Welcome to the Gilt Trips podcast. I'm your host, Kendra Lockhart. As a goldsmith and
gemologist, I'll be speaking 24 carat on all things jewelry, metals, and gems. Join
me plus a few friends to demystify both materials and designs as your private jeweler. Let's
tune in on these topics and get golden. The single most important factor in gemstones is
their color. Not only does it play with our psychology, the meanings we associate, and
its folklore, there is of course the value in pricing. If beauty is in the eye of the
beholder, at what point does it matter to know how we made or enhance that glamour? When is
improving its tone expected and normal? And when should it be called out or documented? In today's
episode I will cover many of the treatments executed and experienced in the world of jewels
with color. Chapter timestamps are in the show notes. One of the easiest ways to tackle this
topic is to have a little bit of fun with it. So I'm going to cover these treatments alongside
the birthstones and types from January through December month by month. Let's get started
with garnet. Garnet. The nature of the word for garnet stems from medieval Latin granatus,
which translates to pomegranate, and that is pretty literal based on the natural tone
of January's gem. It was first found in ancient Egyptian times, in necklaces on pharaohs,
or in the burial tombs as afterlife mementos. In the Roman Empire, it was used for carved
rings that would serve as wax seals, and by medieval times it had been widely traded
and was being favored by the nobles and clergy alike for stamping important documents. Garnets
are a group of gems that have a broad color range. We are focusing on the variety called
pyrope, that deep brownish red. In the next episode I will explain the ranges and distinctions
for clusters of familiar material. Regarding clarity, eye clean garnets are very common
in the reddish tones. The contemporary source of this stone is Afghanistan, followed by
India and Iran. And as for changing its color, garnet is rarely treated. Be sure to check
for cracks and fissures before placing in the ultrasonic or giving it a steam cleaning.
Amethyst. The gem associated with February, which comes from a Greek root for not drunk.
I love it for the reason that it's purple, whether it leans towards a bluish tone or
a reddish hue. But in ancient times, the color of the stone looked more or less wine-like
and therefore was linked to the god Bacchus, who ruled over libations, which often led
to a pretty good time. Alcohol was not as potent back then. So this gem was attractive
and abundant, thanks to its family of quartz being common and available. The mythology
behind amethyst is that it would prevent drunkenness, and that flipside of clarity or level-headedness,
especially in conflict, made this stone desirable. Amethyst would show up in totems and ceremonies
of both church and state. Royals put it in coronation items, and bishops preferred it
for rings when they had to bless the new king or queen. Amethyst's color shows up as zoning
in this material, so there are ranges or fields that are darker or lighter than the base hue.
As for inclusions, when you see faceted or cut by pattern items, those are usually eye-clean.
A rich color can also offset any criticism for blemishes. But amethyst, with too many
major markings, will likely become a cabochon cut, meaning a flat-backed and dome-topped
style or fashioned into bead cuts. Russia was a major source up until the 19th century,
when Brazilian minds yielded the discovery of big deposits. Now it's South America and
Africa as main exporters for the modern market.
The solution of amethyst is most commonly using heat to improve the hue. It can lighten
up very dark material, but cannot darken very pale crystals. Sometimes you can find a dyed
stone or a fracture-filled technique on splits or gaps in the product. In those cases, it
is no longer safe to put into the ultrasonic, which will alter those fixes. Lastly, it's
a bad idea to expose amethyst jewelry to the torch without heat blocking before you repair
this item. Otherwise, be ready for shattering its appearance.
Aqua Marine is the pale blue jewel for the month of March and thought to amplify personal
happiness and marriage contracts. The name comes from Latin words, aqua for water and
marine meaning of the sea. Sailors would often carry them on their boat journeys. It became
a talisman for protection and travel. That protective association would morph into the
personal mythology of it helping with foes and legal woes. The aspects of the gem regarding
the paleness and lack of blemishes makes it popular with artists who carve the gem. I've
seen some fabulous sculptures as well as fantasy or freeform cuts with Aqua Marine.
The color of the raw material can be a minty green like transparent or translucent celery
colors. This belongs to the family of the mineral barrel. It is most prized when the
tone is a vibrant medium blue with the tolerance for a touch of greenish blue as a modifier.
The clarity of Aqua Marine is how relatively clean the source item is. Even in its crystal
form the type of blemishes may be liquid filled and much more discreet than big fractures,
but don't rule that out. Because normally it is one of the clear materials in the world
of both jewelry and collecting. So more often than not, it looks great to the naked eye
and under magnification. Aqua Marine's biggest source is Brazil, which manifests a few members
of the barrel family. The largest raw aquamarine was found in 1910 and weighed 244 pounds.
When aquamarine is treated it is customary to facet the gems and then add heat treatment
to remove the green component and purify the blue tones. This works so well that we can
even convert a brownish yellow jewel into a commercial good. When it comes to cleaning,
ultrasonic and steam is fine unless you spot those liquid inclusions or any existing breaks
in the stone. Diamond is April's birthstone and I'll jump right to the part where it
is high pressure, high temperature, irradiation, or fracture filling or drilling out inclusions
to improve the color and clarity. Diamonds traditionally take the ultrasonic and steam,
but you may remove any filled stones as the vibration and steam heat will loosen the substance
filling those larger cavities. For more on diamonds, please visit those episodes.
