear and sharp blows in order to maintain the beauty of your chalcedonyjewelry.

Emerald,Aquamarine&OtherBerylsInitspureform,beryliscolorless.Butthankstothepresenceofimpurities,thismineralcan be blue, green, pink, red, yellow or orange.Of all the beryls, emerald is themosthighlyvaluedandhasthelongesthistory.Aquamarineandyellowberylhavealsohadalonghistory,butit’shardtodeterminewhentheywerefirstused.Theorange,pinkandredberylshaveonlybeenrecognizedasgemssincetheearly1900s.

EMERALD:Bydefinition,emeraldsaregreen.Iftheyhaveasaturatedgreencolorandare transparent and eye-clean, they can be worth several thousand dollars per caratwholesale.Ontheotherhand,asemi-opaqueemeraldcansellforaslittleas$10percarat.Clarityandtransparencyplayamajorroleinemeraldpricing.However,it’snormalforanemeraldtohaveinclusionsandcracks,especiallyifithasadeepgreencolor.

Emeraldsareroutinelytreatedwithoil,waxorepoxy-likesubstancestohidefracturesandimprove transparency. This is considered an acceptable trade practice as long as it’sdisclosed.However, theextentof the treatmentcanaffect thepriceofemeraldsbecausethe less filler that is required, thehigher thequality.Labreportsquantify theamountoffiller with terms such as “minor,” “moderate,” or “significant.” Colombia is the mostimportant source of top-grade emerald. High-quality emerald is also found in Zambia,Zimbabwe,BrazilandPakistan,butnotinthesamequantities.

GREEN BERYL: There is no agreed-upon criterion in the trade for distinguishingbetweengreenberylandemerald.However, lightgreenberyl iscommonlycalledgreenberyl,whereasmediumtodeepgreenberyl iscalledemerald.Likewise, there’snocleardividinglinebetweengreenberylandaquamarine.

AQUAMARINE: Most natural-color aquamarine is light bluish-green. Prior to the1900’s, this was the preferred color for the stone. Today aquamarine is routinely heat-treated to remove the green, thereby producing a permanently-colored blue stone. Themoreintensethebluecolor,themorevaluablethestone.Aquamarinesusuallyhaveahightransparencyandclarity,andthey’redurable.Brazilisthemainproducerofaquamarine.Madagascar,Mozambique,Kenya,Nigeria,PakistanandZambiaareothermajorsources.

Fig.4.22Emeralds.Rings&photocourtesyOmiPrivé.

Fig.4.23Aquamarine(17.37cts).RingbyGaryDulac;photobyJohnParrish.

Fig.4.24Morganite.RingandphotobyHannaCook-WallaceofStudioJewelers.

Fig.4.25RedberylbraceletfromCynthiaRenéeInc.PhotobyHarold&EricaVanPelt.

HELIODOR(YELLOWBERYL):Found inMadagascar,Brazil,Russia,NamibiaandtheU.S., this beryl is not uncommon. It has also been called golden beryl. Almost allheliodorhasbeen irradiated toproduce its color.Somestonesmay fadewithprolongedexposuretoheatorstronglight.

MORGANITE:Pink,orange,orpurpleberyl.ThefirstmorganitetobedescribedwasapalepinkvarietyfoundinCalifornia.Someofthefinest,mostintensely-coloredmorganiteis found inMadagascar. Brazil is another important source, but the colors are usuallylighter even though the crystals are much larger. Morganite is frequently heat-treatedand/orirradiatedtointensifythecolor.

REDBERYL (BIXBITE): This valuable beryl was discovered in Utah in 1906. Redberylissometimeserroneouslycalledredemerald.Oilandresinfillersarefrequentlyusedtoimproveitsclarity.Duetotherarityofredberyl,itremainsacollectorgem.

Beware

Lab-grown emerald is sometimes sold as natural emerald. Light green beryl may bedarkenedbygreenoil,coatedwithgreenplasticorcementedtogetherwithgreengluetolook like adeepgreenemerald.Glass isoftenused to imitate emerald andaquamarine.Bluetopazissometimessoldasaquamarine.Whenbuyinganexpensiveemerald,findoutifthefillingenhancementhashadamajorimpactonitsclarity.Youwouldn’twanttopay,say,$6,000foranemeraldthatinitsunenhancedstateisworth$600.

Basicberyldata

Chemical composition: Be3Al2(SiO3)6—Beryllium aluminum silicate, RI: 1.56–1.60,Hardness:7.5–8,S.G:2.65–2.80

Emerald is thebirthstoneforMayandthe20th&35thanniversarystone.Aquamarine isthebirthstoneforMarch.

Caretips

Berylisarelativelydurablemineralandcanbecleanedultrasonicallyifitdoesn’tcontaininclusionsandcracks.Emeralds,however,typicallyhavefractures,whichcanbeenlargedwiththevibrationofultrasonicsandwithhardknocks.Inaddition,ultrasonicscanremoveemeraldfillers,makingthestoneslookworseaftercleaning.Cleanemeraldswithadampcloth or spray with window cleaner and wipe dry. Do not soak emeralds in cleaningsolutionsbecausetheycandissolvefillers.

Avoidhighheat.Itcanmakeliquidinclusionsexpand,causingfracturing;itcandryoutoilinemeralds;anditcanproducefadinginmorganiteandheliodor.

Stoneswith fractures like those found in emeralds are not a good choice for everydayrings. Wear emeralds, instead, in necklaces, earrings and brooches, which won’t besubjectedtoknocksandhardwear.

GarnetTraditionally, people have considered garnets to be red, but they can also be variousshades of green, yellow, orange, brown, pink or purple. Garnet is the birthstone forJanuaryand2ndweddinganniversarystone.

The principal species of the garnet group are almandine, pyrope, spessartine, andradite,grossularanduvarovite.Mixedgarnetspeciesincluderhodolite,maligarnetandmalaya&color-changegarnets.Briefdescriptionsofthesegarnetspeciesareprovidedbelow:

ALMANDINE:Also called almandite, this garnet ranges frompurplish red, to red andorangishredandusuallyhasadarktone.Gem-qualityalmandineisrare.SourcesincludeSri Lanka, India, Brazil, Australia, Tanzania, Madagascar and the United States. StaralmandineisfoundinIdaho.

Basicalmandinedata

Chemicalcomposition:Fe3Al2(SiO4)3—ironaluminumsilicate

RI:1.78–1.83,Hardness:7.25–7.5,SG:3.80–4.25

PYROPE (PIE rope): This garnet, whose name is derived from the Greek pyroposmeaning fiery, ranges in color from brownish red to purplish red. One of the mostsignificantsourcesofpyropehasbeentheCzechRepublic,formerlyCzechoslovakia.ThematerialfromthereisoftencalledBohemiangarnet.PyropeisalsominedinIndia,China,Australia,SouthAfrica,Brazil,CanadaandseveralstateswithintheUSA.

Arizonaanthillgarnet is avarietyofpyropenoted for its ruby redcolor,which is theresultoftracesofchromiuminthemolecularstructureofthecrystals.Redpyropethatiscoloredbychromiumiscalledchromepyrope,oranthillgarnetifitisfoundinanthills.Itoftenoccursindiamondminesorinsidediamondsasaninclusion.

Pyropeisaveryaffordablestonewithretailpricesrangingfromabout$5to$150/ct.Theredderthestone,themorevaluableitis.Eye-cleanmaterialisreadilyavailable.

Basicpyropedata

Chemical composition: Mg3Al2(SiO4)3—magnesium aluminum silicate. RI: 1.73–1.75,Hardness:7–7.5,SG:3.7–3.8

SPESSARTINE: Also called spessartite, this garnet is colored by manganese and isyellowish orange to reddish orange. It usually occurs in combination with almandine,

whose iron component can give spessartine a reddish color: Spessartine is sometimesconfusedwithyellowtopazorhessonitegarnet.

Namibia and Nigeria have been the most important producers of spessartine. OthersourcesincludeSriLanka,Brazil,Afghanistan,Myanmar,Madagascar,Nigeria,Tanzania,andCalifornia.Theproductionofspessartinehasbeensporadic.Retailpricesoftop-gradematerialcanbeashighas$2000/ct.

Basicspessartinedata

Chemical composition:Mn3Al2(SiO4)3—manganese aluminum silicate. RI:1.774–1.814,Hardness:7–7.5,SG:3.80–4.25

ANDRADITE:Thebest-knownandraditevarietyisdemantoid,whichwasdiscoveredin1868inRussia.Itresemblesanemeraldwithaddedbrillianceandfire.

Good demantoid is not easy to find. In sizes above ten carats, top quality Russiandemantoidhaswholesaledformorethan$20,000/ct.Evensmallstonesunderahalfcaratare expensive with top quality stones retailing for as much as $1200/ct. Stones thatapproachanemeraldgreencolorarethemosthighlyvalued.Somedemantoidsareheatedtoimprovecolor.

In addition to Russia, sources of demantoid include Iran, Madagascar, Namibia andPakistan.

Fig.4.26Spessartine(6.40cts).RingbyHubert;photobyDiamondGraphics.Fig.4.27RhodolitecutbyJohnDyer.PhotobyDavidDyer.

Fig.4.28RussiandemantoidfromEvanCaplan.PhotobyHarold&EricaVanPelt.

Fig.4.29Tsavorites.RingandphotobyOmiPrivé.

Fig.4.30YellowgrossularcutbyJ.L.WhiteFineGemstones.PhotobyJeffWhite.Fig.4.31Malaiagarnet(20cts).PendantbyCynthiaRenéeInc;photobyRobert&OrasaWeldon.

Basicandraditedata

Chemicalcomposition:Ca3Fe2(SiO4)3—calciumironsilicate

RI:1.87–1.89,Hardness:6.5–7.0,SG:3.8–3.9

GROSSULAR: The most valued grossular variety is tsavorite, a transparent greengarnet, which owes its color to trace amounts of vanadium and/or chromium. It was

discoveredinTanzaniain1968.Tsavoriteisfoundinalmostallshadesofgreenbuttendstobeyellowish-green.Whenitscolorresemblesthatoffineemerald,itcanretailformorethan $6,000/ct in sizes above 3 carats. Prices of smaller commercial quality stones candropdowntolessthan$1000/ct.MosttsavoritecomesfromtheEastAfricancountriesofTanzania,KenyaandMadagascar.MinoramountsarealsofoundinPakistan.

Hessonite is a much less expensive variety of grossular that is sometimes calledcinnamon stone. The colors are often brownish and can be red, orange, yellow orcolorless. There are hessonite deposits in Sri Lanka, the U.S., Canada, Madagascar,Siberia andBrazil. Translucent and opaque grossular is used for beads, cabochons andcarvings.ThegreenmaterialissometimescalledTransvaaljade,afteritsmainsourceinSouthAfrica.IthasalsobeenfoundintheUSSR,HungaryandItaly.

UVAROVITE:Thisgreengarnet,whichowesitscolortochromium,isusuallytoosmalltobecutintogemstones.However,adrusyformcoveredwithminutecrystalshasbeenonthemarketsince the late1990’s.Uvarovite isusuallypricedby thepiecerather thanbycaratweight.Thebestqualityspecimenshaveuniformsurfacecoverageofcrystalswithnoexposedmatrix.Besidesbeingsoldasdrusycabochonsandfreeforms,uvaroviteisalsosoldonitshostrockasamineralspecimentocollectors.

RHODOLITE:(Pyrope+almandine)Rhodolite,apurplishredgarnetisminedinAfrica,Brazil, India and Sri Lanka. Tanzania is the major commercial source. Rhodolites canrange in price from $5 to $250 per carat retail. Top-quality stones are clean, verytransparentandsaturatedincolorbutnotdark.

Basicrhodolite(pyrope+almandine)data

RI:1.75–1.78,Hardness:7-7.5,SG:3.70–3.95

MALAIA (MALAYA): This distinctive orange variety may be reddish, pinkish oryellowish.Malaia garnet was found in East Africa in the search for rhodolite. Pinkishorangeandorangewithovertonesofredarethemostvaluedcolors.

COLOR-CHANGEGARNETisfoundinmanydifferentcolorsanddisplaysavariationofcolorbehavior.Forexample,itmaybeblueorgreenindaylightandredinincandescentlight.

Figs.4.31&4.32Color-changegarnetfromKenya(1.85cts)viewedindaylight(left)andincandescentlight(right).GarnetcutbyLisaElser;photobyC.TomSchlegel.

Fig.4.33Tanzanianiolite(8.34cts)carvedbySherrisCottierShank.PhotobyAmyBalthrop.Fig.4.34Iolite(5.52cts)cutbyJohnDyer.PhotobyDavidDyer.

MALIGARNET orGRANDITE: (Andradite&grossular)Marketed only since 1995,Mali garnets are found inwesternAfrica in theRepublic ofMali.They canbe variousshadesofgreen,yelloworbrown.

Basicgrossular-andraditedata

RI:1.762–1.779,OrangetobrownstonesgenerallyhavehigherRIsthanyellowishgreenorgreenstones,

Hardness:6.75–7,SG:3.64–3.68

GarnetCaretips

It’ssafetocleangarnetsinultrasonicsiftheydon’thavefracturesorliquidinclusions.It’s

safer to clean themwithwarm soapywater.Never boil or steam clean garnets.Abrupttemperaturechangescausefracturing.Theyareslightlyattackedbyhydrofluoricacid,butotherwisethey’reresistanttochemicals.Garnetsdonotfade.

Retippingorrepairsonstonesettingsshouldbedoneafterthegarnethasbeenremoved.Whenjewelryissized,garnetsshouldbeplacedinawaterbathorcovereditwithaheat-shieldingproduct.

ForfurtherinformationaboutgarnetconsultGarnet:GreatBallsofFirebyLithographicLLCandExoticGems:Volume2byRenéeNewman,whichhassixchaptersongarnet.

IoliteBefore the1980s, iolitewasmainlyconsideredacollector’s stonebecauseso littleof itwas being sold. Today, it’s more available, and it’s sometimes used as a sapphire ortanzanitesubstitutebecauseofitsblue-violetcolorandlowerprice.

Somepeoplehavereferredtoioliteaswatersapphirebecauseitresemblessapphireface-up and it looks clear or watery from the side. This effect is caused by the way iolitepolarizeslight.Inonedirectionthecrystaltypicallyappearsdarkblueorviolet;inanotherit’scolorless,grayoryellowish;andinathirddirectionit’slightblueorviolet.

Geographicsources

MostiolitecomesfromIndia,SriLanka,TanzaniaandBrazil.AdditionalsourcesincludeMyanmar,Madagascar,ZimbabweandNamibia.

Basiciolitedata

Chemicalcomposition:Mg2Al4Si5O18—acomplexsilicateofmagnesiumandaluminum

RI:1.53–1.58,Hardness:7–7.5,SG:2.56–2.66

Caretips

Cleanwithwarmsoapywater.Avoidultrasonicsandsuddenchangesoftemperature.Ioliteisattackedbyacidsandit’ssusceptibletocleaving(cracking)ifit’shitagainstsomething.

Jade(Jadeite&Nephrite)Jade refers to two different minerals—jadeite and nephrite. Both stones are rocks(aggregates), which are masses of tightly interlocking crystals. However, they havedifferentchemicalcompositionsandproperties.Jadeiteisalittleharderanddenser,andasa result can take a higher polish than nephrite. Neither stone is very hard (resistant toscratching)comparedtodiamondandruby,butbothjadesareunusuallytough—resistanttobreakageandchipping.Ofthetwo,nephriteisslightlystronger.

JADEITE is more valuable and rare than nephrite. It is found in a variety of colorsincludinglavender,white,gray,yellow,orange,brownish-red,black,colorless,andmanyshadesofgreen.Whenit’sverytranslucentandhasanintenseevengreencolor,it’softencalledImperialjade.

Today,jadeiteisusuallythejadechosenforfinejewelry.Itsintrinsicvalueisgenerallythebasisforitsprice.Whilebothjadeiteandnephriteareknownfortheircarvingexcellence,nephriteismainlyvaluedforitsantiquity.

Basicjadeitedata

Chemical composition: NaAl(Si2O6)—Sodium aluminum silicate. RI: 1.66–1.68,Hardness6.5–7,SG:3.30-3.36

Jadeisthe12thweddinganniversarystone.

Fig.4.35Colorrangeofbetterjadeiteincludingafineicejadestone&finegreeninthecenter.Jade&photo:Mason-Kay.

Fig.4.36Burmesejadeite.BanglesandbraceletfromJadebyNikolai;photobyNikolaiTsang.

Fig.4.37Burmesejadethatissemi-transparent,averydesirablequalityforjade.CarvingfromJadebyNikolai;photobyNikolaiTsang.

Fig.4.38Siberianjadeitewithahighlyvaluedintensegreencolor.Peacockbracelet&photofromJackLiuofLandCCorp.andLamNaikaiofDMSCo.inHongKong.

NEPHRITE isplentifulandmostof it isgrayishgreen—typically forestgreenorolivegreen. It can also bewhite, gray, black, brown, yellow or beige.Most nephrite is veryaffordable.Forexample,youcaneasilyfindnephritecostumejewelryrangingfrom$10to$100.Theantiquevalueofoldnephritepiecesoftenoutweighstheirintrinsicworth.

Basicnephritedata

Chemicalcomposition:Ca2(Mg,Fe)5(Si4O11)2(OH)2—

Calciummagnesiumironsilicate.

RI:1.60–1.63,Hardness6-6.5,SG:2.90–3.05

EvaluationofJadeTRANSPARENCY:Thebestjadeiseitherneartransparentorhighlytranslucent.Asthetransparencyofjadedecreases,sodoesitsvalue,withopaquejadebeingworththeleast.Anothertermfortransparencyis“translucency.”

COLOR:Anintensegreenwithamediumtomedium-darktoneis themostvalued.Asthe color becomes lighter, darker, more grayish or brownish or yellowish, the valuedecreases.Whenthejadehasgoodtransparencyandcolorsaturation,lavenderisthenextmostvaluedhue followedbycolorless jade,which iscalled ice jade.Transparencyandcolorsaturationarekeyvaluedeterminantsofred,orange,yellowandwhitejade.PriortotheimportationofBurmesejadeiteintoChina,whitenephritewasthemostcovetedjade.Greennephriteistypicallygrayish,blackishorbrownish.Themoreitapproachesapuregreen,themorevaluableitis.

COLORUNIFORMITY:Intopqualityjade,thecolorisuniformthroughoutthestone.Themoreunevenorblotchythecoloris,thelowerthevalue.However,jadewithmultiplecolorswithinthesamestonecanbeveryexpensiveifthecolorsareintenseanddistinct.Themostdesiredcolorcombinationsaregreenandlavender,orangeandgreen,orwhitewithstronggreen(moss-in-snowjade).

CLARITY (PURITY): Fine jade is free of flaws such as cracks, included foreignmaterial, and spotswhich reducebeautyor durability.Thenumber, size, color, positionandnatureofflawsdeterminestheclarityofastone.Cracksthatbreakthesurfaceorthatarevisibleinternallyareparticularlydetrimentaltothevalue.

TEXTURE: Since jade is composed of interwoven crystals, it can have a texture thatrangesfromfinetocoarse.Thefinerandmoretightlyinterwoventhecrystalcomponentsare,thebetterthejade.

SHAPE:Thebest jade is cut into cabochons.Ovals and roundsnormally sell formorethan rectangular,marquise,andpear shapes.Smoothuncarvedpiecesaremorevaluablethancarvedones.Carvingallowstheremovalofflawsfrominferiormaterial.

CUTQUALITY(CRAFTSMANSHIP):Moderatelycurvedcabochonstendtobemorevaluedthanflatorveryhighones.Symmetricalcabochonswithbalancedproportionsarethe most desired. Intricate, high-quality carving is naturally more valued than shoddy,quickcarving.

SIZE:Sincelarge,finequalityjadeiteisrare,sizeplaysaroleinincreasingitsvalue.The

thicknessofgoodjadeiteisalsoimportant.Ifajadeitecabochonisthinnerthan2mmorsmallerthan8x6mm,therecanbeaconsiderabledeductioninitsprice.

POLISH&FINISH:Themorebrilliantthepolishandthesmootherthesurface,themorevaluablethestoneis.

TREATMENTSTATUS:Untreatedjadeisthemostexpensive.Thefollowingtreatmentsareusedtoimprovetheappearanceofjade:

Waxing: This is commonly done after the final polish to improve luster and hidemicroscopicpitsandcracks.Heatandstrongsolventswillundo this treatment.MaterialwithonlyasuperficialwaxingisoftencalledAJadeandiswellacceptedbythetrade.

Dyeing:Thisisdoneusuallytoaddgreenorlavendercolortowhiteorlight-coloredjade,butcanbeandisdonetoaddanycolor,evencolorsnotseeninnaturaljade.Blueandpinkareexamples.Blueberryjuiceisacommondyeforlavenderjade.Itlooksgoodatfirstbutitcanfadeinsunlight.DyedjadeiscalledCJadeandisnotacceptedasfinejade.

Heating:Darkgreennephritemaybetreatedbythismethodtolightenthecolorofdark-greenmaterial.Red jadecanbeheated to increaseredness,but theusual result isadullbrown,andtransparencyisreducedintheprocess.

Bleaching and polymer impregnation: This treatment masks fractures and removesbrownandyellow ironstaining from jade,makingwhitecolorswhiterandgreencolorsbrighter. The jade is first soaked and bleached in chemicals. Then the bleached jade isimpregnatedwithawaxorsyntheticresintofillvoidscreatedfromthebleachingprocess.TheresultingmaterialiscalledBJade.

Sometimesdyeisusedbeforeimpregnationandothertimesit’saddedtothefiller.Don’tplanonhandingbleachedjadedowntofuturegenerations;ithasdurabilityproblemsandwilldiscolorwithtime;ithasdurabilityproblemsandwilldiscolorwithtime.DyedjadeisoftenreferredtoasCJade.AfewChinesesellersincorrectlyusetheterm“DJade”forimitations such as serpentine, aventurine quartz, dyed chalcedony, grossular garnet orassembledstoneslikedoubletswithajadetopandplasticbacking.

Insummary,thetreatmentclassificationsforjadeare:

AJade:naturaluntreatedjadeiteexceptforpossiblesurfacewaxing.

BJade:bleachedjadeiteimpregnatedwithsyntheticresin

CJade:bleached,dyedandresinimpregnatedjadeite

DJade:definitionvariesdependingontheseller.Afewsellersincorrectlyusethetermtorefer to imitation jade, but D Jademay also refer to jade that was dyed without resinimpregnation.

Majorsources:Myanmar(formerlyBurma)hasbeenthemainsourceofjadeitesincethelate18thcentury.Somejadeite isalsominedinRussia(Siberia),Guatemala,Japan,andCalifornia;butMyanmariscreditedwithhavingthefinestqualityjade.TheoldestknownsourceofnephriteisXinjiangProvinceinChina.NephriteisalsofoundinNewZealand,Taiwan,BritishColumbia,Australia,Poland,Germany,India,Zimbabwe,Mexico,Alaska,California,andWyoming.

Beware: Sellers are supposed to disclose treatments but not all do. Therefore ask fortreatmentinformation,particularlywhenbuyinghigh-pricedjadeite.Ifastoreclaimstheirjadeisonlywaxedandotherwiseuntreated,havethemwritethisonthereceipt.Expensivejadeite should have a report from a reputable lab that confirms infrared (FTIR)spectroscopytestingwasdone.(SeesamplejadereportinChapter15).

