Question for Gav

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Meeshoo

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Hiya hun

Are the purple sapphires that have just started appearing on Rocks beryillium treated please? I'm assuming yes because being able to colour match that many natural purple sapphires would be a feat in itself!

Very many thanks x
 
Hi Meeshoo:

While we sell both heated and beryllium-heated (‘new heat’) Purple Sapphires, most are enhanced by ‘new heat’; as per our treatments page http://www.rocksandco.com/library/gemstone-enhancement.asp, you’d best assume this enhancement. With the vast majority of gems enhanced in some way, always assuming enhancements is sensible and pragmatic. Also, don’t forget that ‘natural’ refers to a gem that has not been enhanced in any way. Finding an attractive natural Sapphire is about as common as unicorns when you consider well over 90 percent of Sapphires are enhanced in some way.

In Chanthaburi, Thailand, the international processing capital for Sapphires, around 30 percent of Sapphires are subjected to ‘new heat’. Why? Simply put, there is an ever growing demand for attractive Sapphires. Totally permanent, ‘new heat’ has set the colour standard for certain Sapphire varieties and at the end of the day, beryllium-heated Sapphires look better. As long as it is disclosed, I am a big advocate and proponent of this enhancement. Particularly considering I have lived in the town it was developed (Chanthaburi) for eight years.

In my mind, it is innovations like this enhancement that will ensure the future of an industry I dearly love.

As always, please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. While I will post a thread tomorrow, please be aware that I will be taking a break from the 22nd December until 12th January 2009. If my wife has her way, I won’t have much computer access during this time, so please give me until then to contribute to posts and respond to PMs and emails.

Best Wishes,

Gav
 
Thanks Gav. I had assumed normal "heat" treatment (as this is applied fairly routinely to Sapphires as you say) but for me, and I know this is a personal thing, beryillium or "new heat" is not acceptable! Is it possible for you to let me know which, if any, of the Purple Sapphire pieces have just had the normal heat treatment please?

By the way, is "new heat" a new term for beryillum treatment? I haven't heard it before and think that this is very confusing for newbies for the gemstone buying game!

Many thanks in advance.

Meesh x

p.s. Be kind to your wife and ignore us over Christmas!!!! I'm sure we'll cope and you need some downtime with your family.
 
Sorry Gav - question 2!

I've heard that Mozambique Tourmaline (Paraiba and Cuprian) is also being treated with Beryillium now and has just started to hit the world market. Is that correct? If yes, is the PT and Cuprian that Rocks selling also subject to this process?

Again, many thanks in advance.

Meesh x

p.s. getting in all my questions before you put your Christmas hat on!
 
Sorry to hijack Meesh's thread!

Gavin, can you please confirm that my beloved rainbow moonstone is always natural? I think so, but some of the rainbow moonstone I've had from Rocks & Co is so breathtaking that it's hard to believe that nature produced that incredible blue schiller with only the cutter's aid!

Thanks!
 
Sorry to hijack Meesh's thread!

Gavin, can you please confirm that my beloved rainbow moonstone is always natural? I think so, but some of the rainbow moonstone I've had from Rocks & Co is so breathtaking that it's hard to believe that nature produced that incredible blue schiller with only the cutter's aid!

Thanks!

If you look at the gemstone enhancement page it says that it's natural so I'd think it's one of the few untampered with.

C'mon Gav, where are you?????!!!!!!
 
Hi Guys:

I’m here ladies, sorry for the delay. I was busy tying up some loose ends. Today is my last day in the office for three weeks, so brief points follow:

I know this is a personal thing; beryllium or ‘new heat’ is not acceptable! Sorry Meeshoo, we’re going to have to agree to disagree on this one. For me and many others in the biz, as long as it is disclosed, ‘new heat’ is totally acceptable. Let’s leave this here, we’ve talked this through before, further discussion is not going to change either of our opinions.

Is it possible for you to let me know which, if any, of the Purple Sapphire pieces have just had the normal heat treatment please? Yesterday (Sunday) I made an assumption based on my experience and the sensible ‘always assume enhancements’ approach. For peace of mind, I called the heaters today (Monday) regarding these Purple Sapphires and they told me that they are heat only (‘old heat’). However, I will be not changing the listing on our enhancements page. Given the prevalence of ‘new heat’, unintentional trace amounts of beryllium remaining in the ovens can sometimes be present in ‘old heat’ Sapphires. Always assuming beryllium enhancement for Ruby and Sapphire is good advice.

By the way, is ‘new heat’ a new term for beryllium treatment? I haven't heard it before and think that this is very confusing for newbies for the gemstone buying game! ‘New Heat’ is actually a Thai term and is being increasing used colloquially for ease of comprehension. I’m sorry, but we’re going to have to agree to disagree again. What could be simpler for the beginner? ‘Old heat’ = no additives just heat, ‘new heat’ = heat with additives. Before we whip the forum into a blind panic, please remember that beryllium naturally occurs in gemstones like Chyrosberyl and Beryl, and even Sapphires.

I've heard that Mozambique Tourmaline (Paraiba and Cuprian) is also being treated with beryillium now and has just started to hit the world market. Is that correct? If yes, are the PT and Cuprian those Rocks selling also subject to this process? As per our enhancements page, all our Paraiba and Cuprian Tourmaline is just heated using the same method applied to Paraiba Tourmaline since its discovery. I’ve heard of this rumoured and as yet unproven enhancement, and it has nothing to do with the diffusion of beryllium. Again, this rumoured enhancement is unconfirmed and definitely not applied to any Paraiba and Cuprian Tourmaline we sell.

Gavin, can you please confirm that my beloved rainbow moonstone is always natural? Miss Magpie, as per our enhancements page, Rainbow Moonstone is always natural. If you’ve got five minutes, please take the time to read this http://www.rocksandco.com/library/gemstone-enhancement.asp top to bottom. Enhancements are not a bogey man to be feared!

My Christmas hat is now firmly on, I bid you all farewell until 12th January, 2009.

Seasons Greetings,

Gav
 
Thanks Gav and I appreciate your candour (as always). I think it's important for buyers to know exactly what they're buying and the fact that you're always so on the case and will be honest, no matter what, is great. Thanks again.

I'm an unhappy bunny cos I dumped a purple sapphire from my basket thinking it might be "new heat"! Oh well, I'm sure another will come along soon!

Have a very happy Christmas, get your silly hat on and pull some crackers!

Meesh x
 

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