Accepted emerald treatments and misleading dyes
Heat treatments are used on rubies, sapphires, and many other precious stones to improve their color and reduce the visibility of their inclusions. Emeralds, on the other hand, are distinctive in that they crack and shatter when heated to high temperatures.
Easy
Post difficulty
2 min
Post Length
Gemology
Gem-related Field
Emerald
How Do We Oil Emeralds?
Because emeralds cannot resist high temperatures, they are generally treated with oil. Several oils can be used, however natural cedar oil is traditionally used by jewelers. Natural cedarwood oil is suitable since it is colorless and has the same refractive index as emeralds.
The emerald is gently heated to open its pores before being soaked in oil and treated to low pressure during oil treatment. The oil penetrates the gem, filling tiny cracks, sublimating the tint and helping to conceal inclusions.
You could also soak your emerald in baby oil overnight if you have a lower-quality emerald that you wish to give a new life!
The emerald is gently heated to open its pores before being soaked in oil and treated to low pressure during oil treatment. The oil penetrates the gem, filling tiny cracks, sublimating the tint and helping to conceal inclusions.
You could also soak your emerald in baby oil overnight if you have a lower-quality emerald that you wish to give a new life!
The jewelry industry accepts oil and polymer resin treatments for emeralds as standard treatments, although the oil and resins used in these treatments should not be coloured in any way.
THE QUESTION
Are There New Treatments Nowadays?
In recent years, jewelers have begun to treat emeralds with polymer resins instead of oil. Polymer resins are more resistant to wear and more stable. They also could someday replace oil as the primary treatment for emeralds.
Every year, miners discover emeralds with "off" green colors and a lot of green beryl that isn't green enough to be classified as an emerald. These emeralds and green beryls have little value in the jewelry market.
There are jewelers that treat these stones with oil or colored polymer resin. These treatments artificially enhance the stone's hue to the point where it may be sold for a higher price and utilized in jewelry.
It is essential to recognize that the hue of these colored stones does not match that of actual emeralds, and the dye may fade over time.
However, rest assured that at GemMatrix, we do not sell dye-treated emeralds. We encourage you only to purchase emeralds that have received regular oil-based treatments or transparent polymer resins. All of our emeralds come with a certificate from a reputable lab, so you can be confident that they are of the same quality as the ones shown online or on our website.
Every year, miners discover emeralds with "off" green colors and a lot of green beryl that isn't green enough to be classified as an emerald. These emeralds and green beryls have little value in the jewelry market.
There are jewelers that treat these stones with oil or colored polymer resin. These treatments artificially enhance the stone's hue to the point where it may be sold for a higher price and utilized in jewelry.
It is essential to recognize that the hue of these colored stones does not match that of actual emeralds, and the dye may fade over time.
However, rest assured that at GemMatrix, we do not sell dye-treated emeralds. We encourage you only to purchase emeralds that have received regular oil-based treatments or transparent polymer resins. All of our emeralds come with a certificate from a reputable lab, so you can be confident that they are of the same quality as the ones shown online or on our website.
Comments Section
Did you find our article interesting? What are your thoughts on the subject? Please do not hesitate to leave a comment!
Please wait until the comment section has finished loading before proceeding. This could take a few seconds!
Please wait until the comment section has finished loading before proceeding. This could take a few seconds!
Benjamin Poudevigne
Social Media Manager at GemMatrix
With over ten years of marketing experience, I finally decided to settle down in Bangkok to work in an area that I have always been interested in: the gemstones industry. I'm still learning how the market works on a daily basis, and I enjoy sharing my experience with those who are interested in learning more about gems in general.