COLOR GEMSTONE SALES:

ARE YOU COMPLIANT OR AT

RISK?”
Christopher P. Smith
Jacob Javits Convention Center
2:30 PM – 4 PM, meeting room 1E03
9 March 2008
§ 23.22 of the FTC
Jewelry Guidelines

the treatment is not permanent

the treatment leads to special care

requirements
i t for
f the
th gemstone,
t or

g
the treatment has a significant effect
on the stone’s value.
Point of Sale
Gemstone Treatments
Dyeing:
(could be virtually anything)
Emerald
Impregnation:
p g Ruby Chemical Bleaching:
g
(porous structures) Chalcedony Coral
Ammolite Coral Ivory
Coral Jadeite, jade Pearl
Jadeite jade
Jadeite, Lapis Lazuli Jadeite jade
Jadeite,
Opal Opal Pearl
Turquoise Pearl Quartz
Quartz
T
Turquoise
i

Dye and Impregnation: Bleaching, Dyeing and Impregnation:

(most common) (most common)
Jadeite, jade Jadeite, jade
Turquoise Coral
Gemstone Treatments

Oil, wax, polymer/plastic, glass, metals and oxides

Surface Coating: Clarity Enhancement:

(could be virtually anything) (could be virtually anything)
- Common materials - Common materials
Cubic Zirconium (CZ) Emerald
Diamond Ruby
Quartz Alexandrite
Topaz Diamond
Ammolite Tourmaline
Jadeite, jade
Lapis Lazuli
Pearl
Gemstone Treatments

Heating (relatively low temp): Heating (relatively high temp):

Andesine Ruby
Amber Sapphire
Aquamarine
Chalcedony Heating with chemicals:
Corundum (ruby/sapphire) (Diffusion treatment)
Di
Diamond d Ruby
Demantoid Garnet Sapphire
Opal Topaz
Quartz ((citrine,, etc.))
Tanzanite High pressure/High temperature:
Topaz (HPHT)
Tourmaline (Paraiba-type) Diamond
Zircon
Gemstone Treatments

Irradiation: Irradiation and Heating:

Beryl (some emerald) Diamond
Heliodor Quartz
Maxixe “New” Maxixe Beryl
Morganite Topaz
Cats-eye Chrysoberyl
Di
Diamond d Irradiation and HPHT:
Kunzite (some green) Diamond
Pearl
Quartz
Rubellite (some green) Heating,
H ti IIrradiation
di ti and
d HPHT:
HPHT
Sapphire (some ruby) Diamond
Topaz
Gemstone Treatments

R l ti l Low
Relatively L Temp
T Heating
H ti and d Clarity
Cl it Enhancement:
E h t
Aquamarine
Corundum (ruby/sapphire)
Demantoid Garnet
Quartz (citrine, etc.)
Tanzanite
Topaz
Tourmaline (Paraiba-type)
(Paraiba type)
Zircon
Standard and Additional
Standard and Additional
Standard Identifications

Most retailers, manufacturers and

wholesalers simply take for granted
the identity and condition of the
gems as indicated by their supplier.
Clarity Enhancement
Clarity Enhancement

With Clarity Enhancement

Clarity Enhancement

Same stone
stone- Without Clarity
Enhancement
 The New Reality of Topaz

Some blue
stones look
like
irradiated
Blue Topaz,
all of these
are coated
to look blue.

Lower left
left- Topaz; Top center
center- Quartz;
Right- Cubic Zirconium
Surface Coatings
Surface Coatings

Image to Right-
Surface coating
scratched to remove
coating
Surface Coatings

Surface coating scratched to remove

coating
ti around d center
t
Surface Coatings

Same stone with surface coating

removed.d
Lead-glass
Lead glass filled rubies
Starting material
Key features
Chemical etching
Composite Ruby
Compelling Factors

Security Measure Sales Opportunity

Such disclosure practices Such disclosure practices
protects from future provide the opportunity to
losses: increase or enhance your
colored stone business:
• Reputation
• Reputation
• Customer confidence
• Customer confidence
• Financial
Fi i l
• Financial
Third-Party
Third Party Authentication

High level
reporting for
th
those stones
t that
th t
deserve the mark
of distinction
Third-Party
Third Party Authentication

Full FTC compliance

Uncompromised standards

Guaranteed Identification

Aff d bl priced
Affordably i d
A Test

None Heat Be-diffusion Ti-diffusion

Color layer:
Shallow
A Second Test

Composite
Ruby

None/Clarity Heat/None Heat/Clarity Heat/Diffusion Heat/Lead

(oil-type) (flux-type) treatment Glass
Geographic Origins?

Congress set to close major loophole in U

U.S.
S
law banning imports of Burmese gems

Both stones are Burma origin

Today gem-quality rubies are recovered from a number of countries
and diverse locations within a particular country. These include:
Afghanistan,
g Burma, Kenya,
y Madagascar,
g Malawi, Pakistan,
Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand and Vietnam, as well as elsewhere.
As a result, the determination of a gem’s particular geographic origin
has become a highly specialized field of gemology
gemology.
Concluding Thoughts

• The FTC requires proper disclosure

• This creates a fair market
• Protects the rights and interest of the
consumer
• Just to be safe: Disclose
• Third
Third-party
party authentication allows you to be
compliant, protect yourself and your client