A discussion on Ruby-Glass Composites & Their Potential Impact on the Nomenclature in use for Fracture-Filled or Clarity Enhanced stones in General. by K. Scarratt :
"(April 01, 2009), this study about Ruby-Glass Composites was first released as limited LMHC (Laboratory Manual Harmonization Committee) distribution in Feb. 2008)"
http://www.giathai.net/pdf/Ruby-Glass_Composites.pdf
Excellent short article by Gary Roskin on what to look for to detect glass filler in rubies.
http://www.roskingemnews.com/Master_Page/TradeNews.aspx
Asian Institute of Gemological Sciences Gem Testing Laboratory
http://www.fieldgemology.org/Ruby_lead_ ... atment.pdf
Ruby-Glass Composites
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PinkDiamond
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Ruby-Glass Composites
PinkDiamond
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ISG Registered Gemologist
· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ There are miracles left for you to do .... -:¦:- -:¦:-
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* It all begins inside of you.
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PinkDiamond
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Re: Ruby-Glass Composites
This is an article on glass-filled rubies I was asked to write for the sellers at GRA back in 2009.
Frankenrubies and You
By Alicia Taylor, ISG RG
In a nutshell, until about 5 years ago the use of leaded glass was pretty much confined to being used for filling surface reaching fractures in diamonds. An Israeli diamond dealer named Yehuda pioneered the process in 1982, in order to make inferior diamonds usable and affordable to that segment of the market that couldn't otherwise afford them. This was a boon for industry sales, and there was nothing wrong with this treatment since Mr. Yehuda made full disclosure. Under observation his treatment showed a nice blue or orange flash called the 'flash effect' that jewelers and gemologists could usually detect to identify the filled stones, so it became a perfectly acceptable and valuable treatment for diamonds in the trade for over 20 years, and is now also used to fill the holes left by laser drilling of interior inclusions, making them much harder to detect.
The process is basically the same as when glaziers repair cracks and dings in windshields, making them virtually disappear right before your eyes. This is because the filler is about the same density, and has a high refractive index, which causes light waves to travel uniformly through repaired fractures, rather than speeding up through the gap. Once filled, light travels at about the same speed through both the glass and the filler, causing the fracture to seemingly disappear, and become almost impossible to detect. It's the same premise when it's used on gems.
Jump forward to 2004, and suddenly leaded-glass filled rubies began appearing in the Thai gem market. The process involves heating the stones, then reheating them again packed in lead and silica-rich oxides, and reheating them over and over and over... under controlled conditions of temperature and pressure to keep them below corundum's melting point, until the desired results are obtained. The end result is a greatly enhanced ruby, whose color can also be improved with the addition of a coloring element to produce a fabulous looking ruby which, to the untrained eye, looks every bit as good as fine Burma ruby.
Fortunately, trained gemologists can usually (but not always) see the blue or orange 'flash effect' using darkfield illumination and their microscope, although sometimes it can be detected with just a loupe, and will frequently observe round air bubbles; a telltale sign of glass filling, with the bubbles captured in the glass.
But the treatment merely conceals a weak area in the stone, and leaded glass, not being nearly as hard as corundum, can easily be scratched during normal activities of everyday life, and the softer glass filler can easily be chipped right off the stone exposing the original fracture/fissure, so by no means can it be considered a permanent enhancement. The filler also naturally degrades over time, and must occasionally be polished, or even redone to maintain the stone's beauty, plus the stone must be removed to repair a setting, and all this has serious consequences on the value of the stone, making full and proper disclosure of paramount importance, if only because of the lengths that must be gone to to avoid damage to the filler while cleaning it, or when having to make repairs to the setting.
It was non-disclosure of this treatment, and not the treatment itself that hurt the ruby market when the Thai Frankenrubies began flooding the market without disclosure, since they could command the higher prices reserved for better quality natural untreated rubies until their deception was discovered, causing the ruby market to take a hit. But just as with Mr. Yehuda's diamond enhancement, there's a place in the market for these stones... as long as they're sold with full disclosure, and priced accordingly.
But since then, not much has improved. As a matter of fact, at this point in time the ratio of glass to ruby has increased exponentially, to the point where many so-called 'rubies' on the market today contain more glass than ruby, and should probably be classified as 'composite', 'reconstituted', or even 'man-made' stones since the glass is what's holding what little ruby is in them together. And that's exactly what you get when the filler is removed; crumbs of inferior ruby are all that remains, ...and yet they continue to change hands without disclosure and sold as natural and untreated over 5 years later....