May is correlated to Emerald, which is one of the fine gems along with Ruby and Sapphire.
Having romanced many cultures through centuries of allure and accessories, it was Cleopatra,
whose lifelong love for the stones, and even an Emeral mine in Egypt named in her honor
that would enhance the prestige of this going back to many civilizations. As for their legendary
versions that came from Columbia in South America, that was the result of the Spanish
conquering and their trading of emeralds for the more desired gold and silver. These trades
would eventually impact both Europe and Asia. The color of emerald is determined in the
barrel family, yes it's related to aquamarine, by the chemical chromium and also the presence
of vanadium. The prized colors are bluish-green to true-green in a medium to medium dark hue.
If the stone is too bluish or too yellowish, it is no longer premium in regards to color.
Clarity in emerald is inherently one of the most included gems in the industry. They are
usually visible to the naked eye and are accepted as normal to a certain point. If there are
too many affecting the transparency, then it devalues the jewel. The ideal is even color,
no zoning, and more transparent than opaque. The South American sources are Brazil and
Columbia. The African primary mines are in Zambia and Zimbabwe. Lesser rough came from
India and China, and it came to be known for warding off evil spirits. Regarding enhancements,
it is standard to fill fissures and fractures with oil. This also improves the body color,
but oil can be leaky or messy, so waxing or using a resin is much more stable. Emerald
is one of the four no-nos for ultrasonic or steaming. You can damage both the enhancement
as well as the fragile stone itself with vibration or the heat of steam. Gentle as possible is
all it can handle in terms of cleaning or commercial servicing.
For the month of June, the birthstone is pearl, long regarded as symbols of both wealth and
status. The oldest records show natural pearls mentioned in Chinese history back to 2200 BC.
They are usually associated with modesty, purity, and of course wisdom. The shape has reminded
many civilizations of the moon and its attributes. Pearls form in both ocean and fresh waters
in any type of mollusk. And nacre isn't always a critical element. Conk pearls are non-nacrus.
As for color, there is a wide range. These are based on the type of mollusk that formed the pearls.
The hue is anywhere from white to off-white, pink, gray, yellow, even orange to name a few,
but the color has a secondary component called overtone which complements or adds depth to the
base. For example, white pearls with pink overtones. The word orient refers to a phenomenon
I'll address in the next episode. The majority of pearls come from Asian countries in Australia
for saltwater and USA or the United States for freshwater. Typical treatments are usually
manipulating the color by dyeing or they can be bleached, filled, irradiated, and those techniques
will also improve luster. When it's time to clean and care for pearls, wiping them down with a damp
cloth to remove body oils and any bath products that come into contact with it is the smartest route.
Pearls are organic and porous and will absorb or even stain from outside elements. Also,
many strands are knotted on silk or polyester so getting that wet could stretch or weaken the stringing.
July's gem is ruby and that is derived from the Latin word rubar which means red. It is part of
the corundum family and is connected to the fire of our emotions and passion. Early cultures
associated its color with blood and in Europe it became a symbol of wealth and power. Many wore it
for the purpose of health and wealth, a dual representation of success. The color is due to
chromium but wait, that was what made an emerald so green? True, in that chemical composition. Here
it makes for a rich to dark red, sometimes orangeish or purplish. The most desired hue has a hint of
purple in the red called pigeon's blood in the gem trade. As for clarity, inclusion free is
almost non-existent so some type of blemish that is visible to the eye is expected. Common
characteristics are called silk or look like needles depending on the location and light play
with these may contribute to its overall coloring. Large flaws can compromise its structure.
The most famous mines are in Myanmar which used to be known as Burma. Today we can find material
in Madagascar, Mozambique and Kenya to name a few. Heat treatment is often used to boost the color
and clarity of rubies. This can mend certain types of fractures. However, surface reaching cracks can
get filled with glass to hide them and mimic the transparency of ruby and this is not the easiest
treatment to detect without advanced tools. Rubies are usually safe for the ultrasonic and steamy
when it's time to care for them. If it is dyed or filled stay away. Various external chemicals,
even lemon juice, will alter a glass filled stone.
Is it accidental that paredo is the birthstone of August when it was dubbed
Gem of the Sun by Egyptians? This jewel is associated with light having nicknames like
Evening Emerald. When said in gold it was worn to dispel night terrors. The Arabic word Faridat
exactly translated to Gem. What I love about paredo is that its formation is deep in the earth
and is brought to the surface by volcanoes much like diamonds. The color ranges from yellowish green
to greenish yellow. The goal for fine material is a grassy green without too much yellowing
or browning in the tone but that usually takes larger stones to achieve that hue.