Ifyou’rebuyingqualityjadejewelry,checkifithasopenbacksettingstoletlightthroughthestone.Closedbackswithnoopeningsareoftenasign that the jademightbeof lowvalueor that somethingmaybehidden.For example, itmight behiding a thin, hollowstone or the back of a jadeite triplet—an assembled stone consisting of a thin hollowcabochonoftranslucentgrayish-whitejadeitethat’scoatedinsidewithathin,greenjelly-likesubstanceandcementedtoapieceofflatoval jade.Whenmountedit looks likeanimperial jadeite cabochon.You’remuchmore likely to encounter polymer impregnatedand/ordyedjadethanjadeitetriplets.

Afewjadesellersusetheterm“Burmajade”torefertojadeiteandtheunmodifiedterm“jade”toincorrectlyrefertoanygreenstone.Dealwithreputablesellers,andifyouwishtobuyjadeiteaskifthematerialisjadeite(feicuiinChinese)andfindoutwhereitwasmined.

Jadecaretips

Jade can be safely cleaned in soapy water. Never steam jade or place it in ultrasonicmachines as this can damage or remove the standard wax coating. It reacts slightly towarm acids. Since jade has a lower hardness than gems such as sapphire, emerald andtopaz,itcangetscratchedmoreeasily.Jewelerscaneliminatethescratchesandrestorethelusterbypolishingthejade.Naturaljade,however,isverydurable.Infact,noothergem

isasresistanttobreakageandchippingasjade.

Kunzite(Spodumene)Kunziteispinktopurpleincolorandistypicallyeye-cleanandlowpriced.Youcanfindwell-cut, light pink stones of high clarity for less than $250/ct. Stones with a moresaturatedcolorareavailable,buttheycanbedifficulttofindinNorthAmericaorEurope.ThesestonesareoftenreservedforbuyersinAsia.Somekunziteisirradiatedtointensifyitscolor.Unfortunately,thecolorfadesovertimewhenexposedtostronglightorheat.

Majorkunzitesources

Kunzite and other spodumene varieties are mined in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Brazil,MadagascarandtheU.S.

Basickunzite(spodumene)data

Chemical composition: LiAlSi2O6—Lithium and aluminum silicate, RI: 1.66–1.68,Hardness:6.5–7,SG:3.14–3.21

Kunzitecaretips

Cleanwithsoapywater.Avoidultrasonicsandsuddentemperaturechanges.Kunzitecancrackeasilyifit’sknockedagainstasurface.Itmayfadeinlight,andit’ssensitivetoheatandhydrofluoricacid.

Fig.4.39Kunzite.BraceletbyHubert;photobyDiamondGraphics.

Fig.4.40Lapislazuli.JewelrybyKatyBriscoe;

photobyKennonEvett.

LapisLazuliLapislazuliisarockcomposedoflazuriteandsomeothermineralssuchascalcite,pyriteandsodalite.Themostvaluedlapishasanatural,even,deepviolet-bluecolorthatisfreeofwhitecalciteveining.Italsohasahighpolishandabitofpyrite.

Dyedlapisistheleastvaluabletype.Dyeisusedtoimprovethecolorandtohidewhitecalcite.Often,thedyeisnotverystableandmayruboffonyourskin.Awaxcoatingiscommonly used to seal in the dye and to make the polish look better. It’s not alwayspossibleforsalespeopletoknowiflapishasbeendyed.However,iftheyclaimthecolorisnatural and the stone is untreated, have themwrite this on the receipt.Generally,mostlapis beads are dyed.Dye can frequently be detected by rubbing the stonewith cottondipped in fingernailpolish removeroralcohol.Neverdo this inaconspicuousspotandalwaysgetpermissionfirst.

Major sources: For more than 5,000 years, lapis lazuli (lapis) has been mined inNortheasternAfghanistan.Thisisstilltheworld’smostimportantsourcebothintermsofquality and quantity. The second most important source of lapis is Chile. However,Chileanlapis tendstocontaina lotofwhitecalciteandthecolorcanberelativelylight.Consequentlyit’softendyed.

Beware

German andSwiss lapis are not lapis lazuli.They’re blue dyed jasper, themostwidelyusedlapisimitation.Glass,plastic,andsodalitearealsousedtoimitatelapis.TheGilsoncompanyproducesanotherimitationlapis.

Lapislazulicaretips

Cleanwithwarmsoapywaterbutdon’tsoak.Ultrasonicsandsteamersareriskycleaningmethods.Avoidroughwear,heatandacids.

MalachiteMalachite is usually banded with differing shades of green in agate-like patterns. It’sattractive, yet low-priced.Often,malachite is banded and intermixedwith other coppermineralssuchasblueazurite.Theresultingmaterialiscalledazurmalachite.Sometimes,malachiteisimpregnatedwithwaxorepoxytoimprovethepolishandhidesmallcracks.

MajorSources

DR Congo is the major producer of malachite. Other sources include Russia, Zambia,Namibia,Arizona,NewMexicoandAustralia.

Beware

SyntheticmalachiteisproducedinRussia.Malachiteissoinexpensivethatit’snotoftenimitated.

Malachitecaretips

Malachitecaneasilybreakorscratch.It’salsosensitivetoheat,acidsandammonia.Nevercleanitultrasonically;wipeitwithlukewarm,soapywaterandrinse.

Moonstone&SomeOtherFeldsparsMOONSTONE: This gem is noted for a floating light effect and sheen calledadularescence, which has been compared to the light of the moon. High moonstonecabochonsmayresemblecat’s-eyegemsduetotheconcentrationoflightalongthetopofthestone.Moonstoneistypicallywhite,colorlessorlightgrayishblue,butitmayalsobeyellow,orange,brown,blueorgreen. It ranges fromnear transparent toalmostopaque.The most valued stones are blue and near transparent—sometimes up to $250/ct.Translucentwhitestonescancostlessthan$25/ct.

LABRADORITE:Thisnamemostoftenreferstoadark,opaquefeldspar,firstfoundinLabrador, that displays a flash of color(s) when viewed at certain angles. This opticaleffect,whichiscalledlabradorescence,istypicallybrightbluetogreen,butitcanalsobeyellow, orange or rarely purple.Spectrolite is a rare colorful type of labradorite foundpreviouslyonlyinFinlandbutnowalsoinIndia.

Fig.4.41MalachitefromZairewithbull’s-eyepattern.PendantandphotobyGuyPushee.Fig.4.42Moonstone.Ring&photobyJessicaDowofDifferentSeasonsJewelry.

Fig.4.43Labradorite.PhotobyRenéeNewman.

Fig.4.44SpectrolitefromFinland.GemfromDifferentSeasonsJewelry;photobyMarkAnderson.

Fig.4.45Oregonsunstone.Gems&photofromDesertSunMining&Gems.

Fig.4.46Amazonite.Beads&photofromEarthstoneCo.

SUNSTONE:Therearetwomaintypesofsunstone.Oneisopaqueandhasglitteryredorgoldeninclusions.Anotheristransparentandisorange,yellow,red,greenorcolorless.It’sthestategemofOregonandmaycontainminutecopper inclusions,whichcangive itasheen(fig.4.45).

AMAZONITE (Amazon Stone): A bluish-green variety of microcline feldspar that isusuallytranslucenttosemi-opaque.Sometimessoldas“PikesPeakjade”inColorado,itssourcesincludeBrazil,India,Madagascar,RussiaandtheUSA.

Majorfeldsparsources

Most moonstone comes from India, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Madagascar, Myanmar andTanzania.Aventurinefeldspar(sunstone)isfoundinIndia,Canada,Norway,SiberiaandtheUSA.Transparent sunstone ismined inOregon.Labradorite isnamedafter itsmostfamoussource,Labrador,Newfoundland,butitisalsofoundinChina,Finland,IndiaandMadagascar.

Basicfeldspardata

Feldspar is a group of closely related minerals whose chemical composition is toocomplexfor thisbook.ExoticGems:VolumeI byRenéeNewmanhascharts and tablesthat clarify the relationships among the various feldspar members and that give moreprecisedataandinformationoneachmember.

RIrange:1.51–1.58,Hardness:6–6.5,SGrange:2.54–2.77

MoonstoneisanalternatebirthstoneforJune.

Feldsparcaretips

Cleanwithsoapywaterandasoftcloth.Nevercleanfeldsparwithanultrasoniccleaner,steamerorchemicals.TheGIAGemReferenceGuideratesfeldspar’stoughnessaspoor,sodon’twearitineverydayrings.Heatandknockscauseittocrack.Infact,“feldspar”isderived from “field” and “spar,” aword that refers to any shiny rock that splits easily.Since feldspar cannot withstand the heat from a jeweler’s torch, it should be removedduringrepairs.

OpalWhencomparingopalprices, findoutwhat typeofopalyou’re lookingat.Hereare thevarioustypes:

COMMONOPALandPOTCH:Opalwithnoplay-of-color(shiftingofspectralcolors)andatranslucenttosemi-opaquetransparency.Theseopalsmayalsobeidentifiedbytheircolorand/orsource,e.g.,pinkopal,blueopal,Peruvianopal.Opalwithaplay-of-color,themostpopulartype,iscalledpreciousopalbymanyopaldealers.

LIGHTOPAL:Opalwithaplay-of-colorandalightbodycolor.Whiteopalisthemostcommon type. It typically has an off-white background color and can be translucent toopaque.Milky white stones with little play-of-color are used in budget-priced jewelry.Whiteopalswithabrilliantplay-of-colorcanretailforseveralhundreddollarspercarat.Whenanopalhasahightransparency,anearcolorlessbodycolorandadistinctplay-of-color,thenit’scalledacrystalopal.

BLACK(DARK)OPAL:Agenerictermforanyopalwithaplay-of-coloragainstadarkbackground.Ifthestoneistransparenttosemi-transparentanddarkwithaplay-of-color,the stone is ablack crystal opal. Today top-grade black opal can sell for as much as$25,000/ct.MostblackopalisfoundinLightningRidge,Australia.

FIREOPAL:A transparent to translucent opalwith a red, orange, yellowor brownishbodycolorbothwithorwithoutaplay-of-color.Mexicoistheprincipalsource.Themostvalued fireopal is reddishorange, transparent,andhasaplay-of-colorwithin thestone.Forin-depthinformationandphotosonfireopalandcommonopal,consultExoticGems:Volume2byRenéeNewman.

BOULDEROPAL:Opalthatisstillattachedtotherock(usuallyironstone)inwhichitisfound. Boulder opal, which can resemble either light or dark opal, is typically cut inirregularshapes.Gemqualityboulderopalmaysellfor$5,000to$50,000perpiece,butyou can purchase attractive stones for a few hundred dollars.Boulder opal ismined inQueensland,Australia.

Fig.4.47Peruvianblueopal.PendantbyZaffiro;photobyElizabethGualtieri.Fig.4.48Lightopalwithplay-of-color.RingcopyrightbyEveAlfillé;photobyMatthewArden.

Fig.4.49LightningRidgeblackopal.Ring&photocourtesyCaryHarris.Fig.4.50Fireopal.GemsandphotofromColumbiaGemHouse.

MATRIXOPALorOPAL-IN-MATRIX:Astonewithveins,grainsorpatchesofopalrandomlydistributed throughout itshost rockor“matrix” (the rock inwhich theopal isformed).Unlikeboulder opalwhichhasopal on topof a bouldermatrix, amatrixopalstoneisopalwithinmatrix.Queensland,AustraliaisthemostimportantsourceofmatrixopalandmuchofitcomesfromtheYowahandKoroitareas.

Somematrix opal is also found inMexico, Peru,Honduras and Ethiopia. The price ofmatrix opal determined by the amount, type, and quality of the opalwithin thematrix.Andamooka,Australiaisknownforaporousmatrixopalwhichisoftendyedtosimulateblackopal.Additional informationand80photosonmatrixopalareavailable inExoticGems:Volume3.

FactorsWhichAffectOpalValueOPALTYPE:Solidblackopal ismoreexpensive thanboulderopal if similarqualitiesandcolorsofeachcategoryarecompared.Matrixopalsandassembledstonesareusuallythe least expensive types. There’s a great difference in price between a natural and anassembledopal of similar appearance, so it’s important to have salespeople identify thetypeofopalverballyandonthereceipt.

BODYTONE: (Thedarknessorlightnessofthebackgroundcolor):Blackopalismoreexpensivethanlightopaloflikequality.Withblackandboulderopal,generallythedarkerthebackgroundthemorevaluablethestoneis.Whendeterminingbodytone,lookatthetopofthestone.

BRILLIANCE: The overall brightness and intensity of the play-of-color. The morebrilliant the flashes of color, the better the stone. Examine brilliance both under aconsistentlightsourceandawayfromit.Stonesthatmaintaintheirbrightnessawayfromlightarethemosthighlyvalued.Brillianceisoneofthemostimportantvaluefactors.

PLAY-OF-COLOR: The dominant color(s) and the combination of colors are bothimportant. Intense red is themost rare and therefore themost prized color. In terms ofvalue,it’sfollowedbyorange,greenandblue,themostplentifulcolor.Thewayinwhichdifferentcolorcombinationsarepricedcanvaryfromonedealertoanother.Anytypeofplay-of-colorcanbedesirable,aslongasthecolorsareintenseandnotdullwhenviewedfaceup.

COLORPATTERN:Thediffractedcolorsinopalsaredisplayedinvariouspatternssuchas pinfire—small pin-point like color specks and flashfire—larger splashes of color,usuallyirregularinshape.Broadpatternsorlargeflashesaregenerallymorevaluedthanpinfireandsmalltypepatterns.

TRANSPARENCY: For light opal and fire opal, the higher the transparency, themorevaluable the stone. For black opal, the opaque, blacker stones tend to be more highlyvaluedthanthosewithgreatertransparency.

SHAPE:Themostsought-aftertraditionalshapeisawell-formedoval.Ittendstobringahigher price than other shapes because it’s in greater demand, it’s easier to set, andvaluable opal material is sacrificed when stones are cut as ovals. Many designers,however,preferothershapes,especiallyfreeforms.Unusualfreeformsmaysellformorethanovals,especiallyafterthey’remounted.

CUT: All else being equal, domed cabochons tend to be more valued than flat ones.Excessiveweight on the bottom and a thin or unsymmetrical profile can all reduce thevalueofanopal.

IMPERFECTIONS:Opal valuedecreaseswhen there are eye-visible imperfectionsonthetopofthestone.Thelargerandmorenoticeabletheyare,thegreatertheirimpactonvalue.Cracksdrasticallyreducevalue.Acommonopalflawiscrazing—athin,networkoffracturesthatresemblesaspiderweb.Whendeep,ithasaseriousimpactonprice.

SIZE&CARATWEIGHT:Stonesunderacarataregenerallyworthlesspercaratthanlargerones.Ifastoneisunusuallylarge,itmaybeworthlesspercaratthanstonesmoresuitable for general jewelry use. Boulder opals are typically priced by size rather thancaratweight.Thelargertheopalthehighertheprice.

OpalTreatments,AssembledStones,Etc.

Beware

Opalissometimesimpregnatedwithoil,waxorplastictoimprovetheplay-of-colorandtopreventordisguisecrazing.Theplastic isstable,but theoilandwax isn’t.Therearevarious techniques for creating the appearance of black opal. These include smokeimpregnation,backingwithblackorcoloredpaint,andtreatmentwithdye,silvernitrateorsugar carbonized by acid. These treatments are notwell accepted by the trade becausethey’re usually done to deceivebuyers.Whenbuyingopal, asked if it’s been treatedorenhancedinanyway.Ifit’suntreatedopal,askthesellertowritethisonthereceipt.

Occasionally sellers try topassoff doublets as boulderopal.Anopaldoublet is a thinslice of opal cemented usuallywith black glue to anothermaterial such as potch opal,ironstone,chalcedonyorglass.Ifthisdoubletalsohasaprotectivetopofcolorlessquartzor glass, it’s called an opal triplet or a triplet opal. Doublets are normally moreexpensive than tripletsbecausemoreopal isusedbut lessexpensive thanboulderopals,whichhaveanaturallyattachedbacking.Oftenyoucandetect theman-made stonesbylookingatthemfromtheside.Adoublettypicallyhasastraightseparationlinewhereasaboulderopalhasacrookedone.

Therearealsofakeopalstones.OneiscalledSlocumStoneandanotherOpalite.HongKongisamajorproducerofimitationopal.SyntheticopalisgrowninJapanandRussia.

Majorsourcesofopal

Mostoftheworld’sblackandboulderopalcomesfromAustralia,especiallyfinequalitystones. Ethiopia has become an important producer of light opal along with Australia.MostfireopalcomesfromMexico.However,significantquantitiesofopalarealsofoundinBrazil,Peru,SouthAfrica,TanzaniaandtheU.S.

Basicopaldata

SiO2—Silica+upto10%water

RI:1.40–1.47,Hardness:5.5—6.5,SG:2.00–2.20

OpalisanalternatebirthstoneforOctober.

Opalcaretips

Sinceopalsarerelativelysoftandfragile, theyrequirespecialcare.Don’tcleantheminultrasonics.Instead,washtheminwaterwithamildsoapandsoftcloth.(Opaldoubletsandtriplets,however,shouldnotbeimmersedinwater.)Avoidheatandsuddenchangesoftemperature.Donotwearthemwhilesunbathingorsetthemonasunnywindowsillorunder hot lights.Avoid chemicals and activities that could cause abrasions, pressure orknocks.Withpropercare,opalcangiveyoualifetimeofenjoyment.

Fig.4.51Boulderopal.Pin/pendantbyPaulaCrevoshay;photobyFineline.Fig.4.52Matrixopal.PendantbyWhitneyRobinson;photobyStudioJewelers.

Fig.4.53Peridot.RingandphotobyMarkSadovsky.

Fig.4.54TorusRingperidotcarvedbyGlennLehrer.RingbyPaulaCrevoshay;photobyCrevoshayStudio.

PeridotPeridot isa transparentyellowishgreengem,whichis thebirthstoneforAugustandthe16th wedding anniversary stone. The color is natural and not the result of a treatmentprocess.Occasionallyitsclarityisimprovedwithfillersiffracturesarepresent.Pricesofperidothavesteadilyincreasedsince2000.Largehigh-qualitystoneshaveretailedforasmuchas$600/ct.

Majorsources

Theoldest sourceofperidot isSt. John’s Island,Egypt, in theRedSea.Arizona,ChinaandPakistanarethemainsourcestoday.Myanmar,Tanzania,SouthAfricaandVietnamarealsosources.

Basic peridot data (Olivine group, forsterite species) Chemical composition:(Mg,Fe)2SiO4—Magnesiumironsilicate.RI:1.64–1.69,Hardness:6.5–7;SG:3.27–3.45

Beware

Glass and synthetic spinel are occasionally used to imitate peridot. Occasionally it isconfusedwithtourmaline.

Peridotcaretips

Cleanwithsoapywater.Ultrasonicsarerisky.Suddentemperaturechangesorunevenheatcancausefracturing.Jewelers’picklingsolutionsandsomeacidswillattackperidot.

Ruby&Sapphire(Corundum)Ruby and sapphire are the same mineral—corundum, so they have the same physicalcharacteristics. Color is what distinguishes ruby from sapphire. Rubies are red andsapphires are either blue or another color such as green, orange, pink, yellow, purple,colorless or black (sapphire colors other than blue are called fancy colors and areidentifiedbycolor,e.g.,greensapphire).

RUBY:Generally,thereddertherubyandthestrongertheredfluorescence,thebettertheruby.Top-gradestoneshaveaminimalamountofblack,grayorbrownmaskingthered.Medium to medium-dark tones are generally preferred by the trade. The highestpercentageofstonesthathavemetthesecolorcriteriaisfromtheMogokareaofMyanmar(Burma).

Butdon’tassumethatarubyisgoodqualityifitoriginatesfromMogok.Likewise,don’tassume that rubies from other localities such asMadagascar, Mozambique, Sri Lanka,Tanzania, Thailand and Vietnammust be inferior. High-quality material has originatedfromallofthesecountries.

Largerubieshavesoldformorethan$400,000/ct,butgoodrubiesintheone-caratrangemay retail for about $1000/ct to $25,000/ct depending on quality, source and treatmentstatus.

On the other hand, you can find nearly opaque rubies for as low as $10/ct. Semi-transparent to transparent lead glass-filled rubies can also be purchased for as little as$10/ct.Thesearealsocalledcompositerubiesormanufacturedproducts.

The treatment status of ruby plays a major role in its price. Untreated rubies with labdocumentscancommandpremiums.Oiled,dyedand/orberyllium-treatedrubiesmaybediscounted significantly. “Ruby” that is impregnatedwith colored leadglass to improvecolor,clarityandtransparencyissoldforpricesbelow$100/cteveninsizesaslargeastencarats.

SAPPHIRE:Whenusedbyitself,thetermsapphirenormallyreferstothebluevariety.Initshighestqualities, it’smoreexpensivethantheothervarieties.Top-qualityKashmirsapphires, forexample,canwholesale forover$30,000/ct (mining inKashmirhasbeenextremelylimitedfordecades).

Opinionsdifferastowhichisthebestsapphirehue.Somesayblue,otherssayvioletishblue.Mostdealersagree,however,thatgreenishbluesarelessvaluable.Dealersalsohave

differenttonepreferences.Someprefermediumtonesofbluewhileothersprefermedium-darktones.Pale,blackishorgrayishstones,however,costtheleast.Goodsapphiresintheone-caratrangeareavailableforabout$1000–$10,000/ctretail.Largersapphirescanbeashighas$25,000/ct.

Fig.4.55Rubywithexcellentcolor.PhotofromAsianInstituteofGemologicalSciences(AIGS).

Fig.4.56UnheatedBurmesesapphirewithexcellentcolor.SapphireandphotofromFredMouawad.

Fig.4.57SapphiresuitefromMayer&Watt.PhotobyGeoffreyWatt.

Fig.4.58Pinksapphirebeadbracelet.Jewelry&photobyAlexandraHart.

FANCYSAPPHIRE: Non blue sapphires are called “fancy sapphires” or “fancy-colorsapphires.”Thesesapphiresmaybepink,orange,yellow,green,purpleorcolorless.Ifasapphire has a natural orange-pink hue with a light to medium tone, it’s called apadparadscha. In large sizes, padparadschas can wholesale for more than $20,000/ct.

Untreatedpinksapphiresarethenextmostexpensivefancysapphire.Fineuntreatedpinksapphiresinthe1-to3-caratrangemayretailfor$5000to$12,000/ct.SomeAsiandealersprefer to call pink sapphires rubies. However, the jewelry trade in western countriesprefers to treat thepinksapphireasauniquestonewith itsownmerits, rather thanasalower-pricedruby.Colorlesssapphire,whichisalsocalled“whitesapphire,”isproducedbyheattreatinglight-coloredsapphire.Naturalsapphirenormallyhasatraceofcolor.Inrecentyears,colorlesssapphirehasbecomeapopulardiamondsubstitute.