The extent of the problem was succinctly summed up by another ISG gemologist, whose comment about a particularly heavily treated ruby is all too true, and is quoted below, with permission:
"That one is so full of glass that if we had never heard of leaded glass filled ruby we may just pick up our loupe and then mistakenly inform the owner that it was just a piece of glass. The ruby would be easy to overlook by comparison."
That's how bad it's gotten! And if a stone improperly sold as natural and untreated begins to chip and deteriorate, the buyer will eventually be left with nothing but crumbs of inferior ruby, and will have legal recourse against the seller, who will be able to count themselves lucky if they're only sued for deceptive trade practices and fraud if they failed to use due diligence, and sold it without verifying exactly what it was, and supplying full and proper disclosure.
That's why wise and prudent sellers don't just accept what they're told as fact, and pass on whatever information has been given to them. They realize their reputations and their very livelihoods are at stake, and their success depends on their trustworthiness, which can be so easily damaged if they aren't vigilant and what they sell turns out to be other than what they said it was, and when it reaches that point, the burden of proof will be on them to prove otherwise.
Both buyers and sellers need to be alert and aware of this, and remember:
Quality rubies are never sold for inferior ruby prices!
Only inferior rubies are; it's just plain common sense.
Yet when people find stones for sale that really look fantastic that are being sold as expensive, natural and untreated at unheard of prices, they lose all common sense to temptation and the rush of scoring a valuable gemstone for a song, if only for the euphoria of acquiring something expensive at a bargain basement price.
But more often than not it's done to resell the stone and turn a profit, which is so easily accomplished today with the internet at our fingertips that many just can't resist, and once purchased with the idea of turning a profit on the sale, the last thing anyone wants to do is have to sell it for less than they paid. But now more than ever, since it's a well-known fact that glass-filled rubies have flooded the market, as well as a myriad of other 'enhanced' gemstones, there's a real need to know exactly what you're selling because of the ramifications of not making full and proper disclosure.
So in case the treaters and merchants whose hands the gem passed through all the way up the ladder have been less than truthful, or simply parroted that it was natural and untreated based solely on the word of the last guy in the chain before them, you cannot just follow suit, and need to verify that it really is what you plan to list it as because the legal responsibility for making proper disclosure ultimately rests on the shoulders of the seller who profits from the sale to the consumer who lives where there are laws about proper disclosure and deceptive trade practices, which means you! And if you're a seller who uncovers the truth, you'll need proof your vendor gave you false information (whether through malice, or negligence), so use caution when buying directly from overseas sellers you know nothing about because it's hard enough to enforce laws locally, and if they live where disclosure laws are lax, unenforced, or worse, nonexistent, it's almost impossible so it's fruitless to even try.
Which is why it's always safer to buy from reputable dealers, which in turn means you always need to keep your ear to the ground for referrals to honest sellers known to trade in quality stones. And when you want to buy from dealers you've never heard of, it helps if they are trained gemologists, have tested the stone(s), and guarantee what they're selling.
But how many sellers actually bother to educate themselves, or are willing to invest the time it takes to stay informed on the latest findings, much less spend money on equipment? Sadly, not nearly as many as there needs to be, and the industry's image is being tarnished because of it.
And because selling gems as something they aren't has been going on for so long it's probably the second oldest profession, it's the consumer's responsibility to adhere to the adage;
"Let the buyer beware"....
Frankenrubies and You
By Alicia Taylor, ISG RG
In a nutshell, until about 5 years ago the use of leaded glass was pretty much confined to being used for filling surface reaching fractures in diamonds. An Israeli diamond dealer named Yehuda pioneered the process in 1982, in order to make inferior diamonds usable and affordable to that segment of the market that couldn't otherwise afford them. This was a boon for industry sales, and there was nothing wrong with this treatment since Mr. Yehuda made full disclosure. Under observation his treatment showed a nice blue or orange flash called the 'flash effect' that jewelers and gemologists could usually detect to identify the filled stones, so it became a perfectly acceptable and valuable treatment for diamonds in the trade for over 20 years, and is now also used to fill the holes left by laser drilling of interior inclusions, making them much harder to detect.
The process is basically the same as when glaziers repair cracks and dings in windshields, making them virtually disappear right before your eyes. This is because the filler is about the same density, and has a high refractive index, which causes light waves to travel uniformly through repaired fractures, rather than speeding up through the gap. Once filled, light travels at about the same speed through both the glass and the filler, causing the fracture to seemingly disappear, and become almost impossible to detect. It's the same premise when it's used on gems.
