Processing and treatment of gemstones
■ Jewelswhat is
Rocks that are used as resources are called ores, and minerals and rocks that are particularly valuable for jewelry are called gems. In English, gemstones are called gemstones, and gemstones that have undergone processing such as cutting and polishing are common gemstones.
The requirements for gemstones are beauty, rarity, and durability. When it comes to beauty, each country has its own preference for gemstones and different standards of value. Rare items are prized and highly valued. In addition, there are many gemstones whose value suddenly rises due to the decrease in gemstone production. As for durability, a certain level of sturdiness is necessary as long as it is worn and used, and durability is also necessary in the sense that valuable jewelry will be passed down from generation to generation.
■ Jewel treatment (processing and processing)
Gemstones are processed or treated in some way. There are not many things that can be made into gemstones in the rough without processing. In addition to cutting, there are many problems with natural stones such as color, transparency, and inclusions, so it is common and customary to apply artificial treatments. "Jewelry treatment" is a process other than cutting and polishing a stone to make it look more beautiful. For example, in diamonds, laser irradiation is performed to remove the black inclusions inside, and laser holes are drilled and the holes are filled with a material that has a refractive index close to that of diamond. In terms of color improvement, in the case of stones that have latent color-changing elements, heat treatment or irradiation can be used to stabilize or change the color. These are made into gemstones such as amethyst, topaz, ruby, sapphire and diamond. Heating and irradiating white or brown topaz produces the popular brightly colored blue topaz. Since emerald is a gemstone with many internal fractures (natural scratches), it is generally impregnated with oil or resin that has a refractive index close to that of emerald.
Turquoise, which has a low hardness, is usually impregnated to increase its durability.
Main treatments for gemstones
process
Main treatments for gemstones
jewelry
heat treatment
It is possible to change the hue and brightness and increase the transparency. Most of the time the effect is permanent.
Aquamarine • Amber • Ruby • Sapphire • Citrine • Zircon • Tanzanite • Tourmaline • Pink Topaz • Black Opal
radiation exposure
The color of gems can be changed by bombardment with electrons or gamma rays.
Quartz (Amethyst, Smoky Quartz, Rose Quartz), Diamond, Topaz, Tourmaline, Pearl
Impregnation treatment
Infiltrate the oil or resin into the stone. In addition to filling scratches and cracks to improve transparency and appearance, it is also used to reinforce and color colors and improve durability.
Emerald • Turquoise • Coral • Jade (Pyroxene) • Ruby
coating
A coloring process that coats the surface of gemstones with a metal or resin film. As for the metal film, semiconductor manufacturing technology is applied, so the technical level of the product is quite high, and by stacking many layers of it, it becomes considerably robust. Therefore, it is unlikely that it will come off with normal washing, and it can withstand shocks and high temperatures to some extent.
Crystal (Cosmo Aura, Aqua Aura), Topaz (Mystic Topaz), Jade (Pyroxene), Coral
staining
Dyed with pigments to improve the appearance of the stone. Only dye impregnated porous polycrystalline aggregates are of interest.
Agate (agate), onyx, coral, pearl, jade (pyroxene), lapis lazuli, turquoise (counterfeit white stone called Howlite dyed turquoise blue)
Postscript: In Japan, until 2004, these artificial treatments were divided into enhancement and treatment. It refers to artificial processing that cannot occur in the natural world.
Monsteraleaf Writing
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Monstera leaf also uses stones that have undergone various high-quality treatments.
Gemstone treatments are essential when used as jewelry.