As with ruby, the treatment status, transparency and clarity of sapphires have a majorimpactontheirprice.Eventhoughsomesapphiressellforthousandsofdollarspercarat,others sell for as little as $10/ct if they are semi-opaque or heavily impregnated withcoloredglass.InhisbookRuby&Sapphire:ACollector’sGuide(p312),corundumguruRichardHughes indicates that irradiation,dying,oiling, andberyllium treatment (latticediffusion) have a very significant to huge impact on corundum pricing. As for stonesheatedand impregnatedwithcoloredglass,hesays that“suchstonesshouldneverevenhave the words ‘ruby’ or ‘sapphire’ attached to them.” Hughes further states that hightemperatureheattreatmentabove1,400degreescentigradecanhaveasignificantimpactonsapphirepricing.Dealerstypicallychargepremiumsforuntreatedsapphiresandrubiesbecauseoftheirrarity.

STARSAPPHIRE&STARRUBY:Starcorundumwithafineblueorredcolorisrare.Gray,maroonandblackstarstonesareeasiertofind,andtheirpricescanberelativelylowcompared to fine star sapphire or star ruby,which can sell for thousands of dollars percarat.Blackstarsapphire,ontheotherhand,normallyretailsforabout$15—$150/ct.

Geographicsourcesofsapphire

MajorproducersofbluesapphireincludeAustralia,Madagascar,MyanmarandSriLanka.Sapphire is also mined in China, Colombia, India, Kenya, Malawi, Montana, Nigeria,Tanzania, Thailand and Vietnam. The lowest priced stones often are from Australiabecause they tend tobeoverlydarkandhave lowtransparency.Thehighestpricedbluesapphires are generally from Kashmir, Mogok in Myanmar and Sri Lanka. Importantsources of fancy color sapphires include Australia, Madagascar, Malawi, Montana,Myanmar,SriLanka,Tanzania,ThailandandVietnam.

Beware:There’salotofsynthetic(man-made)rubyandsapphireonthemarket,whichissometimes identified as natural. If a ruby is large and flawless, assume it’s lab-grown.Normally, large rubies andmost large sapphires have inclusions. Lab-grown rubymay

alsohaveinclusions.AsaresultofaBurmarubybanimposedbytheUSGovernmentandthe scarcity of natural ruby, most of the ruby sold in the U.S. is either man-made orimpregnatedwithahighquantityofcoloredglass.Glass-impregnatedsapphire isnotascommon.However,afairamountoffancysapphirehasbeenberylliumtreated.

Whenbuyingrubiesandsapphires,alwaysask ifandhowthestoneshavebeen treated.Havethesellerwritethisinformationonthereceipt.Unfortunately,notallsellersdisclosegem treatments, and some do not know what treatments their stones have undergone.Therefore, it’s important to deal with a knowledgeable and ethical seller. The heattreatment of rubies and sapphires is an accepted trade practice and often cannot bedetected.However,berylliumtreatment,oilingandcavityfillingcanbeidentifiedbygemlabs. Stones impregnated with colored glass are easier for jewelers to detect. Whenpurchasing an expensive ruby or sapphire, get one with a lab report from a respectedindependentgemlab.ExamplesareprovidedinChapter15.

Basicruby&sapphire(corundum)data

Chemicalcomposition:Al2O3—AluminumOxide

RI:1.76—1.78,Hardness:9,SG:3.95—4.05.Rubyisthe

birthstoneforJuly;sapphireisthebirthstoneforSeptember.

Caretipsforrubies&sapphires

Rubiesandsapphirescanbesafelycleanedinultrasonicsandsteamersprovided they’renotoiled, cavity filled, fracturedor impregnatedwithglass.Oneexception isblack-starsapphire,whichtends tobefragile.Heat treatedrubyandsapphire isstable to light,butsome irradiated orange and yellow sapphires may fade. Corundum that is impregnatedwithglass requiresspecialcarebecauseacidssuchasvinegaror lemon juicecancreatewhitelinesthroughoutthestoneswherefracturesarepresent.Othercorundumisusuallyresistant to most chemicals except for soldering flux or pickling solutions containingborax,which can etch the surface of corundum.Don’t use jewelers’ torches near glassimpregnated stones because this can cause the stone to fall into pieces when the glassmelts.Ontheotherhand,naturalrubiesandsapphiresarehard,strongandgenerallyverydurable.

SpinelCustomjewelersandcollectorswholikeunusualgemsappreciatespinel.It’savailableinavarietyofcolorsincludingred,pink,blue,purple,orangeandblack.Withtheexceptionofa few intensebluecobalt-coloredspinels, ruby red is themostvaluedcolor; top-qualityredspinelscanretailformorethan$10,000/ct.Low-qualitybrownishstonesareavailableforlessthan$200/ct.Pricesforstonesabove10caratsarenegotiable.Thepinkvarietyisthenextmostexpensivespinelvarietyandcanretailformorethan$7000/ctinsizesaboutfivecarats.Mostbluespinelstendtobegrayishordark.Inanattempttolightenthecolor,stonesareoftencutshallow.

The color ofmost spinel is natural, but occasionally it is heated to improve color andclarity.Fourandsix-rayedstarssometimesoccurinspinel.

Geographicsourcesofspinel

Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Vietnam are key sources of transparent spinel.Thailand is a major source of black spinel. Other localities include Afghanistan,Cambodia,MadagascarandTajikistan.Spinelisoftenaby-productofthesearchforrubyandsapphire.

Fig.4.59NorthVietnameseredspinelconcavefacetedbyRichardHomer.RingbyThomasDailing;photobyAzad.

Fig.4.60Pinkspinel.Ring&photocourtesySunaBros.Inc.

Fig.4.61&4.62Bluespinel(4.59ct)andNorthVietnamesespinel(3.92ct)concavefacetedbyRichardHomer.RingsbyThomasDailing;photosbyAzad.

Beware

Syntheticspinelmaybesoldasnaturalspinelandisalsousedtoimitateotherstonessuchasrubyandsapphire.Sometimesnaturalbluespinelissoldas“cobaltspinel”evenwhenitscolorisnottheresultofcobaltinitschemicalstructure.Selectspinelonthebasisofitsappearanceratherthanthenamethatasellerattachestoitsuchas“cobaltspinel.”Intensebluespinelsarerareandaremorevaluedthangrayishorverydarkbluespinels.

Basicspineldata

Chemicalcomposition:MgAl2O4—Magnesiumaluminumoxide.RI:1.71–1.73,hardness:8,SG:3.57-3.67

Spinelcaretips

Spinelcanbecleanedinultrasonics,steamersandwarmsoapywater.Itscolorisstabletolight, but some light-colored stones may fade under intense heat. It doesn’t react tochemicals.Overall,spinelisdurable,comparativelyhardandtypicallyhasabetterclaritythanruby.

Tanzanite(Zoisite)Tanzanite,abluetopurplevarietyofthemineralzoisite,wasdiscoveredinthe1960’sinthefoothillsofAfrica’sMt.Kilimanjaro.Later,HenryPlatt,vice-presidentanddirectorofTiffany’s,namedthestoneafteritssource,Tanzania.

Fig.4.63Tanzanite.RingbyMarkSchneider,photobyDanielleGinsburg.Fig.4.64Multicoloredtanzanite“BigKiss”ringbyLorettaCastoro;photobyJeffScovil.

Some dealers think that the most desirable tanzanite color is a deep blue with a faintpurplesecondarycolor.Otherspreferanequalmixofblueandpurple.Mostdealerswouldagree, however, that blue tanzanites are worth more than those that are purple. Lightlavender stones are priced the lowest. You can find tanzanites with excellent colorsaturationforlessthan$1500/ctretail.Mosttanzaniteisheat-treatedtointensifythecolorand/oreliminatebrown,grayorgreen.

Zoisite comes in a variety of other colors: pink, green, yellow, gray, brown, and somematerial ismulticolored.But since“tanzanite” soundsmore exotic andappealing, somedealers tend to use the term for all transparent zoisites.However, aswith sapphire, theunmodified“tanzanite”refers to theblueorvioletvariety,whereasothercolorsmustbespecified, e.g., yellow tanzanite.This practice allowsdealers todistinguishbetween thetransparentandnon-transparentvarieties.Inthemarketplace,forexample,greentanzaniteis transparentgreenzoisitewhereasgreenzoisite is typically thenon-transparentvarietyusedforcarvings.Museumsandmostgemlabsonlyusetheterm“tanzanite”forbluetopurplezoisite.

Beware: There are some good tanzanite imitations, which may be glass, syntheticforsterite,Coranite™(syntheticcorundum),orTanavyte™(syntheticgarnet).Sometimestheseimitationsaresoldassynthetictanzanite.Sofar,noonehasbeenabletosynthesizetanzaniteinalaboratory.

Basiczoisitedata

Chemical composition: Ca3Al3(SiO4)3(OH)—Calcium aluminum hydroxysilicate. AbirthstoneforDecember.

RI:1.69–1.70,Hardness:6–7,SG:3.20–3.15.

Tanzanitecaretips

Cleantanzaniteinwarm,soapywater.Avoidultrasonicsandsteamers.Tanzaniteisstableto light but reacts to hydrochloric and hydrofluoric acid. It’s also very susceptible tocrackingwhenbumpedorknocked.Thatcombinedwithitstendencytoabrademakesitinappropriateforwearineverydayrings.It’sanimpressivegem,however,fornecklaces,earringsandpins.

Fig4.65TopazsuitefromPalaInternational.PhotobyMiaDixon.

TopazHistorically,topazwasconsideredtobeayellowstone,butmosttopaziscolorlessorlightbrown.Otherwise,ittendstobepaleblue.Consequently,yellow,orange,andpinktopazare highly regarded. Topaz is hard and dense, and crystals weighing several kilos arecommon.

PINKtoREDTOPAZ:Top-graderedorstrongpinktopazisthemostvaluabletypeoftopazandcancostseveralthousanddollarspercarat.Theredderandmoresaturatedthecolor, the rarer andmore costly the stone. Natural-color stones, which generally comefromPakistan,cansell formuchmore than thosewhichare treated.Mostpink topaz isheatedbrownish-yellowtopazfromBrazil.

GOLDENYELLOWtoORANGETOPAZ:Whenthisvarietyisintenselycoloredandhas reddish or pink overtones, it is called imperial topaz and can retail from about$200/cttomorethan$3,000/ct.Stoneswithalowcolorsaturationarelessvaluable.

BLUE to BLUE-GREEN TOPAZ: Produced by irradiating and then heating certaincolorlessmaterial,bluetopazcanlooklikefineaquamarine,butinmostcasesappearsastrongerblueandlookslessnatural.Eversincethemarketwasfloodedwiththistopaz,itspricehasdropped to levelsbelow$30/ct. Inaddition tobeingproducedby irradiation+heat, topaz has been heated in cobalt powder to turn it blue, a process called surfacediffusion.Topazmay also be coatedwith a very thin layer ofmetallic oxide (chemicalvapor deposition) to create an iridescent effect. This material has been called “mystictopaz”or“rainbowtopaz.”Inadditiontohavingblue,greenandrainbowcolors,someofitmaybeentirelypink.

Geographicsourcesoftopaz

Theworld’s largestproducerof topaz is the stateofMinasGerais inBrazil.Foralmost300 years, its Ouro Preto district has supplied theworldwith yellow, orange and pinktopaz.OthersourcesincludeMozambique,Myanmar,Nigeria,Pakistan,Russia,SriLankaandtheU.S.

Beware:Citrinequartz isoftensoldas“quartz topaz”oreven“topaz”tomakeitsoundmoreexpensive.Therefore,whenbuyingtopaz,askthesellertospecifyonthereceiptthatit isgenuinetopazandnotquartzoranothergemstone.Afairamountofcolorlesstopazhasbeencoatedwithachemicalvapordepositionprocesstocreatevarioustopazcolors.Roughwearandscrapescanremovethecoating.

Basictopazdata

Chemical composition: Al2(F,OH)2SiO4—aluminum fluoro-hydroxysilicate. RI: 1.61–1.64,Hardness:8,SG:3.5–3.6.

TopazisthebirthstoneforNovember.

Topazcaretips

Clean with warm soapy water. Avoid ultrasonics, steamers, strong heat and suddenchanges of temperature. Topaz is relatively hard, but fractures easily when dropped orknockedbecauseinonedirection,topazcrystalshaveaweakerbondbetweenatoms.

Tourmaline(agroupofmineralspecies)Noothergemstoneoffersbuyersawidervarietyofcolorsthantourmaline.Besidesbeingfound in everycolorof the rainbow, tourmalinemayalsobemulticolored inonepiece.Somespeciesandvarietiesoftourmalinearelistedbelow:

CUPRIAN TOURMALINE: Tourmalines with traces of copper in their chemicalstructure are called cuprian tourmalines. Theymay be various shades of green, blue orpurple,butareespeciallynotedfortheirintensegreenish-bluecolor,duetothepresenceofcopper. Stones that are purplish contain more manganese. The first recorded copper-bearingtourmalinewasinthe1980’sfromParaiba,Brazil.

Mostof thegem-gradecuprian tourmalinefromParaibaoccurred in1990and1991andbecameknownasPARAIBATOURMALINE.The intense turquoisebluecolorof thistourmalinewasunlike anyother tourmaline that had everbeenmined so its prices roserapidly.NowParaibatourmalineissorarethattwo-caratstonescanfetchwholesalepricesofmore than$25,000/ct.Largerstoneshaveattainedhigherprices.Cuprian tourmalineswere also found in the 1990’s in the Brazilian state of RioGrande doNorte. In 2001,cupriantourmalinefromNigeriaandMozambiquealsoappearedonthemarket,andsinceitresembledmaterialfromParaiba,itwasalsocalledparaibatourmaline.Africancupriantourmaline is more plentiful and typically has a lower color intensity than coppertourmalinefromParaibaofthesamesize,sotheAfricantourmalinesellsforlessthantrueParaiba tourmaline of equal size and similar quality. Cuprian tourmaline is commonlyheatedtoimprovecolor.

Fig.4.66Paraibatourmaline(10.64cts)fromMayer&Watt.PhotobyGeoffreyWatt.Fig.4.67Mozambiquegoldentourmaline(11.19cts).PalaInternational/JasonStephenson.

Fig.4.68AfghantourmalinecutbyClayZava.PhotobyRobert&OrasaWeldon.

BLUE-GREEN to GREEN-BLUE TOURMALINE: Some turquoise-coloredtourmalineiscoloredbyironratherthancopper,andmuchofitcomesfromAfghanistan.Somesellerscall itParaiba tourmalineeven though it’snot fromParaibaand it’spricedmuchlowerthanParaibatourmalineandAfricancupriantourmaline.Blue-greentogreen-blue tourmaline is also calledmint tourmaline. Columbia Gem House identifies it asSeafoamtourmalineandtrademarkedthenamein1999.

GREENTOURMALINE:Thisvarietyisplentifulandcomesinawiderangeofshades.Ittendstoappearverydarkandnon-transparentinonedirection.Tolightenandimprovethe color, green tourmaline is commonly heat-treated. Stones that are blackish andyellowishare the least expensive.Thosewithan intensegreencolor resemblingagoodemerald cost the most. Tanzania is noted for its green chrome tourmaline, which iscoloredbychromiumand/orvanadium.Eye-cleangreen tourmaline is readilyavailable.Therefore, good-quality stones are expected to have a high clarity. Top quality chrometourmalinecanretailforasmuchas$2,500/ct.Lowquality,verydarkgreentourmaline,however,mayretailforlessthan$100/ct.

Fig.4.69TourmalineringsbyLindaQuinn.PhotobyChrisRockafellow.Fig.4.70BicolortourmalinecutbyTatyanaVyalkin.Pendant&photobySaraCommers.

PINKorREDTOURMALINE:ThediscoveryofpinktourmalineinsouthernCaliforniain 1898 helped popularize this stone. Red and pink tourmaline are also mined inAfghanistan, Brazil, Maine, Nigeria, Russia andMadagascar.RUBELLITE is a tradenameappliedtoredandhot-pinktourmaline.True-redrubellitesoftenhavealowclarity.Pinkandredtourmalinesarecommonlyirradiatedtointensifytheircolor.Thestonesarenot radioactive and the color is relatively stable.However, strong heat like that from adisplaywindowor a jeweler’s torchcancause the color to fade.Sometimes rubellite istreatedwithfillerstoimproveitsclarity.Evenwhentreated,youshouldexpectittohavealowerclaritythanothertransparenttourmalines

BLUE TOURMALINE (INDICOLITE or INDIGOLITE): The term “indicolite”generallyreferstobluetourmalinecoloredprimarilybyiron; it’snotusedanalternativename for blue cuprian tourmaline. Indicolite comes in various shades of blue, butfrequently, it’s a dark greenish or grayish blue. The color is often lightened with heattreatment.Brazilisthemostfamoussourceofindicolitebutit’salsobeenfoundinRussia,Madagascar,Mozambique,NigeriaandtheU.S.

YELLOW, ORANGE, BROWN or GOLDEN TOURMALINE: Yellow and orangetourmaline occur naturally but are sometimes produced by irradiating light yellow orgreen tourmaline. Heat may cause the resulting color to fade. Orange and yellowtourmalinesarenoteasy to find.Mostof themcomefromTanzania,butsomeare fromBrazil,Malawi,Nigeria,NepalandPakistan.

BICOLOREDorMULTICOLOREDTOURMALINE:Thepinkandgreenvariety isthemostcommontype,butstonescanalsobepinkandcolorlessorblueandgreen.Somestoneshavemorethantwocolors.Themostvaluedstoneshavedistinctsaturatedcolorswithsharpboundariesandno fractures.Greenandpinkslicesofcrystal tourmaline that

have concentric color banding are called watermelon tourmaline. MulticoloredtourmalineisfoundinAfghanistan,Brazil,Madagascar,Mozambique,Nigeria,TanzaniaandtheU.S.

CAT’S-EYETOURMALINE:Thisisfoundinavarietyofcolorsbutpinkandgreenarelessdifficult tofind thanredorbluecolors.Cat’s-eye tourmaline isoccasionally treatedwithepoxyfillerstoimprovetransparencyandsealthetubescausingthecat’s-eye.

Beware

Glassandsyntheticspinelaresometimessoldastourmalinebystreetvendorsandatgemshows.Themeaningof“paraiba”variesdependingontheuser.Manysellersusethetermtorefertoanyblue-greentourmalineregardlessoforiginorcoppercontent.TrueParaibatourmaline is a rare collector’s item that isdifficult even for tourmalinedealers to find.Don’texpecttofinditontheInternetorinyourlocaljewelrystore.

Tourmalinecaretips

Cleantourmalinewithwarmsoapywater.Ultrasonicsareconsideredriskyforthisstone.Avoid steamers and strong heat because it may alter the color; sudden temperaturechangesmayalsocausefracturing.Tourmalinedoesnotreacttochemicals.It’snormallystabletolight,butsomeirradiatedstonesmayfadewithprolongedexposure.

For additional tourmaline information consult Tourmaline: The Gemstone Spectrum byExtraLapis, andExotic Gems: Volume 3, which has seven chapters and 221 photos ontourmaline.

TurquoiseThemosthighlyvaluedturquoiseisuntreatedanddenseandhasaneven,intensesky-bluecolor.UsuallythistypeofmaterialisfromIran.Thevalueisreducedifthecolorisgreenorpaleorifinclusionsorlinescalled“spider-webbing”arepresent.Somepeople,though,prefergreenishcolorsandpatternedturquoise.

Natural turquoisehasstabilityproblems. If it’snot fromIranand it’snot treated, itmayturngreen,white, oroccasionallybrownwithin ayear after it’smined.Porousmaterialcan crack or crumble.This iswhymost of the turquoise sold today has been treated—usuallywithaplasticsubstancedesignedtopreventdiscolorationandincreasedurability.Acolorantmaybeaddedtoimprovethecolor.Sometimesturquoiseisimpregnatedwithwax to deepen the color and decrease porosity.However, thewax can pick up dirt andgraduallydiscolor.Whenbuyingturquoise,assumeit’streatedunlessyou’redealingwitha knowledgeable, trustworthy seller who writes on the receipt “untreated naturalturquoise.”

Sometimes powdered turquoise is bonded with polymers and sold as “reconstitutedturquoise.”Distinguishingitfromheavilypolymerimpregnatedturquoiseisdifficult.CaraWilliamsofStoneGroupLabsstatesthat“Inourexperience,mostmaterialthatislabeledasreconstitutedorreconstructedturquoisecontainsnoturquoiseatall.Thereisaproductthat is currently sold to jewelry manufacturers as ‘reconstituted turquoise,’ but it’s apolymer-based imitation anddoesnot contain actual turquoise. It is available bothwithveiningandwithout.Ahugepercentageofturquoiseinthemarketisactuallymagnesite,especiallytheso-called‘turquoise’beadsofferedforsaleatsomegemshows.Youcangetan idea based on heft especially when it comes to beads (magnesite is denser thanturquoisealthoughbotharecommonlydyedandstabilized),butformountedcabochonsitisvirtuallyimpossibletotellbylooking.”

StoneGroupLabsusesRamanandFTIRspectroscopytotestturquoise.Ifitismagnesite,Raman will identify it, but if it is turquoise, then they also have to test for dyes andpolymers.

Majorsources

Thebest turquoise occurs in northeast Iran nearNishapur,where it has beenmined forover3,000years.Thematerial there is typicallymorestableandblue than thatofothersources—China,India,Mexico,theSinaiPeninsula,TibetandSouthwesternUSA,which

isthemainproducer.

Beware: Turquoise is imitated by plastic, glass, dyed chalcedony, dyed howlite, dyedmagnesiteandareconstructedturquoisemadefromturquoisepowderbondedwithplastic.There’salsoalab-grownturquoise,whichisproducedbyGilson.Sometimesliquidblackshoepolishisusedtocreatematrixpatternsinturquoiseoritsimitations.

Fig.4.71TurquoiseVictorianbrooch(Circa1870).JewelryandphotofromThreeGracesAntiqueJewelry.

Fig.4.72Magnesitethatwassoldasturquoise.CabochonandbeadlabsamplesfromStoneGroupLaboratoriesLLC;photobyCaraWilliams.

Basicturquoisedata

Chemicalcomposition:CuAl6(PO4)4(OH)8•5H2O—hydratedcopperaluminumphosphate

RI:1.61–1.65,Hardness:5–6,SG:2.4–2.9

Decemberbirthstonealongwithbluezirconandtanzanite

Turquoisecaretips

Cleanwithsoapywater,butdon’tsoakit.Avoidultrasonicsandsteamers.Also,avoidheatandchemicals.Perspiration,skinoils,andcosmeticsmayturnblueturquoisegreen.

ZirconZircon is not the same as cubic zirconia (CZ). Zircon is a natural gemstone withexceptionalbrillianceandadiamond-likeluster.Cubiczirconiaisasyntheticstonewithadifferentchemicalcomposition.Zirconisfoundinavarietyofcolors.

BLUEZIRCON: It often resembles aquamarine and blue topaz but hasmore fire andbrilliance. The blue color results from heating brownish zircon. Blue zircon sold injewelry stores is heat treated and susceptible to abrasions, especiallywhenmounted inrings.Bluezirconpricescanretailfrom$30/ctto$800/ctdependingonsizeandquality.MostbluezirconisfromCambodia.

Fig.4.74Bluezircon.Ring&photocourtesySunaBros.Inc.

