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Welcome to the Gilt Trips podcast. I'm your host, Kendra Lockhart. As a goldsmith and

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gemologist, I'll be speaking 24 carat on all things jewelry, metals, and gems. Join

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me plus a few friends to demystify both materials and designs as your private jeweler. Let's

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tune in on these topics and get golden. The single most important factor in gemstones is

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their color. Not only does it play with our psychology, the meanings we associate, and

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its folklore, there is of course the value in pricing. If beauty is in the eye of the

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beholder, at what point does it matter to know how we made or enhance that glamour? When is

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improving its tone expected and normal? And when should it be called out or documented? In today's

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episode I will cover many of the treatments executed and experienced in the world of jewels

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with color. Chapter timestamps are in the show notes. One of the easiest ways to tackle this

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topic is to have a little bit of fun with it. So I'm going to cover these treatments alongside

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the birthstones and types from January through December month by month. Let's get started

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with garnet. Garnet. The nature of the word for garnet stems from medieval Latin granatus,

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which translates to pomegranate, and that is pretty literal based on the natural tone

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of January's gem. It was first found in ancient Egyptian times, in necklaces on pharaohs,

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or in the burial tombs as afterlife mementos. In the Roman Empire, it was used for carved

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rings that would serve as wax seals, and by medieval times it had been widely traded

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and was being favored by the nobles and clergy alike for stamping important documents. Garnets

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are a group of gems that have a broad color range. We are focusing on the variety called

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pyrope, that deep brownish red. In the next episode I will explain the ranges and distinctions

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for clusters of familiar material. Regarding clarity, eye clean garnets are very common

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in the reddish tones. The contemporary source of this stone is Afghanistan, followed by

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India and Iran. And as for changing its color, garnet is rarely treated. Be sure to check

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for cracks and fissures before placing in the ultrasonic or giving it a steam cleaning.

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Amethyst. The gem associated with February, which comes from a Greek root for not drunk.

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I love it for the reason that it's purple, whether it leans towards a bluish tone or

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a reddish hue. But in ancient times, the color of the stone looked more or less wine-like

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and therefore was linked to the god Bacchus, who ruled over libations, which often led

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to a pretty good time. Alcohol was not as potent back then. So this gem was attractive

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and abundant, thanks to its family of quartz being common and available. The mythology

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behind amethyst is that it would prevent drunkenness, and that flipside of clarity or level-headedness,

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especially in conflict, made this stone desirable. Amethyst would show up in totems and ceremonies

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of both church and state. Royals put it in coronation items, and bishops preferred it

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for rings when they had to bless the new king or queen. Amethyst's color shows up as zoning

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in this material, so there are ranges or fields that are darker or lighter than the base hue.

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As for inclusions, when you see faceted or cut by pattern items, those are usually eye-clean.

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A rich color can also offset any criticism for blemishes. But amethyst, with too many

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major markings, will likely become a cabochon cut, meaning a flat-backed and dome-topped

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style or fashioned into bead cuts. Russia was a major source up until the 19th century,

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when Brazilian minds yielded the discovery of big deposits. Now it's South America and

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Africa as main exporters for the modern market.

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The solution of amethyst is most commonly using heat to improve the hue. It can lighten

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up very dark material, but cannot darken very pale crystals. Sometimes you can find a dyed

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stone or a fracture-filled technique on splits or gaps in the product. In those cases, it

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is no longer safe to put into the ultrasonic, which will alter those fixes. Lastly, it's

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a bad idea to expose amethyst jewelry to the torch without heat blocking before you repair

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this item. Otherwise, be ready for shattering its appearance.

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Aqua Marine is the pale blue jewel for the month of March and thought to amplify personal

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happiness and marriage contracts. The name comes from Latin words, aqua for water and

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marine meaning of the sea. Sailors would often carry them on their boat journeys. It became

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a talisman for protection and travel. That protective association would morph into the

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personal mythology of it helping with foes and legal woes. The aspects of the gem regarding

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the paleness and lack of blemishes makes it popular with artists who carve the gem. I've

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seen some fabulous sculptures as well as fantasy or freeform cuts with Aqua Marine.

