TYPES OF ENHANCEMENTS/TREATMENTS USED
All Quartz types receive different types of treatment/enhancements, there are very few types of quartz that are not treated. A few types of quartz that are not colorless and natural are: Latte Quartz, Champagne Quartz.
Colorless quartz is always untreated. Colored stones can occasionally be enhanced in color by dying (a combination of bathing in color agent solutions, fallowed by heating), irradiation (bombardment with low level radioactivity), or heating. Reliable gem dealers will always inform their customers about any kind of treatment.
Some quartz gems can lose their color saturation over a period of time in daylight. The original color can be restored by X-ray radiation.
AMETHYST:
Normally untreated, but Amethyst may have a treatment of heat of 878-1382 degrees F (470-750 degrees C) which results in light yellow, red-brown, green or colorless varieties. Some amethysts can lose their color saturation in daylight. The original color can be restored by X-ray radiation. Prasiolite is green amethyst which will be listed separately as PRASIOLITE.
AMETRINE
None.
AVENTURINE
Aventurine is a type of Quartz frequently used for carvings and cabochons. Aventurine is mainly dark green sometimes with a glittery metallic appearance caused by included green mica. Deposits are found in Brazil, India, Austria, Russia and Tanzania. Aventurine is not known to be enhanced.
BI-COLORED QUARTZ
Quartz crystals of different colors often form together to form interesting bi-colored stones.
These can be part natural Citrine and smokey quartz, or amethyst and colorless quartz, these gemstones are very attractive. Another form of bi-colored quartz is ametrine Amethyst & Citrine.
Bi-colored Quartz is a natural mineral in nature and not enhanced, This stone can be created synthetically or treated by irradiation/dye/heat to create mass quantities or colors not normally found in nature. When natural bi-colored quartz is found in nature there is no need for enhancements or Treatments. Reputable vendors will disclose any treatments applied to the gems they sell.
BLUE MOON QUARTZ
Crystalline quartz is in the Chalcedony family a gorgeous rainbow blue color, A milky white with rainbow effect much like moon stone, This quartz is Heat Treated.
CARNELIAN
Many carnelians being offered in the market today are actually Agates which have been dyed and then heat treatments But there is a way to identify natural carnelian. The dyed agate will display striping when held against the light, while the natural carnelian will show a cloudy distribution of color. Natural carnelian is increasingly rare. Carnelian is Heated to darken color.
CHALCEDONY Multiple types: as FOLLOWS **
Chalcedony, chalcedony will mean any translucent, cryptocrystalline quartz with a single color, whether it has a special variety name or not. Its colors are bluish, white, or gray. The various types differ in color due to metallic impurities, such as iron, nickel, copper, and titanium, present during crystallization.
Some of the outstanding chalcedony species if it comes to colors are:
AGATE
It is distinguished by having multiple colors. Banded agates are some of the most popular. A rarity is the so-called fire agate. The iridescent colors of red, gold, green and rarely, blue-violet, result from interference between light rays traveling through these thin layers. Agate jasper, which grows together with agate, is yellow, brown, or green blended. Onyx is a layered stone with a black base and a white upper layer. Agate is normally dyed with bright colors.
BLOODSTONE
It is an opaque, dark-green chalcedony with red spots (caused by iron oxide). Some collectors say bloodstone is jasper but according to the most authoritative sources, such as Schumann’s Gemstones of the World, bloodstone is not a jasper at all. Seems to be a battle of the GG’S Nothing new! Bloodstone is not treated in any way.
BLUE CHALCENDONY
Also called “Mohave” and “Mt. Airy Blues”, originating in California and Nevada, are slightly to moderately grayish blue with a light to medium color range. Blue chalcedony from Namibia, often called “African Blue”, varies from grayish to nearly pure blue and from light to medium dark. The most unusual and most valuable type is from Oregon. Its blues are modified by slight to moderate amounts of pink, making a noticeably lavender gem, which nonetheless is called “Holly Blue.” Misty blue Chalcedony is not treated. The Aqua blue chalcedony is dyed.
CHALCEDONY
In the narrow sense, comes in bluish white or gray. Uni-colored chalcedony sometimes is called ONYX. Black and colored onyx is dyed.
