Treatment or Enhancement:
The following codes and definitions are adapted from the American Gem Trade
Association's Gemstone Enhancement Manual, Edition 6.1 June, 1997, which is the
industry standard for disclosure to consumers.
General Enhancement Categories:
| N |
Those natural stones which are not currently known to be enhanced by any
methods |
| E |
Those natural stones which are routinely enhanced by traditional
methods. |
| B |
Bleaching: The use of heat, light and/or other agents to lighten or
remove a gemstone's color. |
| C |
Coating: The use of such surface enhancements as lacquering, enameling,
inking, foiling or sputtering of films to improve appearance, provide color
or add other special effects. |
| D |
Dyeing: The introduction of coloring matter into a gemstone to give it
new color, intensify present color or improve color uniformity. |
| F |
Filling: The filling of surface breaking cavities or fissures with
colorless glass, plastic, solidified borax or similar substances, which
are visible under properly illuminated 10X magnification. This process will
improve durability, appearance and/or add weight. |
| H |
Heating: The use of heat to affect desired alteration of color, and/or
phenomena. (Residue of foreign substances in open fissures is not
visible under properly illuminated 10X magnification.) |
| HP |
Heating and Pressure: The use of heat and pressure combines to affect
desired alterations of color and/or clarity. |
| I |
Impregnation: The impregnation of a porous gemstone with a colorless
agent (usually plastic) to give it durability and improve appearance. |
| L |
Lasering: The use of laser and chemicals to reach and alter inclusions
in diamonds. |
| O |
Oiling/Resin Infusion: The filling of surface breaking fissures with
colorless oil, wax, resin or other colorless substances, except
glass or plastic, to improve the gemstone's appearance. |
| R |
Irradiation: The use of neutrons requiring an environmental safety
release from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Gamma and/or electron
bombardment to alter a gemstone's color. The irradiation may be followed by
a heating process. |
| U |
Diffusion: The use of chemicals in conjunction with high temperatures to
produce color and/or asterism producing inclusions. |
| W |
Waxing/Oiling: The impregnation of a colorless wax, paraffin and oil in
porous opaque or translucent gemstones to improve appearance. |
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