Jump forward to 2004, and suddenly leaded-glass filled rubies began appearing in the Thai gem market. The process involves heating the stones, then reheating them again packed in lead and silica-rich oxides, and reheating them over and over and over... under controlled conditions of temperature and pressure to keep them below corundum's melting point, until the desired results are obtained. The end result is a greatly enhanced ruby, whose color can also be improved with the addition of a coloring element to produce a fabulous looking ruby which, to the untrained eye, looks every bit as good as fine Burma ruby.
Fortunately, trained gemologists can usually (but not always) see the blue or orange 'flash effect' using darkfield illumination and their microscope, although sometimes it can be detected with just a loupe, and will frequently observe round air bubbles; a telltale sign of glass filling, with the bubbles captured in the glass.
But the treatment merely conceals a weak area in the stone, and leaded glass, not being nearly as hard as corundum, can easily be scratched during normal activities of everyday life, and the softer glass filler can easily be chipped right off the stone exposing the original fracture/fissure, so by no means can it be considered a permanent enhancement. The filler also naturally degrades over time, and must occasionally be polished, or even redone to maintain the stone's beauty, plus the stone must be removed to repair a setting, and all this has serious consequences on the value of the stone, making full and proper disclosure of paramount importance, if only because of the lengths that must be gone to to avoid damage to the filler while cleaning it, or when having to make repairs to the setting.
It was non-disclosure of this treatment, and not the treatment itself that hurt the ruby market when the Thai Frankenrubies began flooding the market without disclosure, since they could command the higher prices reserved for better quality natural untreated rubies until their deception was discovered, causing the ruby market to take a hit. But just as with Mr. Yehuda's diamond enhancement, there's a place in the market for these stones... as long as they're sold with full disclosure, and priced accordingly.
But since then, not much has improved. As a matter of fact, at this point in time the ratio of glass to ruby has increased exponentially, to the point where many so-called 'rubies' on the market today contain more glass than ruby, and should probably be classified as 'composite', 'reconstituted', or even 'man-made' stones since the glass is what's holding what little ruby is in them together. And that's exactly what you get when the filler is removed; crumbs of inferior ruby are all that remains, ...and yet they continue to change hands without disclosure and sold as natural and untreated over 5 years later....
The extent of the problem was succinctly summed up by another ISG gemologist, whose comment about a particularly heavily treated ruby is all too true, and is quoted below, with permission:
"That one is so full of glass that if we had never heard of leaded glass filled ruby we may just pick up our loupe and then mistakenly inform the owner that it was just a piece of glass. The ruby would be easy to overlook by comparison."
That's how bad it's gotten! And if a stone improperly sold as natural and untreated begins to chip and deteriorate, the buyer will eventually be left with nothing but crumbs of inferior ruby, and will have legal recourse against the seller, who will be able to count themselves lucky if they're only sued for deceptive trade practices and fraud if they failed to use due diligence, and sold it without verifying exactly what it was, and supplying full and proper disclosure.
That's why wise and prudent sellers don't just accept what they're told as fact, and pass on whatever information has been given to them. They realize their reputations and their very livelihoods are at stake, and their success depends on their trustworthiness, which can be so easily damaged if they aren't vigilant and what they sell turns out to be other than what they said it was, and when it reaches that point, the burden of proof will be on them to prove otherwise.
Both buyers and sellers need to be alert and aware of this, and remember:
Quality rubies are never sold for inferior ruby prices!
Only inferior rubies are; it's just plain common sense.
Yet when people find stones for sale that really look fantastic that are being sold as expensive, natural and untreated at unheard of prices, they lose all common sense to temptation and the rush of scoring a valuable gemstone for a song, if only for the euphoria of acquiring something expensive at a bargain basement price.
But more often than not it's done to resell the stone and turn a profit, which is so easily accomplished today with the internet at our fingertips that many just can't resist, and once purchased with the idea of turning a profit on the sale, the last thing anyone wants to do is have to sell it for less than they paid. But now more than ever, since it's a well-known fact that glass-filled rubies have flooded the market, as well as a myriad of other 'enhanced' gemstones, there's a real need to know exactly what you're selling because of the ramifications of not making full and proper disclosure.
So in case the treaters and merchants whose hands the gem passed through all the way up the ladder have been less than truthful, or simply parroted that it was natural and untreated based solely on the word of the last guy in the chain before them, you cannot just follow suit, and need to verify that it really is what you plan to list it as because the legal responsibility for making proper disclosure ultimately rests on the shoulders of the seller who profits from the sale to the consumer who lives where there are laws about proper disclosure and deceptive trade practices, which means you! And if you're a seller who uncovers the truth, you'll need proof your vendor gave you false information (whether through malice, or negligence), so use caution when buying directly from overseas sellers you know nothing about because it's hard enough to enforce laws locally, and if they live where disclosure laws are lax, unenforced, or worse, nonexistent, it's almost impossible so it's fruitless to even try.
