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Treatments have become an integral part of the gemstone industry and are globally accepted. While treatments are commonplace within the industry (99% of the more popular gem types are treated), many consumers are unaware of what treatments are done to what gem types. Gems Heaven has put together a table outlining what treatment is done to what gem types.
All treatments done with the exception of Emeralds that are treated with colorless oil are permanent and stable.

Treatments of gemstones are done to improve the color or appearance of the gem. Some gem types would simply not exist if it wasn’t for treatment. For example, did you know that Tanzanite is greenish brown when mined from the earth? It’s only after being heat treated to 600 degrees Celsius that a Tanzanite takes on its famous vibrant purple-blue color. It’s important to remember that the term “natural gemstone” refers to those formed in the earth, whether or not they have been treated after mining – this is in distinct contrast to “lab” or “synthetic” gems.

Not all gemstones are treated. Below is a list of gemstones that are NOT treated:

Adamite (Crystal)	Alexandrite	Alexandrite (Cats Eye)
Allanite	Amblygonite	Ametrine
Anatase	Andalusite	Anhydrite (Crystal)
Apatite	Apatite (Cats Eye)	Apatite (Rough)
Apophyllite & Stilbite	Apophyllite (Crystal)	Aquamarine (Crystal)
Aventurine (Blue)	Aventurine (Green)	Axinite
Axinite (Crystal)	Azurite (Crystal)	Azurite Malachite
Barite (Crystal)	Barite and Pyrite (Crystal)	Boracite
Brazilianite	Calcite (Crystal)	Cassiterite
Celestite (Crystal)	Cerussite (Crystal)	Chalcedony
Chalcopyrite & Quartz	Chrome Diopside	Chrome Diopside (Cats Eye)
Chrysoberyl	Chrysoberyl (Cats Eye)	Chrysocolla (Gem Silica)
Chrysoprase	Chrysoprase (Imperial)	Cinnabar
Cinnabar, Calcite and Quartz	Clinohumite	Creedite (Crystal)
Cuprite (on Chrysocolla)	Danburite (Mexico)	Diamond (Natural Champagne)
Diamond (Natural Cognac)	Diamond (Natural Fancy Colors)	Diamond (Natural White)
Diamond (Natural Yellow)	Dolomite (Crystal)	Enstatite (Cats Eye)
Eosphorite	Epidote	Epidote (Crystal)
Euclase	Fluorite	Fluorite (Bi Color)
Fluorite (Chrome)	Fluorite (Color Change)	Fluorite (Neon)
Fluorite (Tri Color)	Fluorite and Galena (Crystal)	Gahnite
Garnet (Color Change Rough)	Garnet (Color Change)	Garnet (Demantoid Crystal)
Garnet (Demantoid)	Garnet (Green Garnet)	Garnet (Green Uvarovite)
Garnet (Grossular Crystal)	Garnet (Grossular Mali)	Garnet (Hessonite)
Garnet (Mint Green)	Garnet (Malaia Rough)	Garnet (Mandarin)
Garnet (Rhodolite)	Garnet (Mozambique)	Garnet (Rhodolite Rough)
Garnet (Watermelon)	Garnet (Spessartite Rough)	Garnet (Spessartite)
Hematite (Crystal in Quartz)	Goshenite	Hematite
Herderite	Hemimorphite & Calcite	Hemimorphite (Crystal)
Huebnerite (with Quartz)	Hiddenite	Howlite
Jade	Iolite	Iolite (Cats Eye)
Kunzite (Cats Eye)	Jade (Imperial)	Kunzite
Labradorite (Rainbow Cab)	Kyanite	Labradorite (Facet)
Lazurite (Crystal)	Labradorite (Rainbow Facet)	Larimar (Pectolite)
Mawsitsit	Manganotantalite	Marcasite (Crystal)
Moonstone (Cats Eye)	Microcline (Crystal)	Moonstone
Natrolite	Moonstone (Rainbow)	Muscovite (Crystal)
Obsidian (Snowflake)	Nephrite	Obsidian (Mahogany)
Opal (Crystal)	Oligoclase	Opal (Cats Eye)
Opal (Pink)	Opal (Jelly)	Opal (Multi Color)
Opalized (Sliced Ammonite)	Opal (Semi Black)	Opal (Yellow)
Prehnite	Peridot	Pollucite
Pyrite (Druzy Rainbow)	Pyrargyrite (Crystal)	Pyrite
Quartz (Crystal on Stellerite)	Pyromorphite (Crystal)	Quartz
Quartz (Pink)	Quartz (Crystal)	Quartz (Imperial Cats Eye)
Rhodochrosite (Crystal)	Quartz (Rose)	Quartz (White)
Rubellite	Rhodonite	Rosasite (Crystal)
Ruby (Unheated Mogok)	Rubellite (Rough)	Ruby (Unheated Mogok Rh.)
Sandstone (Natural Green)	Rutile	Rutile (Cats Eye)
Scolecite	Sapphire (Crystal)	Scapolite
Siderite (Crystal)	Selenite (Crystal)	Sellaite
Smithsonite (Crystal)	Sillimanite (Cats Eye)	Sinhalite
Sphene	Sodalite	Sphalerite
Spinel (Noble Red Crystal)	Spinel (Crystal in Host)	Spinel (Fancy Colors)
Spodumene	Spinel (Noble Red Rough)	Spinel (Noble Red)
Star Sunstone	Star Diopside	Star Sapphire (Burma)
Stibnite (Crystal on Calcite)	Staurolite	Stibiconite (Crystal)
Sunstone (Oregon)	Stibnite (Crystal)	Sunstone (India)
Tigers Eye (Iron)	Tigers Eye (Blue)	Tigers Eye (Golden)
Topaz (White)	Tigers Eye (Red)	Topaz (Crystal)
Tourmaline (Crystal)	Tourmaline & Quartz (Crystal)	Tourmaline (Cats Eye)
Unakite	Tsavorite	Tsavorite (Rough)
Vanadinite (Crystal)	Uralite (Crystal)	Uvite and Magnesite (Crystal)
Wavellite (Crystal)	Vesuvianite	Vivianite (Crystal)
Wilsonite

