Shopping for a completely natural gemstone? Unless you’re buying raw, the stone you choose to buy will most likely have undergone some sort of gem treatment. That’s right, all gemstones, diamonds included, are treated. After all, all faceted gemstones undergo the cutting, polishing, and setting process to develop that jaw-dropping sparkle that so many people admire.

But what about treatments that are outside of the typical process? We’re talking heat or other types of treatments that are applied to raw gemstones to enhance their beauty, occasionally at the cost of their durability. Below, we get into exactly what these treatments are, so read on to find out!

WHAT ARE GEM TREATMENTS?

First let’s get into the nitty-gritty of just what we mean when we talk about gemstone treatments. As we mentioned above, all gemstones are treated to some degree, natural gemstones are dug out of the earth or removed from a lab, washed, faceted, and set to appeal to the general public and this, in itself, is a gem treatment.

But in this article, we’re not talking about the stereotypical treatment of gemstones. Here, when we mention a gemstone treatment, we are talking about a specific type of application that is used to develop or fix the visual or structural qualities of a gemstone. These treatments can range from heat treatment, to intensify or even alter the color of a stone, to irradiation, which develops dazzling colors in colorless crystals. In all cases, treating gemstones affects the overall value of the gem and can even alter their durability. That’s why it’s so important to do research before purchasing your treated stone of choice-to fully understand exactly what you’re getting and what you can expect from your treated gemstone.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF GEMSTONE TREATMENTS?

Ok, we talked about why knowing how your gemstone was treated is important, now let’s get into the specifics of the different types of treatments available to gemstones!

GEMSTONE BLEACHING

Commonly Treated Gemstones: Cultured Pearls, Jade

As you might expect, gemstone bleaching is the process of applying bleach and acid to a porous gemstone to lighten its color. Bleaching will permanently alter the stone, and is undetectable. Often a gemstone will first be bleached and then subjected to a different treatment to alter its color.

Gemstone bleaching is relatively common, especially for pearls. In fact most pearls on the market are bleached. Something to keep in mind, bleached gemstones are naturally already more porous than other stones and bleaching them increases the fragility of the stone so be sure to wear with care!

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SURFACE COATING

Commonly Treated Gemstones: Diamonds, Tanzanite, Topaz, Quartz, Pearl

A type of color treatment, surface coating is the process of coating the surface of the gem in a thin layer of material to enhance its color or appearance. The coating can be applied to the entire gemstone, or just a portion of it. Surface coatings are often used on diamonds and other gemstones to create a more vivid color than what is naturally present in the stone.

Coating isn't as common as bleaching and when suspected can be easily determined by a qualified gemologist.

DYEING

Commonly Treated Gemstones: Pearls, Emeralds, Rubies, Turquoise

Unlike surface coating, dyeing a gemstone ensures that the dye fully saturates the stone, resulting in an all over improved color. The process involves soaking the stone in a solution of dye and water, then heating it until the dye has fully penetrated into the stone.

CAVITY/ FRACTURE FILLING

Commonly Treated Gemstones: Diamonds, Rubies, Emeralds, Sapphires

Like your pearly whites, precious gemstones can also get cavities-but these don’t happen as a result of not flossing. Cavity and fracture filling treatments are applied mainly to rubies, sapphires, and emeralds to mask cavities or fractures, enhancing their optical appeal and, to an extent, durability. These processes involve injecting materials like flux, resin, or glass into the gems' imperfections, which can alter their appearance and physical properties. While these treatments improve aesthetics, they require disclosure, as heat or chemicals can damage the fillers, significantly devaluing the gem.

HEAT TREATMENT

Commonly Treated Gemstones: Amber, Amethyst, Aquamarine, Citrine, Ruby, Sapphire, Tanzanite, Topaz, Tourmaline

Heat treatment is this ancient trick used since the time of the pharaohs to jazz up the colors of rubies and sapphires. Pretty much, if you bump into a sapphire or ruby, it's likely been zapped with heat unless you've got paperwork from a top-notch lab saying otherwise. This handy method can lighten up stones that are too dark, beef up the color on the pale ones, or even get rid of any blah brown tones in rubies.Think blue colored sapphires with intense blue hues or natural blue topaz toned town to a light sea blue.