Carnelian ranges in color from yellow-orange to rich, near reddish orange, to orangey brown, and varies from semi-opaque to highly translucent. Carnelian onyx is a layered stone with a red base and a white upper layer.
CHRYSOPRASE
Apple green chalcedony that derives its color from nickel, ranges from nearly opaque to nearly transparent. Its color spectrum includes Olive, to nearly pure greens of medium tone. Very fine, highly saturated pieces have been successfully misrepresented as Imperial jade. Chrysoprase is not enhanced.
CHRYSOCOLLA CHALCEDONY
Marketed as “Gem Silica” this relatively rare, blue to blue-green, opaque to near transparent material is the most expensive type of chalcedony. Its color agent is copper.
*Jasper is listed in the micro crystalline quartz family
There are many types of Jasper, SOME is treated and some is not enhanced. You will need to look this information up if you do know know, YOU Can always email the Gemstone sheriff Advisory Panel for help or information regarding gemstones, treatments and more…
CAT’S EYE QUARTZ
Quartz cat’s eye: Comes in a variety of colors: White, gray, green, yellow, brown (Cat’s eye: Is a reflection of light by parallel fibers, needles, or channels, which resembles the slit eye of a cat. When the stone is rotated, the cat’s eye glides over the surface.) Inclusion causes many gems to loose value but with out inclusion we would not see the beauty of the Cat’s eye in these gems.
Treatments of Cat’s eye quartz: None
CITRINE
Citrines, with the exception of natural stones, are heat-treated amethysts or smoky quartz. The used temperature defines the color. Brazilian amethyst turns light yellow at 878 degrees F (470 degrees C) and dark-yellow to red-brown at 1022-1040 degrees F (550-560 degrees C). Some smoky quartz’s turn into Citrine color already at about 390 degrees F (200 degrees C).
CRACKLE QUARTZ
This quartz can appear in any color dyed, seen in many colors, pink, yellow, green and blue and more, The quartz is tumbled Heated and cooled in a dye bath, where is is then sold in chip, or tumbled form or even cut in faceted gemstones and gives a cracked appearance, Many times lower graded quartz can be used if using for tumble or chip beads, Enhancement, Heat, dye
DENDRITIC QUARTZ
Quartz with fossilized plant life, really a agate or chalcedony, Natural Untreated Quartz
DRUSY QUARTZ
Found in the interiors of quartz geodes, When first found in the earth, natural geodes look like solid, round rocks. Most of these are truly solid, with only 5% or so being hollow with crystals forming on the inside. Only a fraction of these will have formed with the fine unblemished Drusy crystals that create the unforgettable Drusy sparkle. However, the majority are unattractive off-white or a washed out gray. Only a choice few provide the finest shades of gem quality Drusy quartz.
Treatments, Typically the quartz crystals are dyed.
GREY QUARTZ
Bluish Grey, the color coming from a fibrous material included in the Quartz, this gem is Not known to be Enhanced / Treated in any way.
LEMON QUARTZ
One of the most common in the quarz crystalline family Lemon quartz is Treated with Irradiation and heat.
LEPIDACHROSITE
The color of Lepidocrocite ranges from a dark yellow, to brown, to brownish-red, to red, to a dark red. Lepidocrocite crystals may occasionally be tarnished with iridescent colors, making them appear very similar to the mineral Hematite. Some times called strawberry quartz when seen in a clear state and red or pinkish red spotting. This quartz is found in meteorites. This quartz is not treated/Enhanced in any way.
MEDUSA QUARTZ
Not known to be treated.
MILK QUARTZ
The white color may be caused by minute fluid inclusions of gas and/or liquid trapped during the crystal formation. The cloudiness caused by the inclusions effectively bars its use in most optical and quality gemstone creations like carvings, Also called Phantom quartz. Milk quartz also has been know to have gold inclusion. Not known to be treated/enhanced.
MYSTIC QUARTZ, AZOTIC QUARTZ, MULTI – COLORED QUARTZ- TREATED BY COATING, please disclose correct information when you are selling, re-selling any type of Multi–colored quartz.