Brown is the least desirable modifier. Clarity for paredo is quite unique. It has tiny little
reflective disc inclusions known as lily pads and these are usually found only under magnification.
Maybe a few minute black spots or surface scratches as it is a softer stone.
Paredo is sourced in Egypt, Vietnam and Finland. Pakistan provides some rich material too.
The treatment of paredo is none for color but it may have a few fractures filled in to enhance
its clarity or appearance. So keep this one out of the ultrasonic and steam. Stay safe with the
soapy water to clean and care for them. From the Greek word Saphiros for bright blue stone
we have September's jewel. Loved for its durability and hardness it is revered for spiritual virtues
like fidelity, wisdom and sincerity. The most well-known sapphire ring was Princess Diana's
royal engagement ring now worn by her son's wife Princess Catherine or Kate to most of us.
The color of sapphire is broad and it belongs to the Corundum family.
Blue is the default hue when discussing the material but fancy sapphires can be pink,
purple, white and even orange earning the special name of Padparaja.
Royal blue and cornflower blue are the most sought after. Its clarity is like ruby. Lack of
inclusions is rare and will drive its value but a cloud can scatter the light in a flattering
and beneficial way making it seem velvety. Again we recognize blemishes as needle-like
or as internal silk. Finding a precious sapphire that is rare usually comes from cashmere
or Ceylon blue is also high value for its color and clarity. Treatment of sapphires is heat for
color and clarity improvement but more modern advances we can diffuse titanium or beryllium
into sapphires for better tones. Oiling and dying cracks is common and so is filling with lead glass.
Ultrasonic and steam is best for the untreated varieties and can accommodate the diffusion
gems but beware of clarity tricks like fills dies and glass if you're going to expose it to vibration
and steam heat. The month of October is matched to opal which held the Arabic legend of a gem that
contained lightning. In ancient Rome opalus meant precious stone symbolizing love and hope.
Fast forward through the cultures and it earned the myth of being a supernatural stone.
The Greeks said it gifted the wearer with prophecy and shielded one from disease.
Europeans adored it as a totem of truth. As for the color it has a phenomenon that will
be explained in the next episode. Most opals are labeled white, black, bolder, jelly or water,
fire and Mexican. The last one does not have an effect to it. With clarity we go from
transparent to opaque. Yes surface blemishes are common however crazing or surface crackling from
impact or dehydration will affect its value and durability. The top regions for opals are Australia,
Ethiopia and Mexico. The treatments are what is called impregnation, burnishing and oil,
wax or plastic for appearance's sake. Sometimes doublet or triplet gems take a slice of opal
either under a quartz top or above an onyx bottom to both protect and enhance color
and its resistance. On occasion opals can be dyed. This is another jewel that is an absolutely not
in the ultrasonic or steam. They are very sensitive to drying out or heat sources.
November is associated with a stone whose Sanskrit root word means fire. For centuries
India wore topaz above the heart for longevity, beauty and intelligence. These were often confused
with other golden gems until we could master our distinguishing but the pinkish orange variety was
found in Russia and called imperial topaz. This is another material that comes in many tones
from colorless to light blue, yellow, pink, brown and rarely red. Chromium, that chameleon chemical
in emerald and ruby gives us the pink, red and violet colors. Other hues are due to structural
imperfections. As for clarity, blue topaz is almost eye clean whereas the pinks and oranges
may show blemishes that are not devaluing to the gems price. The best sources are Brazil,
Russia and Sri Lanka. The best sources are Brazil, Russia and Sri Lanka. And as for treatments,
most blue topaz has been irradiated as it was originally colorless. Mystic topaz is a surface
treatment which produces a rainbow effect from its coating. Another example of just soapy water and
no machine cleaning. It's better to be safe than sorry. Lastly, December stone turquoise
is an ancient jewel. Found in both Egypt and China over 3,000 years ago, it is now the national
gem of Tibet and tied to good fortune. The original word for it meant joy or delight. Turquoise is
a French word for a stone from Turkey. The color is instantly recognizable and even and intense or
vivid medium blue. The purer the hue, the higher the value. Green tones are less expensive. It may
have matrix veins for some brown web-like patterns in the gem. Clarity is going to be affected by
the matrix or veining. The less present it is, the better the ability for it to take a polish
and therefore be more durable. As far as mines, only a few places yield this material. You need
dry, copper-rich ground with water seepage beneath the surface. Persia was one and the sleeping beauty
mine in New Mexico USA is the other major source for both then and now. Turquoise can undergo dying,
chemical epoxy, or acrylics to improve both color and hardness. So it's best to use a warm
damp cloth to clean it as turquoise is sensitive enough to react to heat, chemicals, even our own
body oil and salts can discolor this jewel. My next episode will speak to the gem families that I
touched on today. If you are interested more in the folklore of gems and jewels, I will be releasing
an educational deck of cards before the holidays and I will preview those on both Instagram and LinkedIn.
Thank you for listening and learning with me. I would love you to share this project with people
finding rare beauty in today's world and throughout our times. Until the next episode, keep your own
stories sparkling.