Fig.4.75TanzanianbicolorzirconcutbyClayZava.PhotobyClayZava.

Fig.4.76ZirconfromTanzania.GemscutbyLarryWoodsofJewelsfromtheWoods;photobyJohnParrish.

GREENZIRCON:FoundmostlyinSriLanka,thiszirconisoftengrayishoryellowish.It’snotuncommonforstreetvendors tosell itasgreen tourmalineorgreensapphire.Acuriouspropertyofgreenzirconisthatitusuallyemitssomelevelofnaturalradioactivity.

YELLOW,ORANGE,BROWNISH-RED,VIOLET,&COLORLESSZIRCON; Intheir natural state, these zircons tend to be either brownish or pale.Heat treatment canintensifyoreliminate thecolorand reducebrown tints.Toverifycolor stability,dealerssometimesexposezirconstothesunforseveraldays.

Geographicsourcesofzircon

FourofthemainsourcesofzirconareCambodia,Tanzania,ThailandandSriLanka.It’salso found in Australia, Madagascar, Myanmar, Nigeria, and Vietnam. Bangkok is theworld’scuttingandmarketingcenterforzircon.

Basiczircondata

Chemicalcomposition:ZrSiO4—Zirconiumsilicate

RI:1.78–2.01,Hardness:6–7.5,SG:3.9–4.8

ZirconisabirthstoneforDecember.

Zirconcaretips

Cleanwithwarmsoapywater.Ultrasonicsare riskycleaningmethods.According to theGIAGemReferenceGuide, page 262, the toughness of untreated stones is fair to goodwhereas thatofheat-treated stones ispoor to fair.Thismeanszirconscaneasilyabradeandchip.Someheat-treatedstonesmayreverttotheiroriginalcolor.Zirconisresistanttochemicals.

5/DiamondsDiamondPriceFactorsinaNutshell

Therearesevenbasicpricefactorsfordiamonds:

Cutquality(proportionsandfinish)

Color

Clarity

Caratweight

Stoneshapeandcuttingstyle

Transparency

Treatmentstatus(untreatedortreated?typeoftreatment)

CUTQUALITY:(proportionsandfinish):Thisisacrucialfactorwhichcanaffectpricesbyasmuchas50%.Theproportioningofthepavilion(bottomofthediamond)determinestheoverallbrillianceofthestone.If thepavilionistoodeep,thestonewill lookdarkinthecenter;ifit’stooshallow,brillianceisdiminishedandawhitecirculararearesemblingafisheyemaybevisible.Inbothcases,lightisleakingoutofthepavilioninsteadofbeingreflectedbacktoyoureye.

Figs.5.1&5.2Face-upview&profileofawell-cutdiamond.DiamondfromJoeLandau;photo©RenéeNewman.

Fig.5.3Adarkcenterresultingfromapavilion(bottom)thatistoodeep.Fig5.4Whitecircle(fisheye)causedbyapavilionthatistooshallow.Photos©RenéeNewman.

Fig.5.5Achunkymarquisewithaverythickgirdleandabulgingpavilion.Itlookssmallforitsweightfaceup.Fig.5.6Thincrown,deeppavilion.Face-upthisdiamondhasreducedfire,sparkle,andbrilliance.Photos©RenéeNewman.

Ifthecrown(topofthediamond)istooshallowandthetable(largetopfacet)istoolarge,thediamondwillnothavegoodsparkleandfire.Firereferstoflashesofrainbowcolors.Ifthecrownistoohighorthegirdle(diamondedge)istoothick,thestonewilllooksmallforitsweightandyou’llpayforunnecessaryweightthatcanreducebrilliance.

Lookatfigures5.1and5.2toseewhatawell-cutrounddiamondlookslikeface-upandfromtheside.Compare themto figures5.3 to5.6.Formorephotosand informationonjudging cut, consult theDiamondHandbook byRenéeNewman andDiamondGradingABC by Verena Pagel-Theisen. In addition, deal with salespeople who can explaindiamond proportioning and cut quality in language you can understand. You’ll needassistance.

Fig.5.7DiamondsoffivedifferentcolorgradesrangingfromD(colorless)toZ(lightyellow).Actualcolorsareslightlydifferentthandigitalcolors.DiamondsandphotofromJ.Landau,Inc.

COLOR:Basicallythelesscolor,thehighertheprice.StonesthatareasclearascolorlesswaterarethemostexpensiveandhaveaDtoErating,Dbeingthehighest.StonesintheGtoJrangearenearcolorless.DiamondsintheKtoMrangearefaintyellow,andasthelettersdescendtowardZthecolorgraduallygoesfromverylightyellowtofancyyellow.TheseletterdesignationsarebasedontheGIA(GemologicalInstituteofAmerica)colorgradingscale.Diamondswithabodycolorother than lightyellow, lightbrown,or lightgrayarecalledfancycolordiamonds.Thesecoloreddiamondsmaycostalotmorethanthosewhicharecolorless,especiallyifthey’renaturallyredorblue.Somediamondsarecoloredartificiallybyirradiationorhigh-heat–high-temperaturetreatment.

CLARITY: The fewer and smaller the flaws, the higher the price. There are 11 GIAclaritygrades.Theyare:

Fl:Flawless—noinclusions (flawsinside thediamond)andnoblemishes (flawson thesurface).Rarelyusedinjewelry.

IF:InternallyFlawless—noinclusionsandonlyinsignificantblemishes

VVS1&VVS2:Very, very slightly included—minute inclusions difficult to see under10-powermagnification.Jewelersseldomhavethesestonesinstockduetotheirrarity.

VS1 & VS2: Very slightly included—minor inclusions ranging from difficult tosomewhat easy to see under 10-power magnification. VS diamonds are available injewelrystores.

SI1&SI2:Slightly included, noticeable inclusionseasy (SI1) or very easy (SI2) to seeunder10-powermagnification,butthatnormallyaren’teye-visible.

I1,I2,&I3:Imperfect—eye-visibleinclusionsfaceupthatrangefromjustvisible(I1)toextremely visible to the naked eye (I3). Some I2 and I3 diamondsmay be damaged byultrasoniccleaning.Theymayalsobelessresistanttoknocks.

Figs.5.8&5.9(Left)VS2radiant-cut(octagonalshape,brilliantcut)diamond.(Right)SI1princess-cutdiamond(squarebrilliantcut).Photos©RenéeNewman.

Figs.5.10&5.11(Left)SI2.(Right)I1.Photos©R.Newman.

Figs.5.12&5.13(Left)I2.(Right)I3.Photos©R.Newman.

CARATWEIGHT: Inmostcases, thehigher thecaratweightcategory, thegreater theper-caratprice.Acaratisaunitofweightequalingafifthofagram.Theweightofsmalldiamondsisoftenexpressedinpoints.Onepointequals0.01carats.There’sadifferencebetweenthelabels1ctTW(onecarattotalweight)and1ct(theweightofonestone).

SHAPE&CUTTINGSTYLE:Someshapessuchasroundscostmorethanotherslikepearshapes.Theeffectofshapeonpricedependsonthestonesize,demandandavailable

supply.

Radiantsmaycostslightlymorethanemeraldcutsdependingonsize.Theyhavethesameshapebutdifferentfacetingstyles.

Patented and trademarked cutting styles typically sell formore than generic cuts of thesameshape.

TRANSPARENCY: Not all diamonds are transparent. Some are cloudy or translucentbecausetheyhavefinelydividedparticleswhichinterruptthepassageoflight.Normally,thehigherthetransparencythemorevaluablethediamond.

Even though transparencycanhavea significant impactonprice, labdocumentsdonotinclude it as a price factor. Gem labs, however, may take it into consideration whenassigning a clarity grade. Some labs identify translucent diamonds as “fancy whitediamonds”andmayomitaclaritygrade.Thisterminologydoesnotchangetheirinherentlowervalue.

Ifyou’reinterestedinbuyingabrilliantdiamond,chooseonewithhightransparency.Youdon’t need a lab report to help youdo this.Your eye is the best judgeof transparency.Makesurethediamondsyou’recomparingareclean,andbeawarethattransparencyisanimportantpriceandbeautyfactor.

TREATMENTSTATUS: Unlike colored gems, most diamonds are untreated. That ischanging.Before1999,buyersonlyneeded toknow ifdiamondswere fracture-filledorlaserdrilledtoimprovetheirclarity,orirradiatedtochangetheircolor.In1999,jewelrytrademagazinesannouncedthatGeneralElectricwasabletoturnaspecialclassofbrowndiamonds colorless by heating them with high pressure and high temperatures (HPHTtreatment). Brown diamonds typically sell for about 40% to 70% less than colorlessdiamondsofthesamequalityandsize.

HPHT-treated diamonds have become more readily available since 1999 and are nowfoundinavarietyofcolors,whichretailformuchlessthannatural-colordiamonds.Theyare sold under the generic names “processed diamond” or “HPHT diamond” or undertrademarkednamessuchas“Bellataire.”

Gemstones which are naturally beautiful are more highly valued than their treatedcounterparts. Not all countries require disclosure of gem treatments, and some sellersdon’t complywith disclosure laws that exist. Therefore, ask if a diamond youwant istreatedorofnaturalcolorandmakesureithasalabdocumentfromareputablelabstatingthatitisuntreatedifyouwantanatural-colordiamondwithnoclarityenhancement.

Majorsources: Australia, Botswana, Canada, Russia and SouthAfrica are theworld’sleadingdiamondproducers.Canadabecameadiamondproducer inOctober1998whenthe Ekati diamondmine opened northeast of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories.Diavik,Canada’ssecondmine,beganproductionin2003.

Basicdiamonddata

Chemicalcomposition:C—crystallizedcarbon

RI:2.417,Hardness:10,SG:3.51-3.53

DiamondisthebirthstoneforAprilandthe60thand75thanniversarystone.

Fig.5.14Natural-colordiamonds.RingsandphotofromtheJyeLuxuryCollection.

Fig.5.15AnAsscherCutPrincessdiamond,asquarepatenteddiamondwithcutcorners.Ring&photocourtesyQuadamas.

Fig.5.16Blackdiamondsurroundedby“white”brilliant-cutdiamonds.Ring&photocourtesyToddReed.

Beware:Somesellersover-gradetheirstonesandneglecttoprovideinformationaboutthequalityofthecut.Theirpricesmayseemlowwheninfacttheymightbehigherthanthoseofethicaljewelers.Ifyou’rebuyinganexpensivediamond,eitherpurchaseonewithalabreport from a respected lab or else make the sale contingent on an appraisal from an

independentappraiser.

Diamondsthatarefracture-filled,irradiated,drilledorheat&pressuretreatedshouldsellforlessthanuntreateddiamonds,allotherfactorsbeingequal.Inaddition,thefillingsinfracture-filleddiamondsmightbedamagedbyrepeatedultrasoniccleaningsorbyjewelryrepairproceduresinvolvingdirectheating.

Onepopulardiamondimitationissyntheticmoissanite.Itreactslikediamondtothermaldiamond testers, but jewelers can distinguish it fromdiamondbecause its facets appeardoubledundermagnification.

Synthetic (man-made) diamonds were first produced in the early 1950s for industrialpurposes,butitwasn’tuntilabout2003thattheybecamecommerciallyavailableinstoresandontheInternet.Sellerstypicallyidentifythembytheirbrandnameoraslab-createdorlab-grown diamonds. Sometimes synthetic diamonds are incorrectly called “cultured”diamonds.Man-madediamondsoftensell forafewthousanddollarspercarat,but theirpricesaredroppingasproductioncostsgodownandcompetitionincreases.Ontheotherhand, the prices of natural, mined diamonds are remaining stable or are rising. If youwouldlikeforyourdiamondtoretainitsvalue,thenselectanuntreatednaturaldiamond,onethathasbeenminedintheearth.SeetheDiamondHandbookbyRenéeNewmanformoreinformationonsyntheticdiamonds.

Sometimespeopleareconcernedaboutdiamondswitchingoridentifyingtheirdiamond(s)in theeventof lossor theft.Thankstosophisticatedtechnology,anoptical“fingerprint”has been developed called GEMPRINT®. It’s been used by the FBI, Canadiangovernmentandinsurancecompaniestoidentifydiamondsthatwere“gemprinted”atthetimeofpurchase.Thesediamondsreceivediscountsfrominsurersbecauseit iseasier topositively identify them when jewelry is recovered. For more information, go towww.gemprint.com

Diamond care tips: Untreated diamonds without cracks and large inclusions can becleaned by any method. You can soak them in soapy water, alcohol or an ammoniasolutionandthenrubthemcleanwithalint-freecloth.Ultrasoniccleaningisusuallytheeasiestandmosteffectivemethod.Mostjewelerswillcleanyourjewelryandcheckyourdiamondsettingsfreeofcharge.

6/GemsfromLivingOrganismsPearls,amber,coralandivoryarenotstones,butthey’reregardedasgemsbecausethey’reattractive,relativelyrare,andcanbewornasjewelry.Ofallthegemsproducedbylivingorganisms,pearlsarethebestknownandmosthighlyvalued.

PearlPriceFactorsinaNutshellThefollowingfactorscanaffectthepriceofapearl:

Luster

Shape

Surfacequality

Color

Size

Thicknessofthenacre(pearlysubstancesecretedbymollusks)

Treatmentstatus(untreatedortreated?Typeoftreatment)

Pearltype(saltwater/freshwater,natural/cultured,whole/blister)

LUSTER:Thisispearlbrilliance;theshineandglowofapearl.Thehigheranddeepertheluster,themorevaluablethepearl.Pearlswithahighlusterdisplaystrongandsharplight reflections and a good contrast between the bright and darker areas of the pearl.Pearlswithlowlusterlookmilky,chalkyanddull.Selectpearlsthathaveagoodluster.

Fig.6.1Lusterqualitiesrangingfromhightoverylow.PearlsfromKingPlutarco;photo©RenéeNewman.

SHAPE: Normally, the more round and symmetrical the pearl, the more it costs, butunique, asymmetrical shapes are also desirable and are used to create distinctive pearlpieces. The lowest priced shapes are baroque (irregular and asymmetrical in shape) orhavering-likeformationsencirclingthepearl.

SURFACEQUALITY: The fewer and smaller the flaws, themore valuable the pearl.Blemishes on single pearls tend to bemore obvious and less acceptable than those onstrands.It’snormalforpearlstrandstohaveblemishes.Naturalpearlsnormallyhavemoreflaws than cultured akoya pearls. That’s because they’ve been in the oyster longer andhavehadmore time todevelopblemishes.Culturedpearls fromtheSouthSeasarealsomorelikelytohaveflawsthanakoyas,whichhaveathinnernacrecoating.

Fig.6.2SouthSeapearlshapes:round,oval,drop,button,circleddropandbaroque.PearlsfromKingPlutarco;photo©RenéeNewman.

Fig.6.3Surfacequalitiesrangingfromcleantoheavilyblemished.Pearls:KingPlutarco;photo©RenéeNewman.

Fig.6.4SomeAustralianSouthSeapearlcolors.PearlsfromKingPlutarco;photo©RenéeNewman.

COLOR: Saltwater pearls that are yellowish usually sell for less than thosewhich arewhiteandlightpink.GoldenSouthSeapearlsfromIndonesiaandthePhilippinesareanexceptionandcansellforasmuchaswhiteSouthSeapearls,providedthegoldcolorisintenseandnatural.

Natural-colorblackpearls(they’reactuallygray)cansellforasmuchaswhitepearlsofthesamesizeandquality,aslongastheyhaveovertonecolorsandarenotjustplaingray.Theovertonecolors,whicharevisibleinthelight-coloredareasofblackpearls,maybegreen,pink,blueorpurple.

Pinkovertonesaredesirableonwhitepearlsandarevisibleinthedarkareasofthepearl.Greenish or yellowish overtones tend to reduce the price ofwhite pearls.Occasionally,iridescentrainbow-likecolorsarevisibleonpearls.Pearliridescenceisalwaysconsideredavaluablequality.

Thewayinwhichcoloraffectsthepricingoffreshwaterpearlsvariesfromonedealertoanother.Oftenithaslittleornoeffect.However,whencomparingthepricesofanypearls,trytocomparepearlsofthesametypeandcolor.

NACRETHICKNESS:Nacre thickness isnotaprice factor fornaturalpearlsbecausethey’renearlyallnacre.However,itisofcriticalimportanceinculturedsaltwaterpearls.

The thicker the nacre coating of a pearl, the better andmore durable the pearl. Beforeabout1960,Japaneseakoyapearlfarmersleftthepearlsintheoysterforatleasttwoandahalfyears.Around1979,pearlharvestingstartedtobedonejustaftersixtoeightmonths.Theresult—alotofinexpensive,thin-nacrepearlsonthemarket,manyofwhichlooklikedullwhitebeadsandhavenacrethat’speelingoffthepearls.

Fortunately,betterpearlswiththickernacrearealsoavailable,butthey’rerarelyasthickas those cultured before the 1960’s. South Sea pearls normally have a thicker nacrecoatingthanakoyapearls.Nacrethicknessisoneofthemostimportantqualityfactorsforculturedsaltwaterpearlsbecauseitaffectsboththebeautyanddurabilityofthepearls.

Nacre thickness is not as important a factor in cultured freshwater pearls as it is insaltwaterpearls.Thisisbecausemostfreshwaterpearlshavenoshellnucleus.Whenoneis present, the nacre is usually thicker than in akoya pearls. One of the biggest sellingpointsofculturedfreshwaterpearlsisthattheyusuallyhaveahigherpercentageofpearlnacrethantheirsaltwatercounterparts.

SIZE:Thelargerthepearl,themoreitcosts.Anexceptionwouldberoundpearlswithadiameterof less than7millimeters.A2–2½mmstrand, forexample,might sell for thesamepriceormorethana4–4½mmstrand(pearlmeasurementsaregenerallyroundedtothenearesthalforwholemillimeter).Pricingoftendependsonavailabilityanddemand.

TREATMENTSTATUS:Dyedandirradiatedpearlscostlessthanthoseofnaturalcolor.Irradiatedpearls normally costmore thandyedpearls because the irradiationprocess ismorecostlyandbecauseit’susuallyreservedforhigherqualitypearls.Duringthe1920sand30s,however,dyedblackpearlswereconsideredfashionableandsometimessoldforasmuchaswhitepearlsofsimilarsizeandquality.

PEARLTYPE:Beforeyoupriceapearl,youshouldknow,forexample,ifit’ssaltwater(fromtheoceans,sea,gulforbay)orifit’sfreshwater(fromariver,lakeorpond).

Goodsaltwaterpearls (e.g.,SouthSeaandJapaneseakoya)cancostseveral timesmorethanfreshwaterpearlsofsimilarqualityandsize.Oneof thereasonsfor this is thatonemusselinalakecanproduceasmanyasfortyfreshwaterpearlsinoneharvest.Anoysterintheseatypicallyproducesoneorsometimestwosaltwaterpearlsatatime.Inaddition,mostfreshwaterpearlsarecultured inChina,where laborcostsare lower than inJapan,AustraliaandTahiti.

Naturalpearlsaremorevaluablethanculturedpearls.Naturalpearlsareusuallyformedasthemollusksecreteslayersofprotectivenacre(pronouncedNAY-ker)aroundanirritantthataccidentallyenters themollusk.Theirritantcanbeaminutesnail,worm,crab,oraparticleofshell,clayormud.

Fig.6.5CulturedSouthSeapearlsfromA&ZPearls.PhotobyDiamondGraphics.

Fig.6.6AbaloneshellcarvingbyLouHernandez.PhotobyArnimHuber.Fig.6.7CulturedmabeCortezPearls.PearlsandphotofromColumbiaGemHouse.

Culturedpearlsareformedaroundirritantsthatareintentionallyintroducedbyman.Theirritantmaybeashellbead,anotherpearlortissuefromanoysterormussel.Theshapeand size of the resulting pearls depend to a large degree on the shape and size of theimplantedirritant.Morethan99%ofthepearlsonthemarkettodayarecultured.Perhapsthehighest percentageof natural pearls sold today are found inEurope and theMiddleEast.InEurope,“pearl”means“naturalpearl.”IntheUnitedStates,theterm“pearl”hascome tomean “cultured pearl” because natural pearls are not normally sold in jewelrystores.Ifapearlisnatural,it’susuallycalledanaturalpearl.AccordingtotheU.S.FederalTradeCommission,however,pearlsthatareculturedaresupposedtobeprecededbytheword“cultured.”

One typeofnaturalpearl that is found inNewZealandandoff thewestcoastofNorthAmerica is the abalone pearl. Even though the abalone is a snail and not an oyster ormussel, thecolorfulnacreousgems itproducesareconsidered tobepearlsbecause theyconsist of many concentric layers of nacre. The shell of the abalone is also used forjewelryandcarvings.

Colorful pearls also come from the rainbow-lippedoyster in theSeaofCorteznear thecity of Guaymas,Mexico. These pearls are cultured by ColumbiaGemHouse and areavailableinsemi-round,dropandroundshapes.

Fig.6.8Chinesefreshwaterbead-nucleatedculturedpearls(rounds:12-14mm,baroques:17-30x21-37mm),a14.32mmgoldenroundPhilippineSouthSeaculturedpearl,a16.2mmroundTahitianSouthSeaculturedpearlandroundVietnamesewhiteakoyaculturedpearls(2.5-3mm).PearlsandphotofromBettySueKingofKing’sRansom.

Besidesknowingwhetherapearlisnaturalorcultured,onemustalsoconsiderifthepearlisawholepearl,blisterorthree-quarterpearl.

Wholepearlsaremuchmorevaluedthanblisterpearls—thosewhichgrowattachedtothe inner surface of amollusk shell and three-quarterpearls—whole pearls that havebeengroundorsawedononeside,usuallytoremoveblemishes.Mabepearlsaremadefromblisterpearlsbyremovingtheinterior,fillingitwithapasteandcoveringitwithamother of pearl backing. These assembled pearls offer a big look at a low price, butthey’renotasdurableasnon-assembledpearls.

Geographicsourcesofpearls

Japanisstillthemajorproducerofakoyapearlsthatare7mmandaboveinsize.Chinahasbecomealargecultivatorofsmallakoyapearls,andVietnamisalsoasourceofakoyaculturedpearls.Chinaisthemainproduceroffreshwaterpearls,buttheyhavealsobeenculturedintheUnitedStatesandJapan.

Australia is the principal producer ofwhite South Sea pearls,whereas Indonesia is thelargest source of golden South Sea pearls. A significant quantity of golden South Seapearls are from thePhilippines.Themajority of black pearls are cultured inTahiti, butsomearealsoproducedintheCookIslandsandMexico.Thehighestpercentageofnaturalsaltwater pearls have been harvested in the PersianGulf, the Red Sea and theGulf ofManaar(betweenIndiaandSriLanka).NaturalfreshwaterpearlshavebeenfoundintheriversoftheUSA,Scotland,Ireland,France,AustriaandGermany,butthey’renolongercommerciallyimportant.

Fig.6.9Culturedfreshwaterpearlfrogonagreenopalbase.

One-of-a-kindsculptureandphotobyA&ZPearls.

Basicpearldata

Chemical composition: CaCO3—calcium carbonate (most of it aragonite and the restcalcite)+2–4%waterand4–14%conchiolin.RI:1.530–1.685,Hardness:2.5–4.5

PearlisoneofthebirthstonesforJune.