It's even cool enough to whip up 'star stones' if there's enough titanium hanging around in those sapphires. While the whole process might sound like magic, it deeply changes the stone's vibe by messing with its inclusions and all that, depending on how it's done. Catching these changes without some serious gem know-how is tough, but sometimes, a keen eye with some magnification help can spot signs of heat treatment.

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HIGH PRESSURE HIGH TEMPERATURE TREATMENT

Commonly Treated Gemstones: Diamond

Think of this as giving your diamond a swanky spa treatment—it'll come out looking fresh as new. High pressure, high temperature (known as HPHT) treatments can work their magic on your diamond, making brownish colors vanish and letting them shine colorless. Or, it can spin a brown diamond into a glowing yellow, orangey yellow, yellowish green, or a pretty cool blue.

This whole gig pretty much rearranges the diamond's atomic structure, wiping out boring brown hues and replacing them with a priceless colorless sparkle. Best bit? It's not a quick fix. HPHT treatments are here to stay and can handle your usual jewelry care routine.

Only snag is, this treatment is a master of disguise—so challenging it can fool gemstone pros. If you're suspicious, you'll need a whizz at a trusted gem lab to confirm it.

You'll only find it occasionally in colorless diamonds, but it's more common in colored ones. As for any special TLC? Nah, your usual jewelry care routine is all you need for these bling beauties.

IMPREGNATION

Commonly Treated Gemstones: Turquoise, Lapis Lazuli

When you see a pale turquoise and it suddenly looks like it's got a richer, deeper blue, odds are it's had this beauty treatment. But here's the catch: the glow-up's mostly on the surface, so it's kinda like a beauty cream — handle it with care, especially around heat. Leave these gems out of your next sauna session, because wax and plastic have a no-go relationship with high temps.

Gem experts can usually spot these makeovers without breaking a sweat. It's a pretty standard thing in the gem world, so no rare gossip here.

As for the VIP treatment, these enhanced beauties need? Keep 'em cool. Don't let them near the business end of a jeweler's torch, or you might end up with a hot mess instead of a hot gem.

IRRADIATION

Commonly Treated Gemstones: Diamond, Corundum, Topaz, Pearl, Quartz

Zapping gems with radiation is like the gem world's version of an extreme makeover. Diamonds can turn into a rainbow of black, blue, yellow, orange, pink, and red shades. Sometimes, they even throw in a bit of heat to spice up the colors. Sapphires can get a pop of bright orange, though they might throw a bit of a tantrum and fade in the spotlight (aka sunlight).

Topaz, the clear underdog, can get a major glow-up with radiation, turning into stunning shades of blue. Even pearls and quartz can join in, rocking dark greys and amethyst or green vibes after a radiation session. A few other gems like beryl and spodumene can also get their colors jazzed up.

Now, not all these color changes are permanent. Some might take a nosedive if they spend too much time sunbathing. But for most, like blue topaz, diamonds, and quartz, their new hues are here to stay as long as they steer clear of the hot seat (aka too much heat).

Spotting these color-charged gems can be tricky without lab help, especially since some colors are super rare in nature. You'll see a lot of these radiant rocks, especially topaz and fancy diamonds, around the gem market.

As for the VIP treatment? Most just need to avoid a tan, but always check for any special care to keep those colors shining bright.

LASER DRILLING

Commonly Treated Gemstones: Diamonds

Laser drilling in diamonds is like cosmetic surgery, with lasers zapping away to clear out the dark spots. Only rough diamonds have the chops to handle such heat. It's a bit of a roll of the dice, though — sometimes drilling only draws more attention to blemishes. So while it doesn't make the diamond less tough, expert eyes can spot these microscopic makeovers a mile away. They're around in the trade, but not too common, and they don't need any extra TLC.

TREATED OR NOT, FIND YOUR PERFECT STONE AT OLIVIA EWING JEWELRY

Whether you want a hyper-sparkly or colorful gem or something more au natural, Olivia Ewing Jewelry has you covered. All treatments of loose gemstones are disclosed online and more information is readily available when interested. With a wide variety of stunning diamonds, sapphires, birthstones and more, you can easily find the perfect gemstone that makes your heart sing and your lover happy.

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Meet the Author: Olivia Ewing