Which is why it's always safer to buy from reputable dealers, which in turn means you always need to keep your ear to the ground for referrals to honest sellers known to trade in quality stones. And when you want to buy from dealers you've never heard of, it helps if they are trained gemologists, have tested the stone(s), and guarantee what they're selling.
But how many sellers actually bother to educate themselves, or are willing to invest the time it takes to stay informed on the latest findings, much less spend money on equipment? Sadly, not nearly as many as there needs to be, and the industry's image is being tarnished because of it.
And because selling gems as something they aren't has been going on for so long it's probably the second oldest profession, it's the consumer's responsibility to adhere to the adage;
"Let the buyer beware"....
PinkDiamond
ISG Registered Gemologist
· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ There are miracles left for you to do .... -:¦:- -:¦:-
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* It all begins inside of you.
ISG Registered Gemologist
· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ There are miracles left for you to do .... -:¦:- -:¦:-
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* It all begins inside of you.
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PinkDiamond
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Re: Ruby-Glass Composites
A Discussion on Ruby‐Glass Composites & Their Potential Impact on the Nomenclature in use for Fracture‐Filled or Clarity Enhanced stones in General
Kenneth Scarratt
GIA Laboratory, Bangkok
(First limited LMHC distribution February 2008)
"The association of ruby with treatments that result in an addition of glass to the final product began in 1984 with the appearance on the market of Thai origin rubies in which cavities had been filled with glass (Kane, 1984, Scarratt, et al., 1984) a treatment that had evolved into glass crack filling by 1987 (Hughes, 1987, Scarratt, 1987). In 1992 with the discovery of corundum deposits in the area of Mong Hsu, Burma (Myanmar) that required high temperature‐flux heating regimes to bring the material to market the association of ruby treatments and glass was dramatically expanded (Hlaing, 1993, Kremkow, 1993, Laughter, 1993, Peretti, 1993, Smith, et al., 1994). Twenty years after the first association a new ruby‐glass association a new form of glass fracture filling in ruby appeared on the market (GAAJ, 2004, Pardieu, 2005, Smith C.P., 2005, McClure, 2006).
Pardieu (Pardieu, 2005) noted that “some terminology problems may occur about this treatment regarding to the “Lead Glass” definition as many different formulas can be used: Pure lead oxide, lead oxides mixed with silica or fluxes like borax can be encountered… Temperatures, parameters and result can be very different. Some specific studies will probably be done in the future regarding to this issue”.
Pardieu (Pardieu, 2005) also witnessed the treatment procedure as performed in Chantaburi, Thailand by Master Burner Mahiton Thondisuk and reported that “the most suitable rubies for repair are stones with color potential and that are rich in fissures”"...
http://www.giathai.net/pdf/Ruby-Glass_Composites.pdf
Kenneth Scarratt
GIA Laboratory, Bangkok
(First limited LMHC distribution February 2008)
"The association of ruby with treatments that result in an addition of glass to the final product began in 1984 with the appearance on the market of Thai origin rubies in which cavities had been filled with glass (Kane, 1984, Scarratt, et al., 1984) a treatment that had evolved into glass crack filling by 1987 (Hughes, 1987, Scarratt, 1987). In 1992 with the discovery of corundum deposits in the area of Mong Hsu, Burma (Myanmar) that required high temperature‐flux heating regimes to bring the material to market the association of ruby treatments and glass was dramatically expanded (Hlaing, 1993, Kremkow, 1993, Laughter, 1993, Peretti, 1993, Smith, et al., 1994). Twenty years after the first association a new ruby‐glass association a new form of glass fracture filling in ruby appeared on the market (GAAJ, 2004, Pardieu, 2005, Smith C.P., 2005, McClure, 2006).
Pardieu (Pardieu, 2005) noted that “some terminology problems may occur about this treatment regarding to the “Lead Glass” definition as many different formulas can be used: Pure lead oxide, lead oxides mixed with silica or fluxes like borax can be encountered… Temperatures, parameters and result can be very different. Some specific studies will probably be done in the future regarding to this issue”.