Beware:Dyedandirradiatedpearlsarenotalwaysdisclosed.ForblackandgoldenSouthSeapearlsthatcostthousandsofdollars,it’sagoodideatogetareportfromarespected

lab stating there’s no evidence of artificial coloring, especially if you don’t know theseller.Imitationpearlsareoccasionallysoldasculturedpearls.

For informationandphotosondetectingfakeanddyedpearls,consult thePearlBuyingGuidebyRenéeNewmanandPearlsbyElisabethStrack.

Another common problem with pearls is nacre so thin that it peels off. This can bedetectedbothwiththenakedeyeanda10-powermagnifier.Youcanusuallyavoidgettingthin-nacrepearlsbyselectingpearlsthathaveahigh,richluster.Tolearnhowtoevaluateluster,havesalespeopleshowyouavarietyoflusterqualitiesfromveryhightoverylow.

Pearlcaretips

Cleanpearlsbywipingthemwithasoftdampclothafterwearingthem.Avoidultrasonics,steam cleaners, detergents, bleaches, powdered cleansers, ammonia-based cleaners, andchemicals.Pearlsareattackedbyallacids,butit’ssafetouseacetoneonpearlstoremoveglue and stains.Putyourpearls on after applyinghair spray, cosmetics andperfume. Ifyou wear pearls often, have your jeweler check the strands at least once a year todetermineiftheyneedrestringing.

AmberAmber is fossilized tree resin,which isproducedby some treesasa formofprotectionfrom disease and wood-burrowing insects. It was one of the earliest gems used forpersonaladornment.Ofspecialinteresttoscientistsareamberscontaininginsects,pollen,leaves,andoccasionallyfrogsandlizards thatwere trappedmillionsofyearsagoas thesticky resindrippeddown the tree trunk.Amberswith inclusionsprovidea rare lookatplantandinsectlifeofthattimeperiod.

Mostamberisbrownishyellowtoorangeincolorbut itcanalsobeblue,green,orred.Brownishcolorsaretheleastvalued.Thebestqualityamberistransparentandeitherhasnoflawsorelsehasverydistinctiveinclusions.

Majoramberdeposits

Themajorityofgem-qualityamberisfoundalongtheBalticcoastsofRussiaandPoland.Other significant sources are the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Myanmar, Sicily, andRomania.

Beware

Amberissometimesdyedtomakeitdarkeroradifferentcolor.Thedyemayfade.Beonthe lookout forpressedamber (alsocalledreconstitutedamber). It’smadebyheatingsmall amber fragments andcompressing them into largerpieces. It canbe identifiedbymagnification.Alotofnaturalamberisheatedjusttomakeitmoretransparent.

Ambercanbe separated from imitations suchasplasticbyplacing it in a saturated saltsolution. Amber will normally float while imitations may sink. However, copal andpolystyreneplastichaveaboutthesamespecificgravityasamber,soamberexpertsfindhighmagnificationtobemoreusefulindetectingimitations.

Fig.6.10Mexicanambercontainingavarietyofinsects;themaininclusionisawingedtermite.Specimen&photofromDaveGibsonofwww.MexicanAmber.org.uk.

Oneimitationthatishardertodetectiscopal,ayoungversionofamber.Ithasessentiallythe same chemical formula as amber but different physical properties. Copal containsliquids suchasoils, acidsandalcohol,whereas inamber these liquidshaveevaporated,resultinginamoredurableproduct.Besidesitsgreaterresistancetocrackingandcrazing,amberismuchmorerareandvaluablethancopal.Adropofacetonenailpolishremoveron thebackof thematerialcanhelp separatecopal fromamber.Theacetonewillmakecopalstickybutitwillhavenoeffectonamber.

Basicamberdata

Composition:fossilizedplantresins

RI:1.53–1.55,Hardness:2-2.5,SG:1.05–1.10

AmberCaretips

Amber scratches, abrades andmelts easily. If it’s left in the sun, it can dehydrate andcrack.Avoidultrasonics,allchemicals,brushes,andheat.Tocleanamber,wipeitwithasoftdampcloth;orcleanitincoolsoapywater,rinseanddrywithasoftcloth.

Formoreinformationonamber,consultGem&OrnamentalMaterialsofOrganicOriginbyMaggieCampbellPedersenandwww.MexicanAmber.org.uk.

CoralCoralisformedbycoloniesoftinybonelessseaanimalscalledcoralpolyps.Theysecreteahardouterframeworkwhichbecomesacoralhomeforthemandwhichcaneventuallygrowintoreefs.TheMediterraneanandRedSeasarethemainsourcesofthefinestcoral.Much of it is fashioned and traded in Torre del Greco, Italy near Naples. The currentproductionofcoralislimitedbyenvironmentalregulations.

Fig.6.11Atermite,cockroachandflyinamber.Specimen&photofromDaveGibsonofwww.MexicanAmber.org.uk.

Fig.6.12VictoriancoralcameoringfromLangAntique&EstateJewelry.PhotobyColeBybee.

Coral occurs in a variety of colors—pink, red, orange, white, cream, black andoccasionally blue or purple, but the most highly valued is red, followed by pink. Thestronger and more even the color the better the quality. Coral is typically cut intocabochons, beads, cameos and figurines; orbranch segments aredrilled and strung intonecklaces.

Majorcoralsources

Australia, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, Western Mediterranean Sea, Philippines, Red Sea,TaiwanandHawaii.BlackcoralisfoundinAustralia,HawaiiandtheWestIndies.Eventhoughtherearehundredsofspeciesofcoralworldwide,onlyasmallnumberareusedforjewelry.

Beware

Askif thecoralhasbeendyed todeepenorchange thecolor.Dyedcoralmayfadeandshouldcostless.Lowqualitymaterialmaybeimpregnatedwithglue-likematerialtofilland hide surface cavities, and broken pieces or cracks may be glued back together.

Commonimitationsincludebone,chalcedony,plastic,glass,andshell.GilsoncoralisanimitationcoralmadebyGilsonInc.

Basiccoraldata

Chemicalcomposition:primarilyCaCO3—calciumcarbonate(intheformofcalcite).

RI:1.48–1.66,Hardness:3–4,SG:1.37–2.60–2.70

Coralcaretips

Coral scratchesandabradeseasily,and itdissolves inacidic substancessuchasvinegarandlemonjuice.Avoidultra-sonics,allchemicals,brushes,brightlightandheat.Tocleancoral,wipeitwithasoftdampcloth.

IvoryIvoryisdentine,asubstancecommontotheteethofallmammals.However,thetermisgenerally used to refer to elephant’s tusks and the teeth of hippopotamus, mammoth,narwhal,sealion,walrus,whaleandwildboar.

Fig.6.13ADavidWebbivoryandturquoisebracelet—hammerpriceof$11,950on5-2-2011atHeritageAuctionGalleries.Itwasmadeon5/8/1970,whichwasbeforetheuseofivorywasprohibited.Photo&informationfromGailLevine’swww.AuctionMarketResource.com.

Sincemoreandmoreivory-bearinganimalsarethreatenedwithextinction,tradinginmostnewivoryhasbecomeillegalinmuchoftheworld.Asaresult,somenewivorypiecesaredyedtomakethemappearasiftheyarevaluableantiques.Todaypeopleareencouragedto use imitation ivory made from bone or palm nuts (vegetable ivory) as a substitute.Plasticisalsousedtoimitateivory.

Majorivorysources

TanzaniaandZairearekeysources. It’salso found in India,Kenya,Senegal,SriLankaandThailand.

Basicivorydata

Composition:calciumphosphatewithcollagenandelastin

RI:1.53–1.54,Hardness:2–3,SG1.7–2.00,

Ivorycaretips

Ivory is soft and porous and it can shrink and discolor from heat. Avoid rough wear,ultrasonics,chemicals,brushes,brightlightsandheat.Tocleanivory,wipeitwithasoftdamp cloth; or clean it in soapy water, rinse and dry with a soft cloth. For additionalinformation,seeIvoryIdentification:APhotographicCompanionbyWilliamR.(Bobby)MannandCharlesM.MartsandGemandOrnamentalMaterialsofOrganicOrigin byMaggieCampbellPetersen.

7/Gold,Platinum,Palladium&SilverJewelryisnormallymadefromalloys,mixturesoftwoormoremetals.Gold,forexample,is alloyed (combined)withmetals such as silver, copper and zinc tomake it harder, tochangeitscolorand/ortoreduceitscost.Platinumalloysareusuallymadebycombiningplatinumwithruthenium,iridium,palladium,cobaltorcopper.

Whencomparingfinejewelryprices,findoutthegold,platinum,orpalladiumcontentofthemetal.It’scalledfineness—theamountofthepreciousmetalinrelationto1000parts.Forexample,goldwithafinenessof750has750parts(75%)goldand250partsofothermetals.Analloycontaining95%platinumorpalladiumhasafinenessof950.

Insomecountries, thekarat isalsousedasameasureofgoldpurity.Onekarat is1/24pure,so24karatrepresentspuregold.Metalcontaining75%puregoldis18karat(18K)gold. Tables 7.1–7.4 list gold, platinum, palladium, and silver content notation used injewelry.

Table7.1Gold(Au)Content&Notation

Table7.2Platinum(Pt)Content&Notation

Table7.3Palladium(Pd)Content&Notation

SourcesofdataforTables7.1–7.4:CIBJOPreciousMetalsBook,WorldHallmarks,Volume1,2ndEditionbyWilliamB.Whetstone,D.Niklewicz,&L.Matula;GIAGold&PreciousMetalsCourse,PalladiumTechnicalManual,UKEdition,FTCGuidelinesfortheJewelry&PreciousMetalsIndustries,www.thegoldsmiths.co.uk,www.competitionbureau.gc.ca,www.stillwaterpalladium.com,www.luxurypalladium.com,www.gold.org,www.ftc.gov/enforcement/rules

Table7.4Silver(Ag)Content&Notation

Fig.7.5RepoussesterlingsilverandgildedgoldcuffbyMichaelGalmer.PhotofromRepousseJewelry.Fig.7.6Piercedandhand-engravedsterlingsilver.Broochcreated&photographedbyVincentHawleyofVWHJewelry.

Fig.7.7Palladiumsetwithdiamonds.Ring&photocourtesyToddReed.Fig.7.8Palladiumframeringinlaidwitha24Ksolidgoldbarhand-engravedwithaCelticdragon.RingandphotobyRoyRudolphDuranofFinerJewelry.

Fig.7.9Platinumandtanzanitenecklace.HandwovenbyBarbaraBerk;photobyRobert&OrasaWeldon.

Fig7.10Rosegold.RingbyWhitneyRobinson;photobyHannaCook-Wallace.Fig.7.11Gold(18K)withafleecemattefinish.RingandphotobyStephenVincentDesign.

OtherJewelryMetalTermsBudget-pricedjewelryismadewiththefollowingmetaltypes:

BONDEDGOLD&SILVER:An unofficial trade term used to describe a layer of atleast10Kgoldthatismechanicallyaffixedtosterlingsilver.Examplemarking:9251/2010K for sterling silverwith a 10K gold layer that is 1/20th of the grossweight of thearticle.

GOLDELECTROPLATE(GEP),ELECTROPLQUÉD’OR:Havinganelectroplatedgold layer of at least .175microns or 7/1,000,000of an inch thick in theU.S. and onemicrometerinCanada.Thegoldmustbeatleast10Kgold.

GOLD FILLED (GF) DOUBLÉ D’OR: Having a solid layer of at least 10K goldbondedwithheatandpressuretoabasemetalsuchasbrass.TheGoldlayermustbeatleast1/20thoftheweightofthemetalintheentirearticle.Examplemarkings“1/2014KGF” or “14KtGold Filled.”Gold-filled items, evenwhenworn daily, can last severalyears,butwilleventuallywearthrough.

GOLDFLASHEDORGOLDWASHED:Havingathinnergoldlayerthan7/1,000,000ofaninchthick.

GOLDOVERLAY:Havingathinnersolid,mechanicallybondedlayerofgoldthangoldfilled.

GOLDPLATE(GP):Havingagoldlayerof½micronsorabout20millionthsofaninch.Examplemarkings:“2microns12K.goldplate”or“2µ12K.G.P.” foran itemplatedwith2micronsof12karatgold.

ROLLEDGOLDPLATE(RGP),PLAQUÉD’ORLAMINÉ:Havingasolidlayerofgold less than 1/20 of the gross weight of the entire article. The layer is applied by amechanicalprocesswithatleast10Kgold.Markingexamples:“1/40th12Kt.RolledGoldPlate”or“1/4012Kt.RGP”

VERMEIL:Consistsofabaseofsterlingsilverplatedwithalayerofatleast10Kgoldandaminimumthicknessthroughoutequivalentto21/2micronsoffinegoldintheUS.The layer of gold may be either electroplated or mechanically bonded. In Canada thethicknessofthegoldlayermustbeatleastonemicrometer.

Geographicsources

SouthAfrica,theUnitedStates,China,Australia,Peru,RussiaandCanadaarethelargest

producersofgold.OthersourcesincludeIndonesia,Uzbekistan,Ghana,Mali,Argentina,ChileandBrazil.

More than70%of theworld’s platinum ismined inSouthAfrica.Russia is the secondlargestproducer.Canada,theU.S.andIndiaareothersources.

Themajority of theworld’s palladium has come fromRussia and SouthAfrica. TherehavealsobeenfindsinMontana,Canada,andZimbabwe.TheleadingproducersofsilverareMexico,Peru,Australia,Russia,CanadaandtheU.S.

Beware

Platedgoldissometimessoldasgenuinegold,sobewareofstreetvendorsandofpricesthat seem too good to be true. Some fake gold can be detectedwith amagnet.Unlikemany fakes, gold is not magnetic. Fineness stamps on clasps can be misleading. Forexample,itislegalfora14Kclasptobeattachedtoafakegoldchainwithajumpringthatisbentclosed,provideditisnotsolderedorweldedtothechain.

Nonetheless,finenessstampsarehelpful.Soselectjewelrythatisstamped.Lookforthestampontheinsideofthepieceandontheclasp.Youmayneedahandmagnifiertoreadit. The stamp doesn’t guarantee the purity, but it’s a good indication. Preferably thereshouldbeatrademarkstampednexttothefinenessmark.Thismayenableauthoritiestotrackthemakerofthepieceifthemetalisdifferentthanstamped.

Don’texpectconsumerprotectionlawstobeasstrictindevelopingcountriesastheyareinindustrializedcountries.Whenbuyingjewelryabroad,it’sespeciallyimportanttodealwithjewelersthatmeetthecriteriadiscussedinChapter12.

Caretips:Cleangold,platinum,palladiumandsilverwithsoapywaterandasoftcloth.Avoidusingbrushesbecausetheycanscratchthesepreciousmetals.Ammoniasolutionsandjewelrycleanersmayalsobeused,providedthejewelryisnotsetwithstonessuchaspearls, coral, emeralds, malachite and turquoise, which may be damaged by cleaningsolutions.

Avoidcleaningjewelrywithtoothpaste,powdercleansersorscouringpadsbecausethesecanwearawaythemetal.Bakingsodaissafe,however,andcanhelpremovetarnishonsilver and low-karat gold. If jewelry is so dirty that it can’t be cleanedwith ammonia,soapywaterorbakingsoda,haveitcleanedprofessionally.Somejewelersdothisfreeofcharge.

Avoid wearing gold jewelry in swimming pools or hot tubs that have chlorinedisinfectants,andneversoakitorcleanitwithbleach.Thechlorinecanpitanddissolvethemetalswithwhich gold is alloyed, causing prongs to snap andmountings to breakapart.Chlorinedoesnotaffectpuregold,platinumorpalladium,butitmaydarkensomesilveralloys.

For further information and photos on alloys, metals testing, and markings readGold,Platinum,Palladium,Silver&OtherJewelryMetalsandtheJewelryHandbook:HowtoSelect,Wear&CareforJewelry.Go towww.reneenewman.com to seedescriptionsandreviewsoftheseandotherbooksbyRenéeNewman.

8/JewelryCraftsmanshipIfyouwantyourjewelrytolastandtoholdgemssecurely,payattentiontothemountingandsetting.Herearesomebasictips:

MountingsSelect sturdy mountings and chains for everyday rings, necklaces and bracelets.Ringsthatarewirethinandbraceletsthatcanbendanddentdonotlastlong.Herringbonechainsofferabiglookatalowpricebutmaykink.Platinummountingscannormallybethinner and more delicate than those made of gold because platinum is stronger anddenser.

Avoidhollowringsandchains.Theyprovideabiglookatalowprice,butthey’rehardtorepairandthey’relessdurablethansolidjewelry.Rings,bracelets,andchainsneedtobemoredurablethanearrings,broochesandpendants,whicharenotsubjectedtoasmuchwearandtear.

Checktoseeifthepieceiswell-finishedonthebackandunderneath.Ifitis,chancesareit’swellconstructed.Ifit’srough,orhasexcesssolder,holesandanillegiblefinenessstamp, thissuggests thepiecewasdonequicklywithoutmuchcare. It’shelpful touseahandmagnifierwhencheckingajewelrypiece.

Figs.8.1&8.2Unacceptableroughfinishandahighqualityfinishonbackofcastjewelry.Photos©RenéeNewman.

Figs.8.3&8.4Herringbonechainwithkinks&aclaspwithaknobsosmallitdoesn’tstayclosed.Photos©R.Newman.

Makesuretheclaspworksifthereisone.Itmaybedefectiveorhardtoopen.Askthesalespersontoshowyouhowtoopenandcloseit.Thentryittwiceyourself.Forbracelets,seeifyoucanopenandclosethemwithonehand.

Figs.8.5&8.6(Left)Improperlysetstone.Notethespacebetweenthestoneandtherightprong.(Right)Edgeofstoneflatagainsttheseatintheprong.Images©RenéeNewman.

Figs.8.7&8.8(Left)Bulkyirregularprongs.(Right)GoodprongsettinginaVarnaPlatinumring.Photos©R.Newman.

Askifthejewelryiswellcraftedandfindoutwhyitisorisn’t.Jewelersthatsellwell-madepiecesoftenliketoexplainwhytheirmountings,settingsandfinishesarebetterthanthose of competitors. You can learn a lot about workmanship by listening to them.Salespeoplemust understand jewelry craftsmanship in order to help you select a well-madepiece,

SettingsDetermineifthere’senoughmetalholdingthestone.Useaten-powerhandmagnifier.Forexample,ifprongsaremissing,thestoneisnotsecure.

Ifpossible,makesuretheedgeofthestoneis flatagainsttheseat (thegroove in themetalwhich supports the stone). There shouldn’t be space between the prongs and thestone.

Verifythatyoucanseemostofthestone.Gemsshouldn’tbecoveredbysomuchmetalyoucanhardlyseethem.Nomorethanone-thirdofthestoneshouldbecovered.

For every-day prong-style rings, it’s good to select hand fabricated or die-struck(machinemade)settings.They’restrongerthancastsettings,whicharemoreporousandbrittle. Ideally, the settings will be made of platinum, because it’s stronger and wearsbetter.

Askyourjewelertoshowyousomeexamplesofgood-qualitysettingsoyou’llhaveabasisforcomparison.

Check jewelry for loose stonesby shakingor tapping it lightlywith your forefingerwhileholdingitnexttoyourear.Ifyouhearthestonesrattleorclick,there’saproblem.

Makesurepearlsaresecuredtojewelrywithametalpostandnotjustgluedtothemounting.Otherwise, theycaneasilybeknockedoutof themounting. Ideally thepostshould screw into the pearl. Even if the glue fails, the screw will still hold the pearlsecurely.

Formoreinformationonjewelrycraftsmanship,finishes,chainsandsettings,consulttheJewelryHandbookbyRenéeNewman.

9/NotableGemSourcesListedbelowaretheprimarysourcesofthegemsdiscussedinthisbookalongwiththoseofpreciousmetals.Otherdepositsareincludedinthewrite-upsofeachgemunder“Majorsources.”

AfricaBOTSWANA:diamond

DRCONGO:diamond,malachite

EGYPT:formerlythemostimportantsourceofperidot

ETHIOPIA:opal

KENYA:aquamarine,grossular,rhodolite,ruby,spessartine,tsavorite

MADAGASCAR:agate,aquamarine,garnet,morganite,bluesapphire,pinksapphire,spodumene,starrosequartz,yellowberyl

MALAWI:bluechalcedony,yellowtourmaline

MOZAMBIQUE:aquamarine,ruby,tourmaline

NAMIBIA:bluechalcedony,tourmaline,spessartine

NIGERIA:aquamarine,tourmaline,spessartine

REPUBLICOFMALI;grandite(Maligarnet),yellowopal

TANZANIA:garnet,greenopal,iolite,ruby,fancy-colorsapphire,spinel,tanzanite,tourmaline,tsavorite,zircon

SOUTHAFRICA:diamond,gold,hydrogrossular,palladium,platinum,pyrope,tiger’s-eye

ZAMBIA:amethyst,aquamarine,emerald,tourmaline

AsiaAFGHANISTAN:lapislazuli,redtopaz,tourmaline

CAMBODIA:sapphire,zircon

CHINA:aquamarine,pearls(akoyaandfreshwater),nephritejade,peridot,tourmaline,turquoise

HONGKONG:ashopper’sparadiseforallgemsandjewelryeventhoughnoneareminedthere

INDIA:agate,almandinegarnet,bloodstone,chalcedony,iolite,moonstone,quartzcat’s-eye,starruby;sunstone,acuttingcenterforlower-qualitydiamonds

INDONESIA:SouthSeapearls(golden)

JAPAN:coral,pearls

KASHMIR:formerimportantsourceofthehighestqualitysapphire

MYANMAR:jadeitejade,moonstone,peridot,ruby,sapphire,spinel

PAKISTAN:aquamarine,emerald,kunzite,peridot,pinktopaz,tourmaline

PHILIPPINES:SouthSeapearls(golden)

SINGAPORE:ashopper’sparadiseforallgemsandjewelryeventhoughnogemsareminedthere

SRILANKA(FORMERLYCEYLON):alexandrite,cat’s-eye(chrysoberyl),garnet,moonstone,padparadscha,ruby,sapphire(blue&fancy-color),spinel,zircon;cuttingcenterforcoloredgems

TAIWAN:cuttingcenterforcoloredgems

THAILAND:ruby,sapphire,blackspinel,zircon;atradingandcuttingcenterforcoloredgems,especiallyrubyandsapphire

VIETNAM:spinel

EuropeBELGIUM:Antwerp:acuttingandtradingcenterfordiamonds

CZECHREPUBLIC:redgarnet

FINLAND:spectrolite

GERMANY:Idar-Oberstein:amajorcuttingcenterforcoloredgemstonesandprocessingcenterforagate

ITALY:goldmanufacturingcenter;TorredelGreco:atradingcenterforcoral

POLAND:amber

SCOTLAND:agate,smokyquartz

RUSSIA:alexandrite,amber,demantoidanduvarovitegarnet,diamond,palladium,platinum,redtourmaline,silver,yellowberyl

SERBIA:greenopal

TURKEY:bluechalcedony,diaspore

UKRAINE:bluetopaz,bicolortopaz

Fig.9.1Mozambiquetourmaline.Ring&photofromSunaBros.Fig.9.2TanzanitefromTanzania.EarringsbyCynthiaRenéeInc;photobyJohnParrish.