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The color of the raw material can be a minty green like transparent or translucent celery

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colors. This belongs to the family of the mineral barrel. It is most prized when the

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tone is a vibrant medium blue with the tolerance for a touch of greenish blue as a modifier.

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The clarity of Aqua Marine is how relatively clean the source item is. Even in its crystal

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form the type of blemishes may be liquid filled and much more discreet than big fractures,

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but don't rule that out. Because normally it is one of the clear materials in the world

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of both jewelry and collecting. So more often than not, it looks great to the naked eye

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and under magnification. Aqua Marine's biggest source is Brazil, which manifests a few members

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of the barrel family. The largest raw aquamarine was found in 1910 and weighed 244 pounds.

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When aquamarine is treated it is customary to facet the gems and then add heat treatment

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to remove the green component and purify the blue tones. This works so well that we can

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even convert a brownish yellow jewel into a commercial good. When it comes to cleaning,

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ultrasonic and steam is fine unless you spot those liquid inclusions or any existing breaks

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in the stone. Diamond is April's birthstone and I'll jump right to the part where it

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is high pressure, high temperature, irradiation, or fracture filling or drilling out inclusions

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to improve the color and clarity. Diamonds traditionally take the ultrasonic and steam,

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but you may remove any filled stones as the vibration and steam heat will loosen the substance

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filling those larger cavities. For more on diamonds, please visit those episodes.

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May is correlated to Emerald, which is one of the fine gems along with Ruby and Sapphire.

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Having romanced many cultures through centuries of allure and accessories, it was Cleopatra,

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whose lifelong love for the stones, and even an Emeral mine in Egypt named in her honor

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that would enhance the prestige of this going back to many civilizations. As for their legendary

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versions that came from Columbia in South America, that was the result of the Spanish

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conquering and their trading of emeralds for the more desired gold and silver. These trades

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would eventually impact both Europe and Asia. The color of emerald is determined in the

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barrel family, yes it's related to aquamarine, by the chemical chromium and also the presence

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of vanadium. The prized colors are bluish-green to true-green in a medium to medium dark hue.

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If the stone is too bluish or too yellowish, it is no longer premium in regards to color.

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Clarity in emerald is inherently one of the most included gems in the industry. They are

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usually visible to the naked eye and are accepted as normal to a certain point. If there are

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too many affecting the transparency, then it devalues the jewel. The ideal is even color,

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no zoning, and more transparent than opaque. The South American sources are Brazil and

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Columbia. The African primary mines are in Zambia and Zimbabwe. Lesser rough came from

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India and China, and it came to be known for warding off evil spirits. Regarding enhancements,

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it is standard to fill fissures and fractures with oil. This also improves the body color,

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but oil can be leaky or messy, so waxing or using a resin is much more stable. Emerald

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is one of the four no-nos for ultrasonic or steaming. You can damage both the enhancement

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as well as the fragile stone itself with vibration or the heat of steam. Gentle as possible is

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all it can handle in terms of cleaning or commercial servicing.

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For the month of June, the birthstone is pearl, long regarded as symbols of both wealth and

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status. The oldest records show natural pearls mentioned in Chinese history back to 2200 BC.

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They are usually associated with modesty, purity, and of course wisdom. The shape has reminded

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many civilizations of the moon and its attributes. Pearls form in both ocean and fresh waters

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in any type of mollusk. And nacre isn't always a critical element. Conk pearls are non-nacrus.

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As for color, there is a wide range. These are based on the type of mollusk that formed the pearls.