TREATMENT:
Mystic Quartz patent is one of the newest laboratory’s offering a Variety of coatings for quartz, as all other companies who offer this product they starting with Colorless quartz, raw basic untreated, the cut and polished quartz is coated with an extremely thin titanium film that bonds with quartz at the molecular level. Very little heat is involved in the process. The coating is permanent, but if part of the crystal chips off or is broken the natural color of the stone will show.
The cost, value, and quality of these treated gems are only as good as the company who provides the technology to enhance the gem in this fashion.
There are Multiple companies who offer a patent technique for this type of gemstone enhancement. You should find you get a quality enhancement with a patent gem.
But with any product sold there are copies, there is theft of idea or technique and this creates problems for the enhanced gemstone in this case. If you buy a premium grade gem with a coating from company offering a patent on this technique you will buy a gem that will last a life time with proper care. If you buy a gem that was not made by a a patent company you may very well receive a gem with poor quality enhancement and the gem is likely to loose color or the coating may even peel off.
If you provide gems with this type of enhancement you must disclose patent company, if you are not sure you cannot provide customers with a patent named technique. You will need to disclose this information if you are unsure. You must list this type of item correctly.
**Mystic quartz and topaz are confused with many other gems due to the large quantity of synthetic quartz and gems on the market today. One of the most recently gems to be confused with Mystic quartz is Azotic quartz, Azotic is a patent treatment applied to many types of gemstones not only quartz so be careful when using the Term Azotic and Mystic. If a quartz gemstone were treated by Azotic it would then be called Azotic quartz.
PRASIOLITE – Green Amethyst
Prasiolite: Leek-green. Prasiolite is not found in nature. Heat treated violet amethyst or yellowish quartz turns into leek-green Prasiolite. ((WARNING** When Dark green amethyst is offered ( forest green & other darker colors) Many time this is Synthetic Quartz or dyed Quartz,))
ROSE QUARTZ
None
RUTILE QUARTZ
While most varieties of transparent quartz are valued most when they show no inclusions, rutilated quartz is valued specifically for the lovely patterns formed by the delicate golden needles of rutile inside it. Currently no documented treatment is used to add this lovely inclusion.
SAPPHIRE QUARTZ
None
SMOKEY QUARTZ
Colored stones can occasionally be enhanced in color by dying (a combination of bathing in color agent solutions, fallowed by heating), irradiation – (bombardment with low level radioactivity), or heating. Reliable gem dealers will always inform their customers about any kind of treatment.
Some quartz gems can lose their color saturation over a period of time in daylight. The original color can be restored by X-ray radiation.
STAR QUARTZ
Against a dark background, and cut en cabochon, this variety of quartz will display a six-rayed star. These gems are often painted black on the back, or assembled with black onyx as a doublet to show of the star effect better. The quartz it self is not Treated
TIGER’S EYE QUARTZ
Tiger’s eye: Gold-yellow, gold-brown (Similar to Hawk’s eye effect, ray of light is brown colored due to oxidized iron inclusions) Hawk’s eye: Blue-gray to blue green (Hawk’s eye: Small ray of light on the surface that is reminiscent of the eye of a bird of prey) Hawk’s eye is also called Crocidolite.
Tigers eye is not Enhanced.
TOURMALINATED QUARTZ & INLCUSION QUARTZ
Rock crystal: Colorless. Material that can be cut is rare. Inclusions are of goethite (builds star quartz with rays of light), gold, pyrite, silver, rutile and tourmaline. Some times called SAGENITE Quartz Currently no documented treatment is used to add this lovely inclusion.
SYNTHETIC QUARTZ / STONES
In today’s market quartz is being used to fraudulently stand in for many other gems such as Ametrine, Topaz, and many other natural gems, We see this the the case of many types of topaz like the Mystic topaz and other bi-color or multi color gems with the treatment of chemicals. This is unfortunate but as vendors we need to know what to look for when providing gems for our customers, One way to prevent buying synthetic or lab created gems is to use a reliable source for the main portion of the gems you buy for resale or your own collection. Asia has been a constant source of synthetic stones for over 20 years now. The market is flooded with these fake or synthetic stones. One of the main reasons this has happened is natural resources or gems of the world are no longer easy to obtain. Depletion of gemstones, dangerous mining conditions and Laws preventing mining or importing gemstones are all issue that cause the creation of synthetic gems and there is a market for the item.
Credit: GEMSTONE AUCTIONS