Fig.9.3BurmeseredspinelfromPalaInternational.PhotobyMiaDixon.Fig.9.4SriLankanstarsapphire.Ring&photofromCynthiaRenéeInc.

Figs.9.5&9.6ColumbianemeraldandMexicanfireopal.RingsbyHubert;photosbyDiamondGraphics.

Fig.9.7MtMica,Mainetourmaline(256cts).CutbyArtGrantofCoasttoCoastRareGemstonesInternational;photobyTinoHammid.Fig.9.8HessonitegarnetfromCanada.Cut&photographedbyJeffWhiteofJ.L.WhiteFineGemstones.

Fig9.9Non-beadedChinesefreshwaterculturedpearls(10-14mm).NecklaceandpearlsfromKing’sRansom;photobyLee-Caraher.

Near&MiddleEastIRAN:turquoise

ISRAEL:acuttingandtradingcenterfordiamonds

NorthAmericaCANADA:diamond,gold,silver

Alberta:ammolite

BritishColumbia:nephritejade,hessonitegarnet

Newfoundland:labradorite

USA:gold,silver

WesternUnitedStates:agate,chalcedony,jasper

Alaska:gold

Arkansas:clearquartz

Arizona:fireagate,peridot,pyropegarnet,turquoise

California:abalonepearls,benitoite,quartz,tourmaline

Hawaii:blackcoral,peridotfromvolcanosfortourists

Idaho:stargarnet

Maine:tourmaline

Montana:agate,palladium,sapphire(blueandfancycolor)

Oregon:agate,sunstone

Utah:redberyl

Wyoming:blackjade

MEXICO:agate,chrysocolla,fireagate,yellowlabradorite,fireopal,pinkgrossular(rosolite),turquoise;Taxco,asilvermanufacturingcenter

SouthAmericaARGENTINA:rosequartz

BOLIVIA:ametrine

BRAZIL:agate,alexandrite,amethyst,aquamarine,cat’s-eye(chrysoberyl),citrine,emerald,iolite,morganite,quartzcat’s-eye,opal,rosequartz,rutilatedquartz,sard,smokyquartz,spessartinegarnet,spodumene,topaz,tourmaline,yellowberyl

CHILE:lapislazuli

COLOMBIA:emerald

PERU:blueopal,gold,pinkopal,silver

URUGUAY:agate,amethyst

SouthPacificAUSTRALIA:blackjade,diamond,gold,opal,sapphire,silver,SouthSeapearls

LightningRidge,NewSouthWales:blackopal

Queensland:boulderopal,chrysoprase,matrixopal,sapphire,opal

SouthAustralia:lightopal,Andamookamatrixopal

WesternAustralia:chrysoprase,diamond,sapphire,SouthSeapearls

FRENCHPOLYNESIA:blackpearls(Tahitianpearls)

NEWZEALAND:abalonemabepearls,nephritejade

10/Euphemisms,MarketingTerms&MisnomersWhatdoestheterm“clarity-enhanceddiamond”meantoyou?

I asked several lay people this question. Nobody knew exactly what it was. Themostcommon responsewas “I don’t know” or “I have no idea, what is it?” Here are otherresponses:

•“Theydidsomethingtothediamondtomakeitlookbetter.”

•“Itmeansthecolorisclearerandbrighter,soit’smoreexpensive.”

•“Thediamondisfake.”

•“Itsoundslikealow-qualitydiamondthatwaspumpedup.”

•“It’sabetterqualitydiamondthanothers.”

•“It’sadoctored-updiamond.”

•“Itdoesn’tmeananything.Howcanyouenhanceadiamond?”

•“It’seitherclearoritisn’t.”

Sellersmay tell you that a clarity-enhanced diamond is one whose imperfections havebeeneliminatedthankstoamazingachievementsinmoderntechnology.

In actuality, “Clarity-enhanced diamond” is a marketing term for fracture-filleddiamonds—diamondswhosefractureshavebeenmaskedwithaverythinglass-likefilm.Althoughyoumaynotseethefractures,they’restillpresent.“Clarity-enhanced”canalsorefertodiamondsthathavebeenlaserdrilledtoremoveblackflawsbybleachingthemandsometimesfillingthem.Bothofthesetreateddiamondsareworthlessthanuntreateddiamondsof similar size andquality, and they’reharder to resell.Some jewelry repairsinvolving heat (e.g., retipping) can damage the filler, and the treatment is not alwayspermanent if a filler has been used.Nevertheless, clarity-enhanced diamonds can be anaffordablealternativeforpeoplewhowantabiglookatalowerprice.

It’s not surprising that suppliers of fracture-filled diamonds prefer to describe them asclarity-enhanced.Thisallowsthemtodisclosethetreatmentinapositive,vaguemanner.However,sellerstothegeneralpublicshouldexplainthemeaningof“clarity-enhanced”totheircustomersbecauselaypeoplemaynotknowwhatitmeans.Thetermevenmisleadssome people into thinking the enhanced diamond is more valuable than an untreateddiamond.Gem laboratories should define “clarity-enhanced” on their lab documents orelse they should use clear, specific terminology such as “fracture-filled.” Otherwise,

they’renotprovidingproperdisclosure.

Gem colors are often described with non-color adjectives such as champagne, honey,pistachio,grape,cornflowerandsherry.Thesemarketingtermsareidealfordisplaysandadvertisementsbecausetheyevokepositiveimagesthatenticecustomerstobuy.However,they’renotappropriateforlabreports,appraisalsandseriousgemologicaltextssincetheydon’tprovideanaccuratevisualideaofgemcolor.Forexample,dependingonwhomyoutalk to, sherry-colored topaz can be either yellow, orange, brownish yellow or reddish.That’sbecausepeoplehavedifferentopinionsastothecolorofsherry.Consequentlyaninsuranceappraisalwhichdescribesatopazassherry-coloredwon’tbeveryhelpfuliftheownerneedstoreplacealostorstolentopaz.

Within the diamond industry, the term “champagne” is a euphemism for light brown.Sincethepresenceofbrownandgrayingemsoftenlowerstheirvalue,dealersprefertoavoid these two color terms when describing gems and even metals. For example,platinumhasanattractivegraycolor,butit’sdescribedasawhitemetal.Ifitwerereallywhite, platinum would look like plastic. When used to describe colored gems,“champagne” is typically an ambiguous marketing term. “Champagne garnet,” forexample,hasbeenused torefer to lightyellow, lightpink, lightorangeand lightbrowngarnet.

Salespeoplewhohaveyourinterestsatheartwillexplaintradeeuphemismsandmarketingtermsclearly.But since somesellersaremore interested inmakingaquicksale than inestablishingalong-termrelationshipoftrust,youmayneedtorefertothefollowinglisttounderstandtheirterminology.

TradeEuphemismsTranslatedintoClearEnglishB-JADE:Jadethat’sbeenbleachedandimpregnatedwithasyntheticfiller

C-JADE: Jade that’sbeendyed inaddition tobeingbleachedand impregnated in somecases

CHAMPAGNEDIAMONDS:Lightbrowndiamonds

BROWNDIAMONDS:Browndiamonds

CLARITY-ENHANCEDDIAMOND:Usuallymeansfracture-filleddiamond.Canalsomeanlaserdrilledwithorwithouttheadditionofafillertomaskthedrillhole.

CLARITY-ENHANCEDEMERALD: Fracture-filled emerald. The fillingmay be oil,wax,naturalresinand/oranepoxy-likesubstance.Almostallemeraldsarefracturefilled.

CLARITY-ENHANCEDRUBY: Rubywith glassy residues in fractures as a result ofbeingheattreatedinafluxsuchasborax.“Clarity-enhanced”canalsodenoterubies(orsapphires) that areoiledor cavity filled. In addition, the term“clarity-enhanced rubies”hasbeenused to refer to rubies impregnatedwith lead-glass,whichare typically calledleadglass-filledrubies,compositerubies,hybridrubiesormanufacturedproducts.

CREATED:Synthetic,lab-grown,man-made

ENHANCEMENT:Treatment

FAUXPEARLS:Imitationpearls

FEATHER:Crack,fissure,fractureofanysize

PROCESSEDDIAMOND:Heatandpressuretreateddiamond

STABILIZED:Impregnatedwithacolorlessbondingagentsuchasplasticorwax

THERMALENHANCEMENT:Heattreatment

MisnomersSometimesgemsaresoldundernamesthatmisrepresenttheirtrueidentity.Thesenamesarecalledmisnomers.Forexample,agarnetmaybecalledan“Americanruby”or“Caperuby”tomakeitseemmorevaluable.Ifasalespersonaddsaqualifyingwordorprefixtoa gem name, ask him or her to explain what it means. Some examples of misnomersinclude:

Ceylondiamond:zircon

Braziliandiamond:colorlesstopaz

Herkimerdiamond:colorlessquartz

Mogokdiamond:topaz

Eveningemerald:peridot

Medinaemerald:greenglass

Orientalemerald:greensapphire

Spanishemerald:greenglass

Soudéemerald:greendoublet

Africanjade:translucentgreengarnet

Amazonjade:amazonite

Australianjade:chrysoprase

Coloradojade:amazonite

Indianjade:aventurinequartz

PikesPeakjade:amazonite

Oregonjade:darkgreenjasper

Swissjade:dyedchalcedony

D-Jade:anunofficialstreettermforimitationjade

Germanlapis:dyedbluejasper

Swisslapis:dyedbluejasper

Blackonyx:dyedchalcedony

Majoricapearl:imitationpearl

RedSeapearls:coralbeads

Semi-culturedpearl:imitationpearl

Balasruby:spinel

Bohemianruby:rosequartz

Brazilianruby:topaz

Californiaruby:garnet

Coloradoruby:garnet

Culturedruby:syntheticruby

Siberianruby:tourmaline

Spinelruby:spinel

Braziliansapphire:tourmalineortopaz

Merusapphire:tanzanite

Orientalsapphire:chrysoberyl

Spinelsapphire:spinel

Watersapphire:iolite

Topaz:citrinequartz

Madeiratopaz:citrinequartz

Smokytopaz:smokyquartz

Spanishtopaz:citrinequartz

11/HavingJewelryCustomMadeIfyoudon’tfindthetypeofjewelryyou’relookingfor,youmaywishtohaveitcustommade.ManyAsiancountriesarenotedfortheirfastservice—oftenonetotwodays.Theycanbe thatquickbecause theyhavemore jewelerspercapita thancountriessuchas theUnitedStates.AjewelerinAsiamayhaveonlyoneortwopiecestoworkonatatime,whereas one in theUSAmaybe handling 30or 40 jobs at once.Whenhaving jewelrycustommade,followtheguidelinesbelow:

Beforeselectingajeweler,asktoseesomeexamplesofhisorherbestwork.Normallythequalityoftheworkjewelerswilldoforyouwillbenobetterthanwhattheyhavedoneforothers.Ifyou’renotsatisfiedwiththesamples,gosomeplaceelse.

Tryonjewelrypiecesthatresemblewhatyouwant.Whatlooksgoodinapicturemaynotlookorfeelgoodonyou.

If possible, have good drawings, photos or models of the jewelry piece you wantmade. Never assume that the jeweler understands your verbal description ofwhat youwant.Beasspecificaspossibleabouthowyouwantthejewelrytolook.

Don’t assume a piece of jewelry will look exactly as it does in a photo. It should,however,haveacloseresemblance.Thebestwaytogetwhatyouwantistohaveamodelorsample.

Ifyouhavearingthatfitswellandhasaboutthesamebandwidthasacustomringyouareordering,showittothesalespersonorjewelersotheycanchoosethebestringsizeforyou.Thesamplemetalringsjewelersuseforcustomerscansometimessuggestthewrongsize.

Alwaystellajeweleryouneedtheringearlierthanyouactuallydo,especiallyifit’sacomplicated job. InAsia, allow3or4hours extra; and in countries such as theUnitedStates,atleast3or4days.Eitherthejewelersmaynotfinishontime,oralterationsmaybeneeded.Workoutanacceptabledeliverydateor timeandhave itput inwriting.Butstillbepreparedfordelays.It’sbestnottorushcustom-madejewelry.

If possible, avoid having jewelry custom made in December in countries thatcelebrateChristmas.Sincejewelersarerushedandoverworkedatthattimeofyear,theymightnotdotheirbestworkjustbeforetheholidays.

Get a written estimate of the cost of the jewelry. If more stones are needed thanestimated, the jeweler is not expected to give them to you free of charge. He should,

however, get your permission before doing anything that would increase the estimatedcostofthejewelry.

Knowinadvancewhowillberesponsibleifyourstonesarelostordamagedduringsetting or recutting. If you give a jeweler your gemstones, he’s not always liable ifsomething unfortunate happens to them. Reliable jewelers, however, will either feelmorallyobligatedtoreplacedamagedorloststonesorelsewillclearlywarnyouthatthegemsareatrisk.

Make sure that gold, platinum, palladium and silver pieces are stamped with afinenessmark.Amanufacturer’strademarkisalsodesirable.

Ifaringisbeingcast,asktoseethewaxmodelbeforecasting.Pointoutanyareasyouthinkmightbeproblematic,andsuggestalterationsifneeded.

Know the refund policy of the jeweler. It is normal for jewelers to retain at least aportionofyourdepositifyoudecidenottobuytheringyouordered,particularlyifit’sastylethatwouldbedifficulttosell.

When you have a piece custom made, it often means more to you than ready-madejewelry.Thepieceisunique,andyouplayedaroleincreatingit.Theexperienceofhavingjewelrymade should be a positive one. Prevent it from turning into a negative one bytakingthenecessaryprecautions.

12/ChoosingaJewelerWhenselectingajewelerorsalesperson,considerthefollowingfactors:

Aretheyknowledgeable?Dotheyknowhowtoevaluategemandjewelryquality?Aretheywell-informedaboutgemtreatments?Themoreinformedsalespeopleare, themorecapable they areofhelpingyoumakewise choices that fit yourneeds.Someone in thestoreshouldhavegemologicalcredentialssuchasthoselistedinthechapteronappraising.It’simportant,forexample,thatatleastonestaffmemberbeabletodetectimitationsandlab-grownstones.Evenhonestjewelersmayendupsellinglab-grownstonesasnaturalifthey’reunabletoidentifythemasman-made.

Are the sellers candidandethical?Do they tell you both the good and bad points oftheir inventory?Do they disclose gem treatmentswithout your having to ask?Do theyexplainqualityandtreatmentsinclearlanguage,ordotheyrelyontradeeuphemismsandmarketingterms?Jewelersthatprovidestraightforwardinformationdemonstratetheycareaboutyou.

Dothesellershavealoveforgemsandjewelry?Ifso,theyprobablyknowaboutnewtrendsanddevelopmentsintheindustry,andtheycanhelpyouselectunique,appropriatejewelry for yourself and others. Their knowledge and enthusiasm can also help youappreciateyourpurchasesmore. Jewelerswhoonlycareaboutpriceandweightarenotlikelytohavewell-crafted,artisticdesigns.

HowtoDetermineifaSellerisKnowledgeableandCandidJewelry industry brochures usually tell you to choose a jeweler by gettingrecommendations,bycheckingcredentialsandlengthofexperienceandbyfindingoutifthey’reaffiliatedwithtradeorganizations.Thisisgoodinformation,butit’snotadequate.Justbecauseajewelerisamemberoftradeorganizationsandhasdiplomasdisplayedonthewalldoesnotguaranteeheorshe isethicalandwell-informed.Conversely,someofthe most knowledgeable people in the industry do not have gemology diplomas. Inaddition,it’seasytolieaboutyourexperienceandeducationalbackground.

Getting recommendations from someone you trust is not always easy or possible,especiallywhen you’re traveling abroad.More often than not, you’ll need to judge foryourself if a jeweler is reliable. Tomake a good judgment, you’ll need to know somebasics so that you’ll be able to understand and assess the salespeople you encounter.Readingthisbookisagoodstart.

Toevaluateaprospective jeweler,youshouldbeprepared toasksomeof the followingquestions:

1. Could you tell me something about this piece (or gem)? A salesperson who cancompareittootherpiecesandwhocantellyouaboutthebackgroundandqualityshowsmoreexpertisethanonewhocanonlytellyoutheprice,theweightandtheidentityofthemetalandstone(s)byreadingthetag.

2.Whichoneofthesepieces(stonesorstrands)ismorevaluableandwhy?TwooftheadvantagesofbuyingjewelryinastoreratherthanfromacatalogueortheInternetisthatyou can see the merchandise before buying it and you receive the free services of ajewelry consultant, provided the seller is knowledgeable. When a jeweler can explainqualitydifferencestoyou,thisindicatesheorsheisamorecompetentconsultantandonewho’sprobablyabetterjudgeofmerchandisethanajewelerwhocan’tdiscerndifferencesbetweenpieces.

3.Arethesestonestreated(andpointtothestonesofyourchoice)?Ifsellerstellyouthatnone of their emeralds, for example, are treated in anyway, this is a strong indicationthey’re either ill-informed or dishonest. Review the information in Chapter 2 ontreatmentssoyou’llknowhowandwhatstonesareusuallyenhanced. If sellers tellyouthatanindividualstoneisnottreated,askhowtheyknowit’snottreatedandaskifthey’rewilling towrite thison the receipt.Untreated stones canbeworthmore than those thataren’t.

Thewayinwhichjewelersdisclosetreatmentsisoneofthebestindicationsofhowethicaltheyare.

4. Can you tell me something about the cut of this stone? It’s not sufficient for asalespersontosimplydescribetheshapeofastoneandtotellyouit’safinemake,ifitis.Youneedspecificinformationaboutwhyit’safine,averageorpoormake.Forexample,they should be able to point out if a stone has a strongwindow, a very thick girdle, aunique facetingdesign, etc.You could also ask the salesperson to showyouoneof thebest-cut gemstones in the store and to compare it to an inferior one.Not onlywill youlearnmoreaboutcut,you’llalsolearnifyou’redealingwithaknowledgeablesalesperson.Keep inmind that rubies, sapphires, emeralds and alexandrite are normally not aswellproportionedasmostdiamonds.

5.Howwouldyouratethequalityofyourjewelrycraftsmanship.Why?Jewelerswhosellwell-madejewelryoftenliketheopportunitytoexplainwhytheirmountings,settingsandfinishesarebetterthanthoseofcompetitors.Youcanlearnalotaboutworkmanshipby listening to them.Salespeoplemust know something about jewelry craftsmanship inordertohelpyouselectawell-madepiece,

6.Willyoushowmethestone(s)undermagnification?Iftheyaren’twillingtoprovideyouwithaloupe(handmagnifier)oramicroscope,considershoppingelsewhere.

7.Are youwilling to put inwritingwhat you’ve toldme verbally about the piece(stones)?Reliablejewelerswillsayyes.

8.What’syourreturnpolicy?It’sagoodsignwhenjewelersbackuptheirmerchandiseand claims by a 100%money-back guarantee. Some jewelers only allow exchanges inordertopreventcustomersfrom“borrowing”theirmerchandiseforspecialevents.Whenyoubuyjewelryawayfromhome,though,exchangesbecomeimpractical.Therearemanyjewelersthroughouttheworldwhooffera100%money-backguaranteeonjewelrythatisnot custommade. It’s best to deal with one of them.When buying expensive jewelryabroad,havethesalespersongiveyouawrittencopyoftheirreturnpolicyorhavethemwriteitonthereceipt.Thenpaybycreditcard,notabankdebitcard.Ifthere’saproblemwiththepiecewhenyougetbackhome,itwillbeeasiertogetyourmoneyback.

13/MakingthePurchaseGeneralGuidelines

The preceding chapters gave tips on selecting gemstones and jewelers. Here are someadditionalguidelines:

Whenbuying abroad, ask if the store has an outlet in yourhome country that canserviceyouandmakerefunds.Ifitdoes,getthename,addressandphonenumber.

Knowhowmuchthepurchaseisinyourhomecurrency.Foreigncurrencypricescanbeconfusing.

Haveverbalagreementsputinwriting.Forexample,havethemwriteonthereceiptorgiveyouawrittencopyoftheir“money-backguarantee”policy.Ifastoreisdoingcustomwork,havethemwritethedeliverydateonthereceipt.

Considerhavingexpensivegemscheckedbyareputablelabinthecityofpurchase.It’seasier toreturngoodsandgetyourmoneybackonthespot thanthousandsofmilesaway.Bewary if a store isoverlypushyaboutusinga specificappraiser.Theymaybeworkingtogether.

Getadetailedreceipt.Thereceiptshouldatleastinclude:

1.theidentityandshapeofthestone(s)

2.theidentityandpurityofthemetal

3.thecaratweightofanymajorstonesandthetotalweightofanysmallerstonesofeachgemtype

4.themillimeterdimensionsofloosestones

Thisinformationwillhelpidentifythestoneorjewelryinthefuture.Foraddedprotection,havethestorespecifyifthestoneisofnaturaloriginonthereceipt.IntheUnitedStates,it’sagainstthelawtocallaman-madediamond,forexample,simplyadiamond.Thegemnamemustbequalifiedwithtermssuchas“synthetic”or“lab-grown.”Notallcountrieshavelawslikethis.

Ifthestoretellsyouagemisuntreated,havethemwritethisonthereceipttoo.Thenitwon’tbeyourwordagainsttheirsifthestoneturnsouttobetreated.Manycountriesdonothavetreatmentdisclosurelaws.

Askthestoretomakeaphotocopyofthereceiptorgiveyouaduplicateore-mailcopy,

especially if it’s a large purchase.You can keep one receipt in yourwallet and anotherwithyourpurchase,orelseyoucanmailonecopyhomeincasetheotherislostorstolen.Whenyoureturnfromyourtripyou’llneedtwocopiesanyway—onetokeepathomeandoneforyoursafedepositboxifit’samajorpurchase.

Askthesalespersontogiveyouhisorherbusinesscardwiththestore’sphonenumber,streetaddress,andfaxnumber(iftheyhaveone).Youmayneedtocontactthemlater.

Ifyouboughtjewelryatastoreatourdirectorrecommended,gethisorheraddressandphonenumber.Tourdirectorscanbeabighelpifproblemsariselateron.

Paywithacreditcardwheneverpossible.Resistabargainforcashonlargepurchases.Credit card companies can be an excellent source of protection if and when problemsarise.Ifastorecan’torwon’tacceptyourcreditcards,thinktwicebeforemakingamajorpurchasefromthem.Whentravelingabroad,notifyyourcreditcardcompany(s)andtellthem when and where you will be traveling. Otherwise, vendors may have a problemgetting an authorization number for your card since it is not being used in its usualgeographiclocation.It’sadvisabletotravelwithatleasttwocreditcards.Ifauthorizationoracceptanceproblemsoccurwithonecard,you’llhaveabackupcard.Ifyoubecomeillor injured,orhave to returnhomeearly for family reasons,you’llprobablyneed tousebothofthem.

CreditCardsVersusDebitCardsDebitcardaresometimeseasiertouseabroadbecausetheydon’tofferasmuchprotectionasacreditcard.

