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T h e  B i j o u x  N e w s

Issue 1,  2000


Welcome to The Bijoux News.  In this edition you will find:

  • An informative report on the new and exciting gemstones Judi found at the international gem shows in Tucson.

  • A consumers guide to the new methods being used to improve the beauty and apparent value of diamonds.  Caveat Emptor!

  • Various gemstone facts and jewelry trivia!
If you enjoy our newsletter,  please sign up to receive it on a regular basis.  Happy reading!
Arthur Anderson
Editor

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Treasures From Tucson

by  Judi Anderson

[Editors note:  In early February Judi travelled to Tucson,  Arizona for the annual international gem shows.  Following is her report on the many exotic varieties of gemstone she saw and purchased.  If you have any questions for judi,  send her an email  or give her a call at (603) 624-8672.]

The international gem shows in Tucson this year were the largest ever.  There were over 25 shows spread through out the city.....thank goodness for sneakers!!!  Each show featured many beautiful and exotic gemstones.  Here is a report on some of my favorites.

Most notable this year was the new material from Nigeria.  Both Rubellite Tourmaline and Spessartite Garnet from recently discovered finds were plentiful and of very nice quality.  The Rubellite Tourmaline is the finest quality material I have seen in years.  The color ranges from hot pink and Fuschia to a rich, dark violetish-Red.   In daylight or fluorescent lighting,  the violet secondary color is most evident.  However,  in incandescent or artificial lighting, these stones look very red.

The Nigerian Spessartite Garnets range in color from a light yellowish-Orange to a medium dark, strong Orange.  The color does not quite reach the neon orange of Mandarin Garnet from Namibia,  but it is a very close second.  The Nigerian Garnets have a stronger color than the spessartite garnets from the Little Three Mines in California and the Amelia Courthouse area of Virginia.  Pricing for the Nigerian stones is still very competitive.

Another significant source of fine gems seen in Tucson is Madagascar.  The sapphires from Madagascar range in color from Blue to Violet,  Purple and Pink.  There was a great deal of fine grade Blue Sapphire from Madagascar on display.  Most of the dealers claimed that the blue Madagascar sapphire was completely natural and had never been heat treated.  One dealer suggested that this material had been heated,  but at a much lower temperature than normally used.  He suggested that the Madagascar material takes on a nice blue color at the lower temperature and,  therefore,  does not exhibit the usual tell-tale signs of common to heat treated sapphires.

[Ed. note:  Sapphires and rubies,  both varieties of corundum,  are often heated at high temperatures in an effort to improve their color.  This heat-treatment leaves tell-tale signs within the gem,  like altered inclusions,  and may affect the gemstones value.]

Being a good jewelry detective,  I questioned another dealer about this low heat process.  He said that he has seen the rough sapphire crystals come out of the ground in Madagascar with a nice rich blue color.  He believes the Madagascar sapphires are 100% natural and do not need heat treatment to bring out their color.  Further investigation into this matter will hopefully resolve the mystery.  I'll keep you informed!

Pink sapphires from Madagascar are available in eye popping shades.  There was also a large supply of purple and violet sapphires with deep,  rich colors.

Tanzanite prices are still high, especially for the scarce fine and extra fine grade stones.  Commercial (poor) and good (average) grade material is still plentiful and cheap,  but the better material is still limited in supply and more costly than in previous years.  There are rumors of a new deposit of Tanzanite being discovered on a privately-owned farm in Tanzania.  However,  that source has not yet proven itself and there is only limited new material coming out of other sources at this time.

I saw a popular new cutting style,  the Checkerboard,  in many shapes and gem varieties.  This new style of faceting was first seen last year,  and has grown in popularity with many cutters and designers.  The checkerboard cut  (also known as a honeycomb cut)  has numerous diamond shaped facets across the top of the gem and improves the stones color and brilliance.  We have a nice example of a checkerboard-cut rhodolite garnet  in the jewelry galleries.

Chinese Freshwater pearls were plentiful throughout the exhibitions.  The Chinese pearl cultivators have come a long way in producing round and nearly round cultured pearls.  They are nearing the quality of the Akoya pearls from Japan.  The Chinese pearls are available in a variety of shapes  -  round, nearly round,  tear drop, half round and button - as well as a range of hues  -  including white,  off white and natural fancy colors like peach,  pink,  mauve and violet.

Also popular and abundant this year are large,  fine quality South Sea and Tahitian Black pearls.  More and more pearl dealers,  as well as jewelry designers,  are selling these beautiful pearls from the exotic islands of the South Seas.

Emerald prices are erratic this year.  Some dealers have very low prices for this rich green gem while others have higher pricing for comparable stones.  The treatment controversy surrounding emeralds seems to be quieting down and could possibly be the reason some dealers are now asking more money for their material.