Pardieu (Pardieu, 2005) also witnessed the treatment procedure as performed in Chantaburi, Thailand by Master Burner Mahiton Thondisuk and reported that “the most suitable rubies for repair are stones with color potential and that are rich in fissures”"...
http://www.giathai.net/pdf/Ruby-Glass_Composites.pdf
PinkDiamond
ISG Registered Gemologist
· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ There are miracles left for you to do .... -:¦:- -:¦:-
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* It all begins inside of you.
ISG Registered Gemologist
· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ There are miracles left for you to do .... -:¦:- -:¦:-
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* It all begins inside of you.
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PinkDiamond
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Re: Ruby-Glass Composites
Composite Rubies Aren't as Durable as Natural Stones
Under a Microscope, Gas Bubbles Are Visible Inside Composite Rubies
By ELISABETH LEAMY and VANESSA WEBER
Nov. 4, 2009
"Imagine spending thousands of dollars on a piece of jewelry only to find out it's not what you paid for. It's happening to consumers across the country, and some experts in the jewelry industry said it's time it stopped.
Elisabeth Leamy dissects the difference between composites and genuine rubies.
A relatively new category of rubies is being sold as the real deal. You probably aren't aware of them and, as "Good Morning America" found out, neither are some of the people selling them.
"GMA" went on an undercover shopping trip at major department stores with Antoinette Matlins, a professional gemologist and author of "Jewelry & Gems: The Buying Guide."
In a search for ruby jewelry, we were told time and again that what we were buying were real rubies.
"That's a real ruby, oh yes," said one employee at Macy's in Jersey City, N.J. But that wasn't really true.
"With gems, what you see with the eye alone does not begin to tell the full story," Matlins said."
No Difference to Naked Eye...
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/ConsumerNews/ ... id=8988951
Under a Microscope, Gas Bubbles Are Visible Inside Composite Rubies
By ELISABETH LEAMY and VANESSA WEBER
Nov. 4, 2009
"Imagine spending thousands of dollars on a piece of jewelry only to find out it's not what you paid for. It's happening to consumers across the country, and some experts in the jewelry industry said it's time it stopped.
Elisabeth Leamy dissects the difference between composites and genuine rubies.
A relatively new category of rubies is being sold as the real deal. You probably aren't aware of them and, as "Good Morning America" found out, neither are some of the people selling them.
"GMA" went on an undercover shopping trip at major department stores with Antoinette Matlins, a professional gemologist and author of "Jewelry & Gems: The Buying Guide."
In a search for ruby jewelry, we were told time and again that what we were buying were real rubies.
"That's a real ruby, oh yes," said one employee at Macy's in Jersey City, N.J. But that wasn't really true.
"With gems, what you see with the eye alone does not begin to tell the full story," Matlins said."
No Difference to Naked Eye...
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/ConsumerNews/ ... id=8988951
PinkDiamond
ISG Registered Gemologist
· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ There are miracles left for you to do .... -:¦:- -:¦:-
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* It all begins inside of you.
ISG Registered Gemologist
· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ There are miracles left for you to do .... -:¦:- -:¦:-
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* It all begins inside of you.
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PinkDiamond
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Re: Ruby-Glass Composites
From AGTA e-prism:
Lead Glass-Filled and "Composite" Ruby
"It has become almost a rite of passage during the holiday selling season that we see the obligatory national news story that draws consumer attention, often unflattering, to the products that we sell. This year was no exception, beginning with the Good Morning America consumer report that aired on November 4th, titled "Real Deal."
...The presence of glass-like substances in fissures and cavities has been around for decades, and used in a variety of materials. As early as the 1980's, the gemological community began reporting on the presence of silica glass as a residue of the high temperature heating of corundum being applied to improve the gemstone's appearance and to heal existing fractures, most notably in ruby from Mong Hsu, Myanmar. In this instance, industry proponents generally agreed that the glassy residue was a by-product of the fracture healing process.
Fast forward to 2004 and we see the introduction of a high lead content glass as filler in ruby. Three notable differences distinguish the high lead glass filler from the silica glass used in earlier treatments. The first is that the high lead glass has optical properties much closer to that of ruby, thereby markedly increasing its effectiveness in masking the fissures and cavities in the ruby.
The second significant difference is that, unlike the earlier treatments, which combined silica glass and extremely high temperatures that actually resulted in healing of existing fissures, these new glass-filled rubies employ much lower temperatures which allow the chemicals to fuse in the fissures in a glassy form but do not result in any re-crystallization of the host ruby.