Somebasicdifferencesbetweencreditanddebitcardsare:

Creditcardusershavefullaccesstotheirmoneyintheeventofcardtheft,fraudoradisputeaboutacharge.Theydon’thavetopayuntilthedisputeissettled,whichmaytakeafewmonths.Debitcardholdersmustwaittobereimbursedforunauthorizeddebits.Inaddition,theirchecksmaybounceandtheircheckingaccountisnolongersafetouseaslongassomeoneelsehasaccesstotheirdebitcard.

Standardcreditcardsofferconsumersafreeloanuntiltheduedateofpayment.Anexception to this is the socalled“secured”card,usedbypeoplewithbadcredit,whichchargesuserfees.Whenyouuseadebitcard,youraccountisimmediatelydebited.

In case of loss or theft, credit cards offer more protection. Merchants must get anauthorization number to avoid responsibility for purchasesmade on stolen credit cards.Thisisn’ttrueofdebitcards,whichiswhysomemerchantsintheU.S.nolongerrequirepinnumbersorID’sfordebitcards.

Manycreditcardsofferyouprotectionfromfraudulentmerchants.Usingadebitcardisalmostlikepayingcash.

WhenProblemsAriseIf an appraiser or gem lab tells you your purchase abroad is either overpriced ormisrepresented,proceedasfollows:

Firstsendthestoreaphotocopyoftheappraisalorlabreport(byfaxorairmail),andexplainhowyouwouldlikethematterresolved.It’sagoodideatofollowupwithaphonecall.Youshouldletthestorehaveachancetogiveyouanexplanation.Appraisersarenotinfallible,noraretheyallhighlyqualified.Infact,somehavelittleexperiencevaluingandidentifyingsomeofthecoloredgemsminedabroad.

Ifthestoreignoresyouorrefusestoresolvethematter,telltheownerormanagerthatyouwillbefilingformalcomplaintswithbusinessandtradeorganizationsinhiscityandwithyourcreditcardcompany(ifyoupaidbycreditcard).Ifthestorestillrefusestocooperate,thenfollowthroughonyourthreats.

To get the addresses of business and jewelry organizations, try calling the tradecommissioner that represents the country where you made the purchase. Explain theproblem,andaskifhecanhelpyou.Youcanusuallygetthephonenumberofthetradecommissioner by calling the local consulate. Two organizations that handle complaintsaboutjewelersintheUnitedStatesandCanadaare:

Jeweler’sVigilanceCommittee

25W.45thStreet#1406,NewYork,NY10036,

(212)997-2002,www.jvclegal.org

Jeweler’sVigilanceCanada,Inc.

27QueenSt.E.#600,Toronto,ONM5C2M6,Canada

(416)368-4840,(800)636-9536,www.jewellersvigilance.ca

If you paid by credit card, phone the credit company within 30 days if possible,explaintheproblem,andaskthemtostoppaymentonyourpurchase.They’lltellyouiftheyneeddocumentationandletyouknowhowtoreturnthemerchandise.Getthenameof the person on the phone and the file or reference number of the case (if one can beassigned).

Ifyouboughtthejewelryfromastoreatourdirectorrecommended,youmaywanttocontacthimorherfirst.Goodtourdirectorscansaveyoualotoftimeandhassleifproblemsarise.Theywillcontactthejewelerforyou,explaintheproblem,andrelayyour

requests.Eitherthejewelerortourdirectororbothshouldgetbacktoyoutotakecareofthematter.

Ifyouboughtthejewelryfromastorerecommendedinabrochureofareliabletouroperatorinyourcountry,contactthetourcompany.Theycouldgivethejeweleroneoftwochoices—eitherresolvethematterorloseallfuturebusinessfromthem.

Whenyoureturnmerchandise,it’sbesttosenditinsuredregisteredair-mailandtopayforareturnreceipt,wheneverpossible.Youmayneedproofthatyoureturnedthemerchandise.Sometimestheinsuranceofferedisnotadequatetocovertheamountofthepurchase. It’shardest toget insuranceforpackagessent todevelopingcountries.This isanotherreasonyoushouldbecarefulwhenmakinglargepurchasesabroad.

Ifyouplanonmakingamajorjewelrypurchasewhiletraveling,findoutinadvancehowmuchinsuranceyourpostalserviceofferstothecountrieswhereyoumightbuyjewelry.Ifthere’snowayforyoutosafelyreturnmerchandiseviainsuredmail,youcouldendupbeing stuckwithmisrepresentedgoods.Asmentioned earlier, some stores abroadmayhaveoffices in your home countrywhere you can return jewelry.This is the idealalternative.

Keeporiginalsofalldocumentationregardingyourcase.Onlysendcopies.

It’sbest toavoidproblemsbefore theyoccur.Learnaboutgemsbeforeyoubuy;reviewthetipsinthisandtheprecedingchapters;andbewaryofdealsthatseemtogoodtobetrue.Everysellerneedstomakeaprofit,eventhoseabroad.

Unfortunately,someofthemwon’thesitatetomisrepresenttheirmerchandiseinordertomakethatprofit.

14/ChoosinganAppraiserIfyouwerebuyingaclassiccar,youwouldn’tgototheseller’smechanictohavethecarchecked.You’dtakeittoyourown.Likewise,whenyou’rebuyingexpensivejewelry,youshouldn’trelysolelyondocumentsprovidedbytheseller.Instead,haveitevaluatedbyanappraiserwhoisanunbiasedthirdpartyandwhohasyour interests inmind.Appraisalspaidforbysellersarenotindependentappraisals.

Fourreasonsforgettinganindependentjewelryappraisalare:

1.Toverifytheidentityandqualityofthegemsandmetalsused.

2.Togetadditional informationabout treatments,origin,andquality that thesellermaynothaveknown.

3.Tohaveawrittenthird-partydocumentthatwillberecognizedbyinsurancecompanies.Manyinsurancecompaniesdonotrecognizeappraisalsprovidedbytheseller.

4. To determine if you paid a fair price. It’s best to find this out from a professionalappraiser who doesn’t sell jewelry. Competing jewelers may downgrade and under-appraisethemerchandisesoinordertoafterwardssellyousomethingelse.

In addition, sellers may have a tendency to give inflated appraisals. This can result inunnecessarilyhighinsurancepremiums.FormostinsurancepoliciesintheUnitedStates,theinsurancecompanyhastheoptionofreplacingyourmerchandiseorpayingyoucashfor theamount itwouldcost them to replace it,whichever is lower;don’texpect togetcashforthevaluelistedonaninflatedappraisal.

However, an undervalued appraisal isn’t desirable either. In some cases, insurancecoveragehasbeenvoidedbythecompanybecauseofeitherundervaluedorhighlyinflatedappraisals.It’sbesttoobtainalegitimateappraisalfromaqualifiedindependentappraiserandavoidpayingmorethannecessaryinpremiumstotheinsurancecompany.

Thepurposeofmostappraisalsistoobtaininsurancecoverageandtosubstantiateclaimsintheeventoflossortheft.Aninsuranceappraisalstatesthevalueofreplacingapiece;itdoesn’t establish what you can gain in selling the piece. It must contain a thoroughdescription of the value-making features of the jewelry in order to ensure it will bereplaced with a piece of equivalent quality in case of a claim. American insurancecompanies seldom pay cash for a piece; they usually buy a replacement piece atwholesale.

Thetypeofappraisalthatgivesyoutheimmediatecashvalueofyourjewelryiscalleda

liquidationappraisal.Ifyou’reonlyinterestedinaverbalestimateofhowmuchyoucansell apiece for,youcanusually find thatout for free.Simplygo to several jewelersordealersandaskthemwhatthey’llpayforthepiece.Butbeawarethatthepricetheyofferyou canbe lower thanwhat youmight obtain in amore competitive interactivemarketsuch as an auction. If it’s an estate jewelry piece, contact an antique specialist and/orauctionhousetofindoutifithasvalueasacollectibleorantiquepiece.

HowtoFindaQualifiedIndependentAppraiserSomewaystofindappraisersare:

•Getrecommendationsfromfriendsandjewelers

•Lookthroughthelistofindependentappraisersat:

www.reneenewman.com/appraisers.htm

• Write, fax or e-mail an appraisal organization and ask for the names of qualifiedmembersinyourarea.Listedbelowandonthenextpagearesomeorganizationsthatwillgiveyouappraisers’nameseitherverballyorontheirwebsites.

AmericanGemSociety(AGS)

8881W.SaharaAve,LasVegas,NV89117

Phone(866)805-6500www.americangemsociety.org/find-an-appraiser

AmericanSocietyofAppraisers(ASA)www.appraisers.org

11107SunsetHillsRd,Suite310,Reston,VA20190Phone(800)272-8258(703)478-2228,Fax(703)742-8471

TheAssociationofIndependentJewelleryValuers(AIJV)

AlgoBusinessCentre,GlenearnRoad,Perth,ScotlandPH2ONJ,UnitedKingdom,Phone+44(0)1738450477

e-mail:info@aijv.org,www.aijv.org

CanadianJeweller’sInstitute

27QueenSt.East,Suite600,Toronto,OntarioM5C2M6Canada,Phone(416)368-7616ext223,Fax(416)368-1986

www.canadianjewellers.comclickon“findanappraiser”

InternationalSocietyofAppraisers(ISA)

225WestWackerDrive,Suite650,Chicago,IL60606Phone(312)981-6778,Fax(312)265-2908,www.isa-appraisers.org

NationalAssociationofJewelryAppraisers(NAJA)

P.O.Box18,RegoPark,NewYork,11374-0018

Phone(718)896-1536,www.NAJAappraisers.com

www.AuctionMarketResource.com

ValuethePast(Anappraisalservicethatspecializesinantiqueandestatejewelryandpersonalproperty)

Phone(877)797-9011,Fax(866)551-5017,www.valuethepast.com

In Australia, you can find appraisers through the following branches of the NationalCouncilofJewelryValuers:

NationalCouncilofJewelleryValuers,Inc.(NCJV)

Level2Suite213,155KingStreet,Sydney,NSW2000,Australia,Phone0292326599,Fax0292326399,www.ncjv.com.au

NCJVInc.(Queensland)

Grange,Queensland,Australia

Phone/Fax0738574377Email:qld@ncjv.com.au

NCJVInc.(SouthAustraliaDivision)

HenleyBeach,SouthAustralia,Australia

Phone0882342505,Fax0881255822

Email:sa@ncjv.com.au

NCJVInc.(TasmaniaDivision)

Hobart,Tasmania,Australia

Phone0362342426,Fax0362315366

Email:tas@ncjv.com.au

NCJVInc.,(VictoriaDivision)

Melbourne,VICAustralia

Phone0395009250,Fax0395002904Email:vic@ncjv.com.au

NCJVInc.,WesternAustralia,Australia

Perth,WAAustralia

Phone0894092009,Fax0893645504Email:wa@ncjv.com.au

Aftergettingthenamesofsomeappraisers,interviewthemtofindoutifthey’requalifiedtoappraiseyourjewelry.Wheninterviewinganappraiseryoushouldask:

•Whatareyourqualifications?

•Howmuchdoyoucharge?

•Whatdoesyourappraisalfeeinclude?

QualificationstoLookForQualified appraisers know how to identify gems and gem treatments. Competentprofessionals should have one of the following gemological diplomas to prove they’vegainedtherequirededucationneededtoidentifygemstones.

• AG (CIG), Accredited Gemmologist, (Awarded by the Canadian Institute ofGemmology)

•FCGmA,FellowoftheCanadianGemmologicalAssn

•FGA,FellowoftheGemmologicalAssociationofGreatBritain(alsocalledGemA)

•FGAA,FellowoftheGemmologicalAssn.ofAustralia

•FGG,FellowoftheGermanGemmologicalAssociation

•GG,GraduateGemologist(AwardedbytheGemologicalInstituteofAmerica)

•Agemologistdiplomafromanotherschoolorassociation,equivalentinstaturetothoselistedabove.

Although the gemologist diplomas listed above are important, they aren’t sufficient toqualify individuals tobeappraisers.Appraisersmustalsobeskilled invaluation theory;theymustbefamiliarwithgemprices, jewelrymanufacturing techniquesandcosts,andthe legalaspectsofappraising.Appraisersmusthave tradeexperience, integrityand theinitiative to keep up with the market and new developments in valuation theory andgemology.

Thismeansappraisersshouldhavetakenappraisalcoursesandperformedappraisalworkaftergettingtheirgemologistdiplomas.Someofthetitlesawardedtoappraisersare:

AA-CJI, Accredited Appraiser of the Canadian Jewellers Institute. Must have agemologistdiploma,agemlaboraccesstoalab,3yearsCanadiantradeexperience,mustcompleteanappraisalcourseandpassawrittenandpracticalexam.

ASA,AccreditedSeniorAppraiserofASA(theAmericanSocietyofAppraisers).TobeanASAinthegems&jewelrydiscipline,themembermustbeaGG.Theymustpasstheethicsexam,anexamonvaluation theory,andaproficiencyexamongemsand jewelryand theirappraisal.AnAccreditedMember (AM)must substantiate3yearsof full-timeappraisalexperience;5yearsexperienceisrequiredtousethetitle“ASA.”

CAPP,CertifiedAppraiserofPersonalProperty.ThisisthehighestawardofferedbytheInternationalSocietyofAppraisers.Toreceiveit,onemustattendtheirappraisalcourses,

passtheexams,andhaveagemologicaldiplomaandtradeexperience.

CGA,CertifiedGemologistAppraiser.ThisisawardedbytheAmericanGemSocietytocertifiedgemologiststhatpasstheirwrittenandpracticalappraisalexam.Tradeexperienceisaprerequisite.

CMA, Certified Master Appraiser. This is the highest award offered by the NationalAssociation of JewelryAppraisers.To receive it, onemust have at least sevenyears ofappraisalexperience,taketheNAJAappraisalstudiescourse,passacomprehensivetheoryandpracticalappraisalexamination,andhaveaNAJAorAGACertifiedGemLaboratory.

CSM,CertifiedSeniorMemberof the(NAJA).CSMsmusthaveagraduategemologistdiploma,atleastfiveyearsoftradeandappraisalexperience,atleast14daysofappraisaltrainingandmustpassanappraisalexam.

MGA,MasterGemologistAppraiser.Thisis thehighestawardofferedbytheAmericanSocietyofAppraisers.Toreceiveit,amembermustfirstbeanASA,haveorworkinacertifiedgemlab.Theymustcompleteadditionalcoursework,andmustpass theMGAexamwithouterror,whichincludessuccessfullyidentifying,gradingandappraisingfourpieces of jewelry in a supervised environment and submitting an accepted writtenappraisalontheitems.MGA’smustrecertifyeveryfiveyears.

ISA, International Society of Appraisers AccreditedMember. Must pass an ethics andappraisalexam,submitsampleappraisalsforpeerreview,andhavetwoyearsoffull-timeappraisalexperienceandacollegedegreeorequivalent

Besides sharing their educational background and titles, appraisers should also discusstheirexperienceandthetypeofjewelryandgemstheyusuallyappraise.

AppraisalFeesAs a consumer, you have the right to know in advance the approximate cost of anappraisal.Occasionally,anappraiserwilltellacallerthatit’sunethicalorunprofessionaltoquotepricesover thephone.This isn’t true.Professionalappraisersshouldat leastbeabletotellyoutheirhourlyfeeand/ortheirminimumchargeiftheyhaveone.Somewilltellyouaflatorapproximateappraisalchargeforthepiecewhenyoudescribeittothemover the phone.However, in fairness to the appraiser, they are entitled to change theirestimateuponseeingthepieceifyouhaveplayeddowncertainareasofdifficultyorhavenotdescribeditfully.

Somepeoplewilloffertoappraiseyourjewelryfreeofcharge,evenifyouhaven’tboughtitfromthem.Thisisgenerallyasignthateithertheywanttobuythejewelryfromyouorelse they want to lure you into their store to sell you some of their merchandise.Professionalscharge for their services,whether theybe lawyers,doctors,accountantsorappraisers.

Appraisalfeesarechargedinavarietyofways.Somearelistedbelow:

•Aflatfeeperitem,sometimesalowerfeeforeachadditionalpiecebroughtinatthesametime

•Anhourlyrate(oftencombinedwithaminimumfee)

•Aratefullyorpartlybasedonthegemstonetype

•Aratebasedonthetypeofreportyou’reseeking,basedonthedegreeofworkrequired.

•Apercentagerateoftheappraisedvalueofyourjewelry.Thehigherthevalue,themoremoneytheappraiserearns.Ifyouwantanappraisalthatisasobjectiveaspossible,avoidappraiserswiththistypeoffeestructure.Thisisanunethicalfeeiftheappraiserisamemberofanyoftheassociationslistedpreviously.TheInternalRevenueServicedoesn’trecognizeappraisalsdonebypeoplewhochargepercentagefees.

WhatDoestheInsuranceAppraisalInclude?Thekeyservicetheappraiserwillprovideisanaccurate,detailed,wordpictureoftheitemyou’re having appraised. The structure of the resulting report will tell you somethingaboutthequalityoftheappraiser’swork,anditwillhelpyoutobettercompareappraisalfees.It’sunderstandablethatafive-pagereportwithaphotowillcostmorethanonewithonlya two-sentencedescriptionandanappraisedvalue,andyoushouldavoid the lattertype. Items that professional independent appraisers normally includewith their reportsare:

•Theidentityofthestone(s)andmetal(s

•Themeasurementsandestimatedweightsofthestones.Ifyoucantellappraiserstheexactweightofthestones,thiswillhelpthemprovideamoreaccurateappraisal.Therefore,whenbuyingjewelry,askstorestowriteonthereceiptanystoneweightslistedonthesalestags).

•Relevanttreatmentinformation

•Adescriptionofthecolor,clarity,transparency,shape,cuttingstyle,andcutqualityofthestones.Thegradingandcolorreferencesystemusedshouldalsobeindicated.Appraisersusedifferentcolorcommunicationsystemstodenotecolor.Fourofthebest-knownonesareGemDialogue,AGLColor/Scan,Gem-eWizard,Munsell,andWorldofColorBookbyGemworldIntl.

•Plotsoftheinclusionsinthestones(ofeitheralloronlythemajorstones)

•Atestofthefinenessofthemetals

•Approximateweightanddescriptionofthemounting

•Thename(s)ofthemanufacturersordesignersofthepiecewhenthisisknown

•Acleaningandinspectionofthepiece

•Aphotograph

•Alistofthetestsperformedandtheinstrumentsused.

•Definitionsorexplanationsoftheterminologyusedonthereport

•Abiographicalsketchoftheappraiser’scredentials

•ACertificationofAppraisalPracticessheet(awrittencodeofbusinessethicsforappraisers)

Onrareoccasions,acountryoforiginreportmayalsobeincluded,butthisrequiresahighlevelofexpertise.

Besides knowingwhat appraisers’ fees include, you should knowwhat their appraisalslook like. Have them show you a sample, and check it for thoroughness andprofessionalism.

Jewelryappraisingisanart.There’salotmoretoitthansimplyplacingadollarvalueonastoneorjewelrypiece.Ifyourjewelryhasagreatdealofmonetaryvalue,it’simportantthat you have a detailed, accurate appraisal of it. Take asmuch care in selecting yourappraiserasyoudidwithyourjewelry.

15/GemLabDocumentsForgemsthatcostseveralthousanddollars,it’sagoodideatogettwotypesofdocuments—an independentappraisaldescribingandevaluating thestone,anda lab report fromamajorgemlaboratory.

Lab reports don’t indicate what a stone is worth. They identify the stone and thetreatments itmay have undergone. Theymay also indicate its geographic origin and/orevaluateitsquality.

Whyisalabreportnecessaryalongwithanappraisal?

Major laboratories have greater expertise, more sophisticated equipment and moreopportunities to examine important gems than the average jeweler or appraiser. As aresult, they are better equipped to detect enhancements and synthetic gems, and theirdocumentsusuallycarrymoreweightthanappraisalswhengemsareboughtandsold.Ifyouplantosellanexpensivegemontheinternationalmarketorthroughamajorauctionhouse,itshouldbeaccompaniedbyareportfromaninternationallyrecognizedgemlab.

If you’re only spending a few hundred dollars on a gemstone, it’s not financiallyworthwhile to pay for a lab report. A good appraisal will do. Some stores provide labreportswiththeirstones.Thesearehelpfulaids,especiallywhenbuyinggemsabroad.Forastonesuchasa$30,000ruby,however,it’swisetoobtainanotherreportfromadifferentgem lab than the seller used. Get a written promise of a 100% refund if you’re notsatisfiedwith the results of the second report.Treatments have amajor impact on rubyprices, but some treatments are difficult for even gem labs to detect. Occasionally,expensiveuntreatedrubieswithsurfacereachingfracturesareoiledafteralabIDreporthasbeenissuedforthem.Inaddition,labsmighttendtoshowtheirloyaltytothepersonwhopaysforthereport.Asecondreportmayuncoversuchpractices.

Listedbelowaresomeofthemostrespectedgemlaboratoriesintheworldalongwiththetypes of reports they offer.They all provide treatment reports so these aren’t indicated.“ID”standsfor“identificationreport,”“origin”standsfor“geographicoriginreport.”

AGIL(AsianGemmologicalInstituteandLaboratoryLtd.)

7/F.No.11LockRoad,Tsimshatsui,Kowloon,HongKong

Tel(852)27230429,Fax(852)23675201,www.agil.com.hk

Jade,pearl,coloredstoneID,diamondgrading

AGL(AmericanGemologicalLaboratories,Inc.)