Ruby prices seem fairly consistent.  However,  more and more dealers are exhibiting lab certificates and country of origin reports with their larger,  fine gems.  Country of origin and proof that a gemstone has not been treated continue to be important factors in determining a gemstone's market value.

In Tucson,  I purchased several nice examples of the new Nigerian rubellite tourmalines and spessartite garnets for custom design projects,  as well as a diverse collection of Madagascar sapphires in blue,  purple,  violet and lavender.

I also added to our collection some rich red spinels,  crisp star sapphires,   colorful Chinese pearls,  checkerboard-cut gems in many flavors,  black opals,  boulder opals,  facetted pearls,  alexandrites,  Ceylon sapphires,  tsavorite garnets and much much more.

If you would like to visit and see some of these treasures from Tucson,  please give me a call (603 624-8672) or send me an email.

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Jewelry Fact: Tears from the Moon

When the Spanish conquistadors first invaded Peru,  they found nuggets of a silvery,  white metal in the rivers and streams.  These nuggets were platinum.  Because platinum has a high melting point and is difficult to work,  the conquistadors assumed the nuggets were "unripened" silver and threw them back into the streams.

The indigenous Incas,  however,  had a more poetic view of the platinum nuggets.....they believed the nuggets were tears from the moon.

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The Many Facets of Diamond "Enhancement"

by  Arthur Anderson

It never fails.  Somebody always tries to improve on Mother Nature.  And diamonds with their small size and great value are no exception.

Since ancient times,  jewelers,  scientists,  alchemists and sorcerers have been trying to improve the appearance and apparent value of natural diamonds.  Today high tech methods,  like laser drilling,  radiation bombardment and fracture filling,  are enlisted in the effort.  In the past,  shiny foil backings,  a drop of dye on a diamond's culet,  and other low tech tricks sufficed.  The goal of all this high and low tech wizardry is to dramatically increase a diamond's apparent value and quality.

When you consider purchasing a diamond,  it is important to know whether the gem has been treated.  Be on the look out for the misleading euphemism,  "enhanced".  A natural,  untreated diamond can be worth significantly more,  than an "enhanced" stone of the same apparent quality.  Treated diamonds are not necessarily bad.  In fact,  many treatments can make an unattractive gemstone more appealing.  But,  because treatments can affect a diamond's value and durability,  they should be fully disclosed to the consumer.

To help you better understand the modern alchemy of diamond treatments,  we created the following guide.

"Laser Zapped" Diamonds

Over the past several decades laser technology has been applied to the ancient art of diamond cutting.  Lasers are employed in shaping rough diamond crystals,  separating intractable twinned crystals,  and even removing the inclusions within a diamond.  This latter process is known as "laser drilling".

Inclusions are irregularities or small bits of foreign matter that were trapped in a diamond while it was being formed several billion years ago.  The number and size of the inclusions is an important factor in determining a diamond's clarity.  And,  a diamond's clarity grade is an important factor in determining its beauty and value.

In laser drilling a diamond a beam of high energy light is used to bore a small tunnel from the surface of the diamond to the targeted inclusion.  Then, strong acid is forced down the tunnel to bleach out or burn away the inclusion.  By selectively removing inclusions in this manner,  it is possible to significantly improve the apparent clarity of a diamond.

When first introduced,  the use of laser drilling was not adequately disclosed to consumers.  Even Federal Trade Commission (FTC)  guidelines for the jewelry industry did not require disclosure of the practice!  This lack of candor by diamond wholesalers and manufacturers brought an out cry from jewelry retailers and consumers.  Today all reputable jewelry organizations require full disclosure of laser drilling and the FTC is considering a revision of its guidelines.

The tell-tale signs of laser drilling can be easily detected with proper training.  The drilling process leaves a small tunnel from the surface of the diamond to the site of the former inclusion.  Although minute,  these tunnels can be readily seen with proper magnification and when you know what to look for.

Of course,  the technology of diamond enhancements keeps moving forward.  Now laser-drilling firms are using fracture-filling techniques  (described in the next section)  to hide the laser drill holes.

"Fractured-Filled" Diamonds

All diamonds have minute fractures and fissures.  When the fissures are large and numerous they can detract from a diamonds beauty and value.  In lower grade diamonds these fissures can give the diamond a cloudy,  whitish appearance and may be visible to the naked eye.

In the late 1980s a new process was developed to hide the fissures.  Known as "fracture filling" the process involves filling the fissures with a glass-like substance.  Although the composition of the filler is kept a secret,  it is formulated to mimic the color and optical properties of the diamond being treated.  As a result,  the fissures in a fractured-filled diamond become less visible.