The following table provides information on the treatments used for specific gem types, treatment and explanation:

Gemstone

Treatment

Explanation

AGATE

Dyed or Heated

	Used to alter color – usually applied.

AMAZONITE

Colorless Wax or Oil

	Used to improve the appearance – usually applied.

AMETHYST

Heated

	Used to lighten color – rarely applied applied.

AQUAMARINE

Heated

	Used to improve color by producing a purer blue color - occasionally applied.

CITRINE

Heated

	Used to improve color - usually applied.

DIAMOND (ENHANCED)

	Irradiated (This process duplicates the natural exposure of gem crystals to radioactive elements during their formation. These Diamonds DO NOT become radioactive.

	Used to improve color – always applied for enhanced Diamonds.

DIFFUSION SAPPHIRE

Surface diffusion

Used to improve color – always applied for diffusion gems.

EMERALD

Colorless Oil

	Used to improve appearance – usually applied.

JADE (LAVENDER)

Dyed

	Used to improve color – usually applied.

MORGANITE

Heated

Used to improve color – usually applied.

MORGANITE (GREEN)

Cobalt Heated

	Used to improve color – always applied.

MYSTIC TOPAZ

Surface Coating

Used to improve appearance – always applied.

OPAL (DOUBLET)

Assembled Product

	Used to improve appearance – always applied.

PEARL (CULTURED)

Bleached, Dyed or Chemically Enhanced

	Used to improve color – normally applied.

PRASIOLITE

Heated

	Used to improve color – usually applied.

QUARTZ

Heated

	Used to improve color - usually applied.

RUBY

Heated

	Used to improve color and appearance – usually applied.

SAPPHIRE

Heated and in some rare instances bulk diffusion treated.

	Used to improve color and appearance – usually applied.

SAPPHIRE DOUBLE

Assembled Product

Used to improve appearance – always applied.

STAR SAPPHIRE (DIFFUSION)

Diffusion

	Used to improve color and star – always applied.

TANZANITE

Heated

	Used to improve color - always applied.

TOPAZ (EXCEPT WHITE)

Heated, Cobalt or Diffusion

	Used to improve color - usually applied.

TOURMALINE

Heated

	Used to improve color for blue green colors, rarely used for other color hues.

ZIRCON (BLUE & WHITE)

Heated

Used to improve color – usually applied.

Gemstone Information
Moh's Scale of Hardness


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