Clearly, these new high lead content glass materials are being used to conceal existing fractures and cavities and, in some cases, to act as a bonding agent for many pieces of ruby to be "glued" together as a single unit. These assembled materials are the so-called "composite ruby," a description that seems to be gaining traction and referenced in the Good Morning America show..."
http://www.multibriefs.com/briefs/agta/ ... 112409.htm
Lead Glass-Filled and "Composite" Ruby
"It has become almost a rite of passage during the holiday selling season that we see the obligatory national news story that draws consumer attention, often unflattering, to the products that we sell. This year was no exception, beginning with the Good Morning America consumer report that aired on November 4th, titled "Real Deal."
...The presence of glass-like substances in fissures and cavities has been around for decades, and used in a variety of materials. As early as the 1980's, the gemological community began reporting on the presence of silica glass as a residue of the high temperature heating of corundum being applied to improve the gemstone's appearance and to heal existing fractures, most notably in ruby from Mong Hsu, Myanmar. In this instance, industry proponents generally agreed that the glassy residue was a by-product of the fracture healing process.
Fast forward to 2004 and we see the introduction of a high lead content glass as filler in ruby. Three notable differences distinguish the high lead glass filler from the silica glass used in earlier treatments. The first is that the high lead glass has optical properties much closer to that of ruby, thereby markedly increasing its effectiveness in masking the fissures and cavities in the ruby.
The second significant difference is that, unlike the earlier treatments, which combined silica glass and extremely high temperatures that actually resulted in healing of existing fissures, these new glass-filled rubies employ much lower temperatures which allow the chemicals to fuse in the fissures in a glassy form but do not result in any re-crystallization of the host ruby.
Clearly, these new high lead content glass materials are being used to conceal existing fractures and cavities and, in some cases, to act as a bonding agent for many pieces of ruby to be "glued" together as a single unit. These assembled materials are the so-called "composite ruby," a description that seems to be gaining traction and referenced in the Good Morning America show..."
http://www.multibriefs.com/briefs/agta/ ... 112409.htm
PinkDiamond
ISG Registered Gemologist
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((¸¸.·´ ..·´ There are miracles left for you to do .... -:¦:- -:¦:-
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* It all begins inside of you.
ISG Registered Gemologist
· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ There are miracles left for you to do .... -:¦:- -:¦:-
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* It all begins inside of you.
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PinkDiamond
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Re: Ruby-Glass Composites
Gemjunkie wrote:Whoever said there's no such thing as bad publicity?
PinkDiamond
ISG Registered Gemologist
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((¸¸.·´ ..·´ There are miracles left for you to do .... -:¦:- -:¦:-
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* It all begins inside of you.
ISG Registered Gemologist
· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ There are miracles left for you to do .... -:¦:- -:¦:-
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* It all begins inside of you.
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PinkDiamond
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Re: Ruby-Glass Composites
Lead glass filled star rubies reportedly from Madagascar
A preliminary examination and a comparison with star rubies
from other deposits.
Vincent Pardieu, Pantaree Lomthong and Nick Sturman
GIA Laboratory, Bangkok
"In January 2010 the GIA Laboratory Bangkok was contacted by Mr. Mahithon Thongdeesuk (), from “Jewel enhancement by Mahiton Co. Ltd” in Bangkok, a Thai burner involved in the development of the lead glass treatment since 2002. He informed the authors that he had finished developing a new product which he will soon release in the Thai market: “Lead glass filled star rubies”..."
http://www.giathai.net/pdf/Lead_Glass_F ... 100201.pdf
A preliminary examination and a comparison with star rubies
from other deposits.
Vincent Pardieu, Pantaree Lomthong and Nick Sturman
GIA Laboratory, Bangkok
"In January 2010 the GIA Laboratory Bangkok was contacted by Mr. Mahithon Thongdeesuk (), from “Jewel enhancement by Mahiton Co. Ltd” in Bangkok, a Thai burner involved in the development of the lead glass treatment since 2002. He informed the authors that he had finished developing a new product which he will soon release in the Thai market: “Lead glass filled star rubies”..."
http://www.giathai.net/pdf/Lead_Glass_F ... 100201.pdf
PinkDiamond
ISG Registered Gemologist
· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ There are miracles left for you to do .... -:¦:- -:¦:-
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* It all begins inside of you.
ISG Registered Gemologist
· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ There are miracles left for you to do .... -:¦:- -:¦:-
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* It all begins inside of you.
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PinkDiamond
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- Location: Ozark Mountains
Re: Ruby-Glass Composites
Fractured: Macy's Sued For Gemstone Fraud
As Featured on 30 Minutes Bay Area
"For twenty-six years, Cortney Balzan ran a busy downtown San Francisco lab employing more than a dozen gemstone experts and craftsmen...