One concern with all diamond treatments is the permanence of the enhancement.  Diamonds may be forever,  but glass-like fillers probably are not.  Under the heat and pressure experienced when a jewel is being cleaned or repaired,  the glass-like filler can become discolored and even breakdown.  As a result,  the fractures reappear and the beauty of the diamond is diminished.  It is important to inform anyone working on a fractured-filled diamond that the stone has been treated and needs special handling.

As with all gemstone treatments,  fracture filling should be fully and candidly disclosed to consumers.  Because fracture filling can improve the apparent clarity and value of a diamond,  consumers need to be cautious.  Unfortunately,  there have been cases of fractured treated diamonds being sold as more valuable,  natural gemstones.

Whether you are buying a diamond from a trusted local jeweler,  over the Internet,  or from a friend "in the business",  you should verify that the diamond has not been fractured filled or otherwise treated.  If you have any doubt,  have the diamond evaluated by an independent,  qualified gemologist.

"Color Bleached" Diamonds

In early 1999,  General Electric (GE)  and Lazare Kaplan Inc. (LKI)  announced a new treatment for improving the color of natural diamonds.  Although the details of the process remain a secret,  it appears to involve recreating the high temperatures and pressures that existed when diamonds first formed deep within the earth.  As a result of this treatment,  the apparent color of a diamond can be improved by several color grades.

When introduced it was claimed that this treatment was permanent and largely undetectable.  It was even suggested that because the treatment was permanent,  disclosure to jewelers and the diamond buying public was not required.  People suspected,  perhaps unfairly,  that LKI had adopted an attitude of "If you can't catch us,  we don't have to tell you."  LKI hoped to sell the color treated stones for close to the same price as untreated diamonds.

The initial lack of disclosure with regard to these color-treated diamonds created a furore within the jewelry industry and among consumers.  As with any gemstone treatment,  whether detectable or not,  full disclosure is essential.  As a result,  LKI has agreed to engrave the girdle of each color treated diamond with the initials "GE POL".  This is a positive first step,  but offers only partial protection for consumers.  The markings on the girdle can be easily polished off by an unscrupulous seller.

To date,  there is no definitive method for detecting GE-treated diamonds.  When purchasing a diamond it is important to keep in mind that there is a possibility,  although small, that it has been color enhanced.

Consumer Beware!

You now have a good overview of the more common methods used to artificially enhance the appearance of natural diamonds.  Each of these methods can improve the beauty of less desirable stones and also make the them appear more valuable.  The challenge is to separate the treated stones from the natural,  unadulterated diamonds.  You do not want to be sold a treated stone when you are seeking a natural diamond.  Similarly,  if you choose to purchase a treated diamond,  you do not want to pay too much.

There are several helpful guidelines that will help you face this challenge:

1.  Diamond treatments are a fact of life.  Any knowledgeable seller will be happy to discuss and educate you about the various treatment processes.  If they are not,  then they are either unknowledgeable about diamonds or they are trying to deceive you.  In either,  case you do not want to do business with them.

2.  When purchasing a diamond or other expensive gemstone,  become educated about the market and comparative shop.  If you do not have the time,  hire a qualified broker who will act on your behalf and help you find the best gemstone that matches your needs and pocket book.

3.  If a diamond is being sold as untreated,  have the seller put it in writing.

4.  Conversely,  if you choose a diamond that has been treated,  have the seller document in writing the nature and extent of the treatment.  Any special care or handling required by the diamond should be noted.  In case the treatment is not permanent have the seller guarantee in writing that they will restore the diamond to its current state,  if the treatment becomes compromised.

5.  Finally,  if you have any concerns or questions about a diamond or other gemstone have it examined by an independent professional.  A qualified gemologist/appraiser can help you determine whether the diamond has been treated and give you an accurate estimate of its value.

The best protection for the jewelry consumer is education and the assistance of an independent expert.  By following the above guidelines, you will be able to avoid the traps presented by diamond treatments.

To learn more about diamonds,  colored gemstones and beautiful jewelry visit the Bijoux Library.

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Gem Fact:  Amethyst

Amethyst is a beautiful purple gemstone that was much beloved during the Victorian era.  The ancient Greeks believed that amethyst possessed a magical property that prevented a wearer from becoming drunk.  This amazing property as a detoxicant is reflected in amethyst's name.  "Amethyst" comes from the Greek roots "a" meaning "without" and "methyst" indicating "alcohol".  Put them together and you get "a" + "methyst",  or "without alcohol".  I wonder if the proper Victorians took advantage of this aspect of their favorite gemstone!

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Thank you for reading The Bijoux News.  If you have any suggestions,  questions,  please send  Art Anderson,  the editor,  an e-mail.

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Other issues of The Bijoux News can be found the  Bijoux News Archive.


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