580FifthAve.Suite706,NewYork,NY10036

(212)704-0727Fax(212)764-7614,www.aglgemlab.com

ColoredstoneID,origin,&qualitygrading

AIGS(AsianInstituteofGemologicalSciences)

JewelryTradeCenter,6thfloor,919SilomRoad

Bangkok10500,Thailandwww.aigslaboratory.com

Tel(662)267-4325/7Fax(662)267-4327,

ColoredstoneID,origin,grading;pearlID;diamondgrading

AmericanGemSocietyLaboratory(onlyforthetrade)

8917W.SaharaAve.,LasVegas,NV89117

Tel(702)233-6120Fax(702)233-6125,www.agslab.com

Diamondgrading

C.C.I.P.GemologicalLaboratory(C.C.I.P.ServicePublicduContrôledesDiamants,PerlesFinesetPierresPrécieuses)

2PlacedelaBourse,75002Paris,France

Tel(33-1)40262646Fax(33-1)40260675

ColoredstoneID&origin;pearlID;diamondgrading

CGLCentralGemLaboratory

MiyagiBldg.5-15-14UenoTaito-ku,TokyoTel(813)3836-1627FAX:(813)3832-6861,www.cgl.co.jpDiamondgrading&gemidentification

DeutschDiamantundEdelsteinLaboratorienIdar-Oberstein(GermanDiamond&GemstoneLaboratories)

Prof.-Schlossmacher-Str.1,D-55743Idar-Oberstein,Germany

Tel49-6781-981355Fax49-6781-981357

www.gemcertificate.comEmail:info@gemcertificate.com

ColoredstoneID&origin;pearlID;diamondgrading

GCAL(GemCertification&AppraisalLab)580FifthAve,LowerLobby,NewYork,NY10036Tel(212)869-8985,Fax(212)869-2315,www.gemfacts.com

Diamondgrading,coloredstoneID&grading,jewelry

GGTLLaboratorieswww.ggtl-lab.org

GGTL-GEMLABLaboratoryGnetsch,42,LI–9496,Balzers,Liechtenstein

Tel(423)2622464;(423)3732243and

GGTL-GemTechLablaboratory,41(0)2273158804bisroutedesJeunes,H-1227LesAcacias,Genève

PearlID,coloredstoneID,diamondgrading

GIA(GemologicalInstituteofAmerica)GemTradeLaboratoryInc.,5355ArmadaDrive,Carlsbad,CA92008

Tel(800)421-7250&(760)603-4500,www.gia.edu/gem-lab

50West47th,Unit800,NewYork,NY10036,

(800)3668519&(212)221-5858

ColoredstoneID;pearlID;diamondgrading

GIT(GemandJewelryInstituteofThailand)

140,140/1-3,140/5ITF-TowerBuilding.1st-4thand6thFloor,SilomRoad,Suriyawong,Bangrak,Bangkok10500,ThailandTel(662)6344999Fax:026344970www.git.or.th

ColoredstoneID,pearlID,diamondgrading

GübelinGemLabLtd(GGL),www.gubelingemlab.ch

Maihofstrasse102,CH-6000Lucerne9/Switzerland

Tel(41)414291717,Fax(41)414291734

ColoredstoneID&origin;pearlID;diamondgrading

HRDAntwerp

Hoveniersstraat22,BE-2018Antwerp,BelgiumTel.:(32)32220611,Fax:(32)32220699www.hrdantwerp.comE-mail:info@hrdantwerp.be

diamondgrading

SSEF(SwissGemmologicalInstitute),www.ssef.ch

Falknerstrasse9,CH-4001,Basel,Switzerland

Tel(41)61262-0640Fax(41)61262-0641

ColoredstoneID&origin;pearlID;diamondgrading

HowLabReportsareSometimesMisusedWhen used properly, gem lab reports can be a big help to buyers. They serve as adocumented second opinion by impartial experts (when issued by reputable labs).Unfortunately,theyaresometimesmisusedinthefollowingways:

•Alabreportmaybeusedwithaninferiorstoneofthesameweight.Inotherwords,thedocumentdoesn’tmatchthestone.Aconartistcanhaveagoodstonecertifiedmorethanonceandthenusetheextrareportsforotherstonesofthesamesize.Avoidripoffslikethisbydealingwithreliablejewelersandbyexaminingstonescarefullybeforeyoubuythem.

•Asyntheticstonemaybecuttomatchagemstoneonareport.Thenit’ssubstitutedforthenaturalstone.

•Astonemaybetreatedafterareportisissuedstatingit’snottreated.

•An identification report froma respected labmaybeused tomakeavery lowqualitystoneseemvaluable.Ifastone,forexample,isidentifiedasanaturalrubyonareport,thisdoesnotmeanit’sworthalot.Youshouldseeaqualityanalysisofthestonebeforeyoumakeajudgment.

•Occasionallythegradesonadocumentmaybealtered.Mostlabsmakeitverydifficulttochangeorcounterfeittheirdocuments.Consequently,thisisseldomaproblem.Ifyouhaveaquestionaboutareport,youcanverifytheinformationonitbycallingthelabthatissuedit.

• Quality-analysis reports from non-existent labs may be used to mislead buyers. Thegradesonthesereportsareofteninflated.Beforerelyingoninformationfromalabreport,checkoutthelab.Interviewthemonthephoneabouttheirqualificationsandthetypeofresearch they conduct. Ask for references and find out if reputable jewelers, auctionhousesandgemologicalorganizationsknowaboutthemandusethem.

TipsonUsingLabReportsInordertogainmaximumbenefitfromtheselabreportsandatthesametimeavoidtheirpitfalls,keepinmindthefollowingsuggestions:

Don’tbuygemssolelyonthebasisofalabreport.Alwaysexaminethestonesyourselfwith and without magnification before you buy them. Occasionally, the stone may bedifferentthantheoneonthereport,orastonemighthavebeendamagedsincethereportwas issued.Nevertheless, it’s farbetter tobuyanexpensivegemstonewith a lab reportfrom a respected lab than to buy one without a report, especially when buying gemsabroad.Writtenguarantees,reportsandwarrantiesarecriticallyimportant.

Don’tbuygemsinsealedplasticcontainerswhichyouarenotallowedtoopen.Clearplastic covers canmask gem flaws and cutting defects. People involved in gem scamsoftensellsealedstoneswithawrittenwarningsuchas“Breakingthesealwillinvalidateallguarantees.”Legitimatedealerswillallowyoutolookatthestoneoutsideofitspacketorcontainer.

Don’t buy expensive jewelry and gems through the mail or over the phone orInternetifyoudon’tknowtheseller.Theseareprobablythemostcommonsituationsinwhich lab documents are misused. Make sure there is at least a 30-day unconditionalmoney-backguaranteeinwriting.

Avoidgeminvestmentschemesevenwhenthestonescomewith labreports.Peoplehavelosttheirlifesavingsbybeliev-ingpromisesofhighreturnsongeminvestments.Ifastoneismerelyidentifiedasanaturalrubyorsapphire,thisdoesnotnecessarilymeanitisvaluable.Itsqualitymustbetakenintoconsideration.

Keepinmindtoo,thatsomeappraisersgivestonesinflatedvaluesontheirreports,evenwhentheynotequalitycharacteristics.Thismaybeduetolackofexperience,inadequatetrainingorcollusionwithsellers.

Rememberthat labdocumentsarenot infallible.Theyonlyrepresent theopinionsofthelabsissuingthem.

Keepinmindthatawrittenreportcannotgiveacompletepictureofagem.Youhavetoseethestonetoreallyknowwhatitlookslike.Labreportswerenevercreatedtobeasubstituteforviewingastone.Usethemasanaidtojudgingqualityandasaconfirmationthata stone is real andnatural.Butwhen it’s time tomake the finalchoice,yoube thejudge.

Onthenextsixpagesaredocumentsfromsixgemologicallabswhosereportsareusedontheinternationalmarketbydealersandauctionhouses.Theselabsarealsonotedfortheirresearchandcontributionstothefieldofgemology.

©GemologicalInstituteofAmerica.Reprintedbypermission.

16/CustomsCommonRegulations

Whenever you enter a foreign country, your belongings are subject to search.Here aresomeoftheitemscustomsofficialsthroughouttheworldarelookingfor:

•Drugs.Even legitimatedrugsmaybe confiscated, sobe sureyourmedications are intheir original labeledbottles and just take the amount you’ll needwhile traveling.Alsocarryacopyofyourdrugprescriptionsorawrittenstatementfromyourdoctorsayingyouneedthemedication(s).

•Weaponsandammunition.Leavethemathome.

•Endangeredspecies.Don’ttravelwithivoryjewelryoraccessoriesmadefromanimalssuchasseaturtles,whales,rarereptiles,mammalsandbirds.Theycouldbeconfiscated.

•Commercialquantitiesofgoods. Ifyou’recarryingmerchandisedestinedforanothercountry,declareitanywayatintermediaryportsofentryandhavegoodproofastowhereyou’re taking the goods. Otherwise, you could be charged duty and/or fined for notdeclaringthem.

•Agriculturalproductsandplants.Flowers,plants,meatproducts,fish,dairyproductsand fresh fruits & vegetables may be seized to help prevent the country from beinginfestedwithunusual insectsandmicroorganisms.Australia,NewZealandandtheUSAare particularly strict. Even airline food, sack lunches, and some canned foodsmay beconfiscated.

•Counterfeit products. Normally no counterfeit copyrighted goods such as copies ofvideos or computer programs are allowed under any circumstances. The United Statesdoesallowonearticleofeachtypeofproductthatbearsaprotectedtrademark,suchasadesignerhandbagifit’sforpersonaluse.

Duty-freeGoodsandExemptionsCustoms duties are levied in your home country and in countrieswhere you’re leavinggiftsorcommercialgoods.Somepeoplethinkthatiftheybuygoodsinaduty-freeshop,they won’t have to pay duty on them or declare themwhen they return to their homecountry.Thisisfalse.

“Dutyfree”simplymeansthat itemsdon’thaveimportdutiesor taxes includedin theirprice.Forexample,whiskybought inaduty-freestoreat theSingaporeairportdoesnothaveSingaporedutiesincludedintheprice.Howeverit’ssubjecttodutywhenyouarrivehome,anditmustbedeclared.Ifyou’retravelingwithmorethanthepermittedamountofliquor,youcouldevenbechargeddutyorhaveitconfiscatedwhenyoujusttravelthroughacountrywithit.

Incidentally,jewelrysoldinduty-freeshopsisnotnecessarilycheaperthanelsewhere.Infact, often the opposite is true because the shops at the airport have little or nocompetition.

Duties, exemptions and restrictions vary depending upon the country. Most countriespublishcustomspamphletsyoucanpickupatconsulatesorairports.“KnowBeforeYouGo”isagoodonefortheUSA.Also,seewww.cbp.gov/travel/

In theUnitedStates, there’s an$800 exemption for itemsbought for your personal useprovidedyouhaven’tusedtheexemptionwithinthepreceding30-dayperiod.Thegoodsmust accompany you on your return, and your stay abroadmust have been at least 48hours,exceptifyou’rereturningfromMexicoortheU.S.VirginIslands.

Theduty-freeexemptionis$1600foritemsboughtinU.S.Insularpossessions—Guam,American Samoa and theU.S.Virgin Islands. These exemption amounts are subject tochangeandmaybedifferentwhenyoureadthisbook.

Thereisaflatdutyrateof3%onthefirst$1000worthofpurchasesabovethepersonalexemption.Abovethatamount,dutypercentagesarebasedontheitemandthecountryoforigin and manufacture. Fine art, antiques over 100 years old and many items fromdevelopingcountriesmaybeexemptfromtax.Loosegemstonesareusuallydutyfreeinthe USA. Duty rates can be complex. For example, duty percentages on watches varydependingonthenumberofjewels,thetypeofcase,theprice,andthetypeofmovementanddisplay.

The personal exemption inAustralia isAUS$900 if you are aged 18 years or over and

$450ifyouareunder18yearsofage.

InCanada,thepersonalexemptionisCAN$800includingliquorandtobaccoallowances.

TheNewZealandaccompaniedgoodsexemptionisNZ$700excludingliquorandtobaccoallowances.AGSTtaxisalsolevied.

IntheUK,£390isthepersonalcustomsallowanceongoodsfromoutsidetheEuropeanUnion.Thisexcludestheliquor,tobaccoandperfumeallowance.

The last section of this chapter tells you how you can find more detailed customsinformationabouttheseandothercountriesontheInternet.Allexemptionsaresubjecttochange.

U.S.DutyRatesonJewelryandGemsWhenyoushopforgemsabroad, it’shelpful toknowinadvancehowmuchdutyyou’llhavetopayonthem.InformationaboutU.S.dutieson jewelryandgems isavailable inSection XIV, Chapter 71 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United StatesInternational TradeCommission. Seewww.usitc.gov/. The Harmonized Tariff Scheduleshouldalsobeavailableatyourlocallibrary.

Dutiesvarydependingon the countryof originof thegoods.Duty-freeor reduced-ratetariffsapplytocountriesclassifiedasGSP(GeneralizedSystemofPreferences)orthathave made special trade agreements with the United States. GSP countries areunderdevelopedcountries that havegood trade relationswith theUS.Most countries inSouthAmerica,CentralAmerica,Africa,SoutheastAsia,EasternEuropeandtheMiddleEast areGSPcountries. Japan,Singapore,HongKong,CanadaandWesternEuropearecategorizedasdevelopedcountriesandarenotGSP.

TheU.S. has special trade agreementswithCanada,Mexico and Israelwhich exemptsmanygoodsmadeinthesecountriesfromduties.Jewelryisoneoftheseduty-freeitems.

IfcountriesdonothaveNormalTradeRelations(NTR)statuswiththeUS,goodsboughtthereareeitherprohibitedorhaveahigherthannormaltariffrate.Asof2014Myanmar(Burma),Cuba,Iran,NorthKoreaandpartsofSudanwerenon-NTRcountries(formerlycalled non-MFN, Most Favored Nation). Keep in mind that duty rates and countryclassificationsarealwayssubjecttochange,sothesetariffsmaybeoutofdatewhenyouread them. Updated information about non-NTR and NTR countries is available atwww.usitc.gov/

For specific information about tariffs and duties, contact your nearest customs office,which is normally at an international airport or seaport. In theU.S, you can find theiraddressesandphonenumbersbygoingtowww.cbp.gov/contact.Thenclickon“LocateaPortofEntry”andnext clickon thedesiredportof entry.Keepclickingon thedesiredlocationsuntilyoureachthewebpagewiththehours,phonenumbersandfulladdressofthecustomsoffice.Directinformationfromcustomsismorereliablethanwhatyoumayhearfromsalespeopleabroad.Somewilltellyouanythingtoencourageyoutobuytheirproducts.

TipsonAvoidingHassleswithCustomsKeep a record of your purchases as you buy them. It’s easy to forget what you’veboughtandhowmuchyou’vepaidforit.Getreceiptswheneverpossibleandkeeptheminasafeplace.Forlargepurchases,it’sagoodideatogetduplicatereceiptsthatyoukeepinseparateplaces.

The night before you return home, go through your luggage and make sure all yourpurchases are written down. No matter how honest you are, you could be accused ofsmugglingifyouforgetsomethingyoubought.

If you travel with jewelry from home, take along a photocopy of the purchasereceipt(s) or appraisal(s).When you return home, it’s your responsibility to prove tocustomsthatyoudidn’tbuyitabroad.Jewelrycan’tberegisteredwithcustoms,exceptforcertainwatches.Ifyoudon’thavereceiptsorappraisals,photographthejewelrypiece(s)next to something found only in your country, such as your car license plate. It’s best,however,nottotravelwithexpensivejewelryorwatches.

By theway, customs officials are quite adept at using a loupe to determine if awatchyou’rewearingisnewornot.

Register expensive itemswith serial numbers such as cameras and laptop computersbeforeyoudepartfromyourhomecountry.Thiscanbedoneattheairport.

Check the customs regulations for your own country and for the countries you’ll bepassingthroughbeforeyourtrip.

Whentravelingthroughor toanothercountry,reviewinyourmindbeforehandwhereyou’re staying or who you’re staying with. This is a common question asked alongborders, but it’s easy to forget the answer. If you don’t come up with an immediateresponse,thismaypromptasearchofyourbelongings.

Ifyouplantobuyantiques,findoutinadvancewhatdocumentationandproofyou’llneed.Youmay,forexample,needanexportcertificate.Tobedutyfree,antiquesusuallymustbeatleast100yearsold.Regulationscanvaryfromonecountrytoanother.Customshasarighttodisputeanycertificateyoupresent.

Mostimportant,tellthetruth.

WebsitesforCustomsRegulationsYoucannowfindthecustomsregulationsofmostcountriesontheInternet.TheWorldCustomsOrganization (l’OrganisationMondialedesDouanes)provides informationoncustomsagenciesthroughouttheworld.Itswebsiteaddressiswww.wcoomd.organdithaslinks to the customswebsites of individual nations:www.wcoomd.org/en/about-us/wco-members/customs-websites.aspx

Linksarealsoprovidedbelowforsomeofthecountries:

AUSTRALIA:www.customs.gov.au

BOTSWANA:www.burs.org.bw/

BRAZIL:www.receita.fazenda.gov.br/

CANADA:www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/

CHINA:www.customs.gov.cn

DUBAI,UnitedArabEmirateswww.dxbcustoms.gov.ae

FRANCE:www.douane.gouv.fr/accueil

GERMANY:www.zoll.de

HONGKONG:www.info.gov.hk/customs

INDONESIA:www.beacukai.go.id

ICELAND:www.tollur.is

IRELAND:www.revenue.ie

JAPAN:www.customs.go.jp/english/index.htm

KOREA:www.customs.go.kr

MALAYSIA:www.customs.gov.my/

MEXICO:www.sat.gob.mx/Paginas/Inicio.aspx

MOZAMBIQUE:www.at.gov.mz/

NEWZEALAND:www.customs.govt.nz

PAKISTAN:www.cbr.gov.pk

RUSSIA:www.russian-customs.org

SINGAPORE:www.customs.gov.sg/topNav/hom/

SOUTHAFRICA:www.sars.gov.za/Pages/default.aspx

SPAIN:www.agenciatributaria.es/

THAILAND:www.customs.go.th/wps/wcm/connect/custen/home/

UNITEDKINGDOM:www.hmce.gov.ukwww.hmrc.gov.uk/customs/index.htm

UKRAINE:ukraine.visahq.com/customs/

USA:www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/know-before-you-go

Index

AAJade85-87

agate30,58-62

akoyapearls148,151,156

alexandrite22,41,46-51

alloys166,176

almandine70-72,76

amazonite29,95,96

amber158-162,184

amethyst51-53,56

ametrine52,53

ammolite56-58

andradite72,75,78

anthillgarnet71

appraisalfees219-221

appraisals211-222,223

aquamarine65-67,69

assembledstones43,44,86,100,103

aventurinefeldspar86,96

azurmalachite92

BBJade86,87

beryl41,65-69

berylliumtreatment32,33,111,113

bicolortourmaline125

bixbite68

blackonyx30,63,64

blackopal24,98-101,103

blisterpearls156

bloodstone61

bluechalcedony60,62

blueopal97,99

boulderopal98,100,103-105

brilliantcut19

CCJade86,87

carnelian26,60,61,63

cat’s-eye46,48-51,53,127

cavityfilling28,113

chalcedony59-63,65

choosingajeweler199-203

choosinganappraiser211-218

chromepyrope71

chrometourmaline124

chrysoberyl46-51

chrysocolla62

chrysoprase60,62

citrine51-53

claritygrades139

clarity-enhanceddiamond190,193

clarity-enhancedemerald193

clarity-enhancedruby193

coating42

cobaltspinel116

color-changegarnet76,77

commonopal97,98

compositeruby29,45

compositestone40,44

copal159,160

coral161-163

corundum107-113

crystalopal98

cultured147-157,187

cupriantourmaline122,124,126

custommade196-198

customs237-245

cutquality15,16,135-137

cuttingstyle17-19

DDJade87

demantoid72,73,184

diamonds28,31,37,41,42,135-146

diffusion31,33,34,111,120

doublet103

duty-freegoods238

dyeing23,30,85

Eemerald28,37,40,41,44,65-69

Ffeldspar31,93-97

fineness166-170,175

fireagate60,62

fireopal98,99,101,104

foilbacking40,43

fracturefilling23,35

fracture-filleddiamonds145,191

freshwaterpearls150-152,156

FTIR87,129

Ggarnet70-78

gemlabdocuments223-236

gemsources182-189

Gemprint146

glassfillings27-29

glass-filledruby27-29,108

gold166,167,169,171-177

goldelectroplate173

goldfilled173

goldoverlay173

grandite78

greenberyl66,69

greenquartz51,53

greensapphire107,133,194

grossular74,75,78

Hheliodor68,70

herkimerdiamond194

hessonite75

HPHTtreatment28,37,142,143

hybridruby29

Iicejade81,83

Imperialjade80

imperialtopaz120

impregnation29,30,86,87

indicolite126

iolite77,79

irradiation30,37,51,111,120,138,152

ivory163-165

Jjade29,30,36,80-88

jadeite30,80-88

jasper63,64

Jeweler’sVigilanceCommittee208

jewelrycraftsmanship177-181

Kkarat166,167,174,176

kunzite89,90

Llabreports223-236

labradorite93,94,96

lab-grown39-45

lapislazuli90-92

laserdrilling34,35

leadglass-filledruby27-29,36,38,108

luster147,148

Mmabepearls156

magnesite129,130

malachite92-94

malaiagarnet74,76

maligarnet70,78

matrixopal100,105

minttourmaline124

misnomers194,195

Montanaagate58,59

moonstone93,94,96

morganite67,68,70

mossagate59

mounting177-181

multicoloredtourmaline126

Nnacre147-158

naturalpearls152,154

nephrite80-87

Ooiling26,37,111,113

onyx63,64

opal24,25,30,41-44,97-105

Ppadparadscha110,184

palladium166,169,171

Paraibatourmaline122-124,127

pearl42,50,147-158

peridot105,106

picturejasper63

pinktourmaline31,125

platinum40,41,166,168,172-176

play-of-color24,25,97-99,101,103

polymerimpregnation86

potch97,103

prasiolite53

prongsetting179

pyrope70,71,76

Qquartz,51-59,64

quenchcrackling43

Rredberyl68

redtourmaline125

rhodolite73,76

rockcrystal53,55,64

rosequartz52,54,56

rubellite125

ruby25-29,37,41-45,48,107-114

rutilatedquartz54,55

Ssaltwaterpearls150-152,156

sapphire22-29,31,40,41,44,45,107-114

sard63

sardonyx63

Seafoamtourmaline124

setting179-181

silver170,171,173-176

slocumstone104

smokyquartz31,55,56

SouthSeapearls150,151,153,156,157

spectrolite93,94

spessartine72,73

spinel22,25,41,114-116

spodumene89

starruby111

starsapphire24,111,185

sterlingsilver171,173,174

sunstone95,96

surfacediffusion120

synthetic39-43

Ttanzanite14-17,21,22,26,116-118,172

tiger’s-eye55

topaz30,31,53,119-121

tourmalinatedquartz54,55

tourmaline31,48,54,121-127

trademark175

transparency23,83,142

treatments26-38,142,143

triplet103

tsavorite75,182,183

turquoise29,30,36,41,128-131

Vvermeil174

Wwatersapphire79,195

watermelontourmaline126

Yyellowberyl65,68

yellowsapphire31,44

ZZandrite50

zircon36,131-134

zoisite116-118

OtherBooksbyRenéeNewmanDiamondHandbook

APracticalGuidetoDiamondEvaluation,2ndEdition

DiamondRingBuyingGuide

HowtoEvaluate,IdentifyandSelectDiamonds

&DiamondJewelry,7thEdition

GemstoneBuyingGuide

Howtoevaluate,identify,selectandcareforcoloredgems

2ndEdition

ExoticGems:Volume1

HowtoIdentifyandBuyTanzanite,Ammolite,Rhodochrosite,Zultanite,Sunstone,Moonstone&OtherFeldspars

ExoticGems:Volume2

HowtoIdentifyandBuyAlexandrite,Andalusite,ChrysoberylCat’s-eye,Kyanite,CommonOpal,FireOpal,

DinosaurGembone,Tsavorite,Rhodolite&OtherGarnets

ExoticGems:Volume3

HowtoIdentify.Evaluate,SelectandCarefor

MatrixOpal,FireAgate,BlueChalcedony,Rubellite

Indicolite,ParaibaandOtherTourmalines

Gold,Platinum,PalladiumSilver&OtherJewelryMetals

HowtoTest,Select&CareforThem

JewelryHandbook

HowtoSelect,Wear&CareforJewelry

PearlBuyingGuide

HowtoIdentifyandEvaluatePearls&PearlJewelry

5thEdition

RareGemstones

HowtoIdentify,EvaluateandCareforUnusualGems

Ruby,Sapphire,andEmeraldBuyingGuide

HowtoIdentify,Evaluate&SelecttheseGems

3rdEdition

OsteoporosisPrevention

AProactiveApproachtoStrongBones&GoodHealth