Balzan's biggest client was right across the street, and it remains the dominating view from the lab window: Macy's.
"I was quality control," Balzan says thoughtfully.
That's how he describes his long working relationship with Macy's. Balzan was the independent voice that told the department store whether each stone was up to store standards before it went up for sale. The arrangement was designed to protect Macy's customers and their own good name..."
http://cbs5.com/local/fractured.macys.r ... 70632.html
Macy's Full Statement
"In January, 2010, CBS 5 invited Macy's to take part in an on-camera interview for our story "Fractured" reported by Sue Kwon. The story was featured on 30 Minutes Bay Area, which aired on February 7, 2010.
Macy's declined to have a spokesperson appear on camera, but sent us a written statement. Here it is in its entirety:..."
http://cbs5.com/reference/macys.full.st ... 70654.html
As Featured on 30 Minutes Bay Area
"For twenty-six years, Cortney Balzan ran a busy downtown San Francisco lab employing more than a dozen gemstone experts and craftsmen...
Balzan's biggest client was right across the street, and it remains the dominating view from the lab window: Macy's.
"I was quality control," Balzan says thoughtfully.
That's how he describes his long working relationship with Macy's. Balzan was the independent voice that told the department store whether each stone was up to store standards before it went up for sale. The arrangement was designed to protect Macy's customers and their own good name..."
http://cbs5.com/local/fractured.macys.r ... 70632.html
Macy's Full Statement
"In January, 2010, CBS 5 invited Macy's to take part in an on-camera interview for our story "Fractured" reported by Sue Kwon. The story was featured on 30 Minutes Bay Area, which aired on February 7, 2010.
Macy's declined to have a spokesperson appear on camera, but sent us a written statement. Here it is in its entirety:..."
http://cbs5.com/reference/macys.full.st ... 70654.html
PinkDiamond
ISG Registered Gemologist
· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ There are miracles left for you to do .... -:¦:- -:¦:-
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* It all begins inside of you.
ISG Registered Gemologist
· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ There are miracles left for you to do .... -:¦:- -:¦:-
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* It all begins inside of you.
-
PinkDiamond
- Posts: 15766
- Joined: Thu Jun 04, 2015 9:30 pm
- Location: Ozark Mountains
Re: Ruby-Glass Composites
Gem Alert
Bear Williams reports on star stones that are not what they seemed
Lead glass filling seen in star ruby
"A 2.59 ct red star stone, one of a parcel of stones purchased
in one of the ‘outer shows’ in Tucson 2008, was sent to me for
identification (1). At first glance it had the appearance of an Indian
star ruby, but with a bit more translucency. Closer observation
revealed that it was in fact a star ruby with a lead glass filling,
the glass no doubt creating the clearer, less opaque look, albeit a
somewhat included view...."
http://www.stonegrouplabs.com/gem_alert.pdf
Bear Williams reports on star stones that are not what they seemed
Lead glass filling seen in star ruby
"A 2.59 ct red star stone, one of a parcel of stones purchased
in one of the ‘outer shows’ in Tucson 2008, was sent to me for
identification (1). At first glance it had the appearance of an Indian
star ruby, but with a bit more translucency. Closer observation
revealed that it was in fact a star ruby with a lead glass filling,
the glass no doubt creating the clearer, less opaque look, albeit a
somewhat included view...."
http://www.stonegrouplabs.com/gem_alert.pdf
PinkDiamond
ISG Registered Gemologist
· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ There are miracles left for you to do .... -:¦:- -:¦:-
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* It all begins inside of you.
ISG Registered Gemologist
· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ There are miracles left for you to do .... -:¦:- -:¦:-
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* It all begins inside of you.
-
PinkDiamond
- Posts: 15766
- Joined: Thu Jun 04, 2015 9:30 pm
- Location: Ozark Mountains
Re: Ruby-Glass Composites
AGL Will Not Be Classifying New Ruby Treatment As Composite Ruby
"American Gemological Laboratories (AGL) has concluded its initial investigations into a new ruby treatment which has been entering the market. Over the past year, another new ruby treatment has been coming out of Thailand and is offering a low-cost alternative to more traditionally heated ruby. "The conundrum for the trade has been how to deal with these new stones and what kinds of disclosures need to be made." indicated Christopher P. Smith, President of AGL.