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The hue is anywhere from white to off-white, pink, gray, yellow, even orange to name a few,

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but the color has a secondary component called overtone which complements or adds depth to the

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base. For example, white pearls with pink overtones. The word orient refers to a phenomenon

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I'll address in the next episode. The majority of pearls come from Asian countries in Australia

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for saltwater and USA or the United States for freshwater. Typical treatments are usually

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manipulating the color by dyeing or they can be bleached, filled, irradiated, and those techniques

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will also improve luster. When it's time to clean and care for pearls, wiping them down with a damp

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cloth to remove body oils and any bath products that come into contact with it is the smartest route.

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Pearls are organic and porous and will absorb or even stain from outside elements. Also,

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many strands are knotted on silk or polyester so getting that wet could stretch or weaken the stringing.

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July's gem is ruby and that is derived from the Latin word rubar which means red. It is part of

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the corundum family and is connected to the fire of our emotions and passion. Early cultures

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associated its color with blood and in Europe it became a symbol of wealth and power. Many wore it

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for the purpose of health and wealth, a dual representation of success. The color is due to

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chromium but wait, that was what made an emerald so green? True, in that chemical composition. Here

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it makes for a rich to dark red, sometimes orangeish or purplish. The most desired hue has a hint of

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purple in the red called pigeon's blood in the gem trade. As for clarity, inclusion free is

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almost non-existent so some type of blemish that is visible to the eye is expected. Common

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characteristics are called silk or look like needles depending on the location and light play

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with these may contribute to its overall coloring. Large flaws can compromise its structure.

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The most famous mines are in Myanmar which used to be known as Burma. Today we can find material

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in Madagascar, Mozambique and Kenya to name a few. Heat treatment is often used to boost the color

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and clarity of rubies. This can mend certain types of fractures. However, surface reaching cracks can

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get filled with glass to hide them and mimic the transparency of ruby and this is not the easiest

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treatment to detect without advanced tools. Rubies are usually safe for the ultrasonic and steamy

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when it's time to care for them. If it is dyed or filled stay away. Various external chemicals,

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even lemon juice, will alter a glass filled stone.

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Is it accidental that paredo is the birthstone of August when it was dubbed

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Gem of the Sun by Egyptians? This jewel is associated with light having nicknames like

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Evening Emerald. When said in gold it was worn to dispel night terrors. The Arabic word Faridat

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exactly translated to Gem. What I love about paredo is that its formation is deep in the earth

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and is brought to the surface by volcanoes much like diamonds. The color ranges from yellowish green

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to greenish yellow. The goal for fine material is a grassy green without too much yellowing

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or browning in the tone but that usually takes larger stones to achieve that hue.

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Brown is the least desirable modifier. Clarity for paredo is quite unique. It has tiny little

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reflective disc inclusions known as lily pads and these are usually found only under magnification.

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Maybe a few minute black spots or surface scratches as it is a softer stone.

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Paredo is sourced in Egypt, Vietnam and Finland. Pakistan provides some rich material too.

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The treatment of paredo is none for color but it may have a few fractures filled in to enhance

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its clarity or appearance. So keep this one out of the ultrasonic and steam. Stay safe with the

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soapy water to clean and care for them. From the Greek word Saphiros for bright blue stone

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we have September's jewel. Loved for its durability and hardness it is revered for spiritual virtues

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like fidelity, wisdom and sincerity. The most well-known sapphire ring was Princess Diana's

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royal engagement ring now worn by her son's wife Princess Catherine or Kate to most of us.

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The color of sapphire is broad and it belongs to the Corundum family.

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Blue is the default hue when discussing the material but fancy sapphires can be pink,

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purple, white and even orange earning the special name of Padparaja.

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Royal blue and cornflower blue are the most sought after. Its clarity is like ruby. Lack of

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inclusions is rare and will drive its value but a cloud can scatter the light in a flattering

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and beneficial way making it seem velvety. Again we recognize blemishes as needle-like

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or as internal silk. Finding a precious sapphire that is rare usually comes from cashmere

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or Ceylon blue is also high value for its color and clarity. Treatment of sapphires is heat for

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color and clarity improvement but more modern advances we can diffuse titanium or beryllium

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into sapphires for better tones. Oiling and dying cracks is common and so is filling with lead glass.

