Treatment

There are various types of treatments in gemstones like rubies, sapphires and emeralds. We list few of the main treatments here and provide information on what is accepted and what isn't. Please note that the treatments listed here are only of which apply to Ruby, Sapphire & Emeralds. Also, the definitions of the treatments is taken from the AGTA (American Gem Trade Association) which is considered the highest authority in gemstone treatments, gemstone testing and in general gemstone issues concerning the gemstone jewelry trade.

Heat Treatment:

Among rubies and sapphires it is a general practice among the manufacturers to bake the rough in order to enhance the color of the gemstones. This treatment has been there in the industry for a long time and is accepted worldwide and industry wide as a PERMANENT treatment. In fact, this treatment is so common that in the trade if an individual asks for a ruby or sapphire it is understood they want heated. Probably over 99% of all Rubies and Sapphires used in today's jewelry are heated. This is a cheaper alternative to unheated ruby and sapphires which are far more expensive and more difficult to find. This treatment is not found in emeralds.

GemsNY Recommendation:

There is no right or wrong answer to this question. The answer depends on two main factors: personal preference and the budget set aside for the purchase. For further details please click here

Dyed:

In this treatment there is coloring material introduced into the gemstone to improve the color appearance or to change the color all together. This treatment is rare in rubies and emeralds and doesn't apply to sapphires. GemsNY doesn't carry any rubies, emeralds or sapphires with this treatment and doesn't recommend purchase of any gemstones with this treatment because it is very unstable and comes out if exposed to some household chemicals such as bleach.

Filling:

In this treatment gemstones are filled with foreign substance, including glass, to cover surface cavities and fractures. This treatment is common in rubies and emeralds and is not applied on sapphires and the stability of it is generally very good. GemsNY carries rubies with filling as they offer much better value for the consumer and the treatment is also quite stable, on the most part and will not come out very easily. A large percentage of the rubies in the market today have this treatment as this is done in conjunction with the heating process. GemsNY doesn’t carry filled emeralds.

Diffusion:

In this treatment there is a use of chemicals in combinations with high temperature to produce artificial color change among gemstones. This treatment is very rarely found among rubies but is more common among sapphires and emeralds. GemsNY doesn't carry any diffused rubies, emeralds or sapphires as we consider this treatment to be too severe.

Unheated:

Gemstones which are unheated have only traditional process of cutting and polishing applied to them in order to improve the appearance or durability of the gem. Unheated sapphires are rare and unheated rubies are extremely rare (especially in 3ct and bigger size). All GemsNY unheated gemstones are mostly certified by GIA or other highly reputable independent laboratories.

Cedar Oil:

This treatment is only conducted in emeralds. Among emeralds it is a general practice among the manufacturers to oil the emeralds to enhance the color of the gem. This treatment has been there in the industry for a long time and is accepted worldwide. In fact, this treatment is so common that in the trade if an individual asks for an emerald it is understood they want oiled emerald. Probably over 99.9% of all emeralds used in today's jewelry are oiled. All of GemsNY emeralds have cedar oil treatment.

GemsNY Recommendation:

For rubies and sapphires, we would recommend unheated stones only for individuals for whom money is not a question. Otherwise if you are on a budget, like most people, it would be better to go with a heated gemstone which will be significantly cheaper and thus allow you to purchase either better quality or a bigger size gemstone than you would have otherwise gotten in an unheated stone. Also, gemstones with filling should also be considered as cheaper alternative to heated rubies (This treatment doesn't exist in Sapphires as of now). Rubies which are filled can offer tremendous value as they are significantly cheaper than regular heated rubies and can allow you to purchase larger size rubies which otherwise might not have met your budget.

For emeralds, cedar oil is a normal treatment among all emeralds is accepted widely. GemsNY recommends cedar oil treatment as stones without oil treatment are extremely, extremely rare and very expensive.