It is the decision of AGL not to classify this new treatment as Composite Ruby, nor to develop another new classification for disclosure of this treatment as a consideration of several factors (see attached of the full press release and frequently asked questions for details, or visit our website at http://www.aglgemlab.com). In the lab's opinion this treatment is more similar to the "glass-filled" rubies that were prevalent during the early to mid 1990's than the more recent Composite Ruby. "At that time, the discussions of glass-filled rubies revolved primarily around rough of Mong Hsu ruby that was being treated, with significant amounts of glass-like heating residues that were remaining." Smith indicated "Today, the material we are discussing is coming mainly from Mozambique, but the issues involved are quite similar."..."
http://www.multibriefs.com/briefs/agta/ ... 050410.htm
And from Vincent Pardieu, more on the rubies with partially healed and filled fissures:
"After the discovery of the Montepuez ruby mining area in Mozambique, during spring 2009 (Pardieu, et al., 2009a), within few months, gemologists at the GIA Laboratory Bangkok started to see many stones originating from this new deposit. Many unheated stones were submitted for examination, but this was quickly followed by material that had been heated at
high temperature using a “flux‐assisted partial‐fissure‐healing” (FAPFH) process that appeared similar to that which has been used on the material from Mong Hsu (Burma) since the early 1990’s. In December 2009 the authors began to collaborate with Thawatchai Somjainuek, who had been developing a treatment process similar to that used on the Mong Hsu material for the material from Montepuez.
After studying numerous treated rubies from this new deposit the authors observed that in many cases in addition to the usual (for Mong Hsu material) partially‐healed fissures, the stones also contained a variable number of surface reaching fissures that were not partially‐healed and were simply filled with glass (GFF) – similar to the fissure filling seen in the socalled
lead‐glass‐fissure‐filled (LGFF) rubies and diamonds where fissures have been filled with glass. In the case of treated rubies from Mong Hsu that have undergone the FAPFH process, while the observation of glass‐filled surface cavities is not unusual, unhealed fissures that are filled with glass (GFF) are..."
http://www.giathai.net/pdf/Flux_heated_ ... mbique.pdf
"American Gemological Laboratories (AGL) has concluded its initial investigations into a new ruby treatment which has been entering the market. Over the past year, another new ruby treatment has been coming out of Thailand and is offering a low-cost alternative to more traditionally heated ruby. "The conundrum for the trade has been how to deal with these new stones and what kinds of disclosures need to be made." indicated Christopher P. Smith, President of AGL.
It is the decision of AGL not to classify this new treatment as Composite Ruby, nor to develop another new classification for disclosure of this treatment as a consideration of several factors (see attached of the full press release and frequently asked questions for details, or visit our website at http://www.aglgemlab.com). In the lab's opinion this treatment is more similar to the "glass-filled" rubies that were prevalent during the early to mid 1990's than the more recent Composite Ruby. "At that time, the discussions of glass-filled rubies revolved primarily around rough of Mong Hsu ruby that was being treated, with significant amounts of glass-like heating residues that were remaining." Smith indicated "Today, the material we are discussing is coming mainly from Mozambique, but the issues involved are quite similar."..."
http://www.multibriefs.com/briefs/agta/ ... 050410.htm
And from Vincent Pardieu, more on the rubies with partially healed and filled fissures:
"After the discovery of the Montepuez ruby mining area in Mozambique, during spring 2009 (Pardieu, et al., 2009a), within few months, gemologists at the GIA Laboratory Bangkok started to see many stones originating from this new deposit. Many unheated stones were submitted for examination, but this was quickly followed by material that had been heated at
high temperature using a “flux‐assisted partial‐fissure‐healing” (FAPFH) process that appeared similar to that which has been used on the material from Mong Hsu (Burma) since the early 1990’s. In December 2009 the authors began to collaborate with Thawatchai Somjainuek, who had been developing a treatment process similar to that used on the Mong Hsu material for the material from Montepuez.
After studying numerous treated rubies from this new deposit the authors observed that in many cases in addition to the usual (for Mong Hsu material) partially‐healed fissures, the stones also contained a variable number of surface reaching fissures that were not partially‐healed and were simply filled with glass (GFF) – similar to the fissure filling seen in the socalled
lead‐glass‐fissure‐filled (LGFF) rubies and diamonds where fissures have been filled with glass. In the case of treated rubies from Mong Hsu that have undergone the FAPFH process, while the observation of glass‐filled surface cavities is not unusual, unhealed fissures that are filled with glass (GFF) are..."
http://www.giathai.net/pdf/Flux_heated_ ... mbique.pdf
PinkDiamond
ISG Registered Gemologist
· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ There are miracles left for you to do .... -:¦:- -:¦:-
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* It all begins inside of you.
ISG Registered Gemologist
· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ There are miracles left for you to do .... -:¦:- -:¦:-
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* It all begins inside of you.