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Ultrasonic and steam is best for the untreated varieties and can accommodate the diffusion

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gems but beware of clarity tricks like fills dies and glass if you're going to expose it to vibration

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and steam heat. The month of October is matched to opal which held the Arabic legend of a gem that

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contained lightning. In ancient Rome opalus meant precious stone symbolizing love and hope.

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Fast forward through the cultures and it earned the myth of being a supernatural stone.

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The Greeks said it gifted the wearer with prophecy and shielded one from disease.

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Europeans adored it as a totem of truth. As for the color it has a phenomenon that will

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be explained in the next episode. Most opals are labeled white, black, bolder, jelly or water,

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fire and Mexican. The last one does not have an effect to it. With clarity we go from

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transparent to opaque. Yes surface blemishes are common however crazing or surface crackling from

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impact or dehydration will affect its value and durability. The top regions for opals are Australia,

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Ethiopia and Mexico. The treatments are what is called impregnation, burnishing and oil,

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wax or plastic for appearance's sake. Sometimes doublet or triplet gems take a slice of opal

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either under a quartz top or above an onyx bottom to both protect and enhance color

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and its resistance. On occasion opals can be dyed. This is another jewel that is an absolutely not

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in the ultrasonic or steam. They are very sensitive to drying out or heat sources.

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November is associated with a stone whose Sanskrit root word means fire. For centuries

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India wore topaz above the heart for longevity, beauty and intelligence. These were often confused

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with other golden gems until we could master our distinguishing but the pinkish orange variety was

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found in Russia and called imperial topaz. This is another material that comes in many tones

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from colorless to light blue, yellow, pink, brown and rarely red. Chromium, that chameleon chemical

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in emerald and ruby gives us the pink, red and violet colors. Other hues are due to structural

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imperfections. As for clarity, blue topaz is almost eye clean whereas the pinks and oranges

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may show blemishes that are not devaluing to the gems price. The best sources are Brazil,

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Russia and Sri Lanka. The best sources are Brazil, Russia and Sri Lanka. And as for treatments,

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most blue topaz has been irradiated as it was originally colorless. Mystic topaz is a surface

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treatment which produces a rainbow effect from its coating. Another example of just soapy water and

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no machine cleaning. It's better to be safe than sorry. Lastly, December stone turquoise

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is an ancient jewel. Found in both Egypt and China over 3,000 years ago, it is now the national

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gem of Tibet and tied to good fortune. The original word for it meant joy or delight. Turquoise is

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a French word for a stone from Turkey. The color is instantly recognizable and even and intense or

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vivid medium blue. The purer the hue, the higher the value. Green tones are less expensive. It may

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have matrix veins for some brown web-like patterns in the gem. Clarity is going to be affected by

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the matrix or veining. The less present it is, the better the ability for it to take a polish

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and therefore be more durable. As far as mines, only a few places yield this material. You need

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dry, copper-rich ground with water seepage beneath the surface. Persia was one and the sleeping beauty

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mine in New Mexico USA is the other major source for both then and now. Turquoise can undergo dying,

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chemical epoxy, or acrylics to improve both color and hardness. So it's best to use a warm

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damp cloth to clean it as turquoise is sensitive enough to react to heat, chemicals, even our own

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body oil and salts can discolor this jewel. My next episode will speak to the gem families that I

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touched on today. If you are interested more in the folklore of gems and jewels, I will be releasing

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an educational deck of cards before the holidays and I will preview those on both Instagram and LinkedIn.

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Thank you for listening and learning with me. I would love you to share this project with people

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finding rare beauty in today's world and throughout our times. Until the next episode, keep your own

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stories sparkling.