An Introduction to Gem Treatments and Care

Most gemstones on the market today have been modified by mankind in one way or another. Whilst there are some gemstones such as Peridot, Zultanite, Garnets etc that are not enhanced at all (other than the cutting and polishing of the gemstone), there are other gems such as Tanzanite, Emeralds, Sapphire, Ruby, Topaz etc, where the gemstones are normally enhanced.
The subject of treatments can often seem very confusing and what makes matters worse, many treatments are undetectable by standard gemmological laboratory equipment. As a lot of treatments are carried out whilst the gem is in the raw crystal stage, it’s even often impossible for us at Gems TV to be 100% sure what enhancements have been made to a particular gem.
As we can’t ever give a cast iron guarantee on a gemstone's enhancement (unless we have physically dug it from the ground ourselves), we would rather provide the attached document to highlight the most common treatments that certain gemstones undergo.
Many of these enhancements have been practised for literally thousands of years. The dying of Agate is one example. Others, such as irradiated Blue Topaz, are solely a product of the technological advances of the modern age. Enhancements often have an impact on the value of precious stones, with the highest prices paid for natural gems of fine quality that have not been enhanced in any way beyond ordinary cutting and polishing.

Four ‘rules of thumb' for Gem Collectors



  1. Gems TV only sells genuine gemstones, many of which have been enhanced.
  2. For most gems today, enhancements are a basic part of the finishing process.
  3. The market place sets the values of both natural and enhanced gems.
  4. Since certain enhancements are undetectable or difficult to detect, the Gems TV approach is to assume that all items are enhanced unless there is specific gemmological evidence that shows the item has not been enhanced or the item is of a type for which enhancements are not typically used.

For more information please download our "Introduction to treatments and care" PDF. You will need Acrobat Reader to view this file, it is available as a free download from www.adobe.com.