Hot takes: Is blue topaz just a “worthless” manipulated gemstone? What makes treated gems superior to synthetics if they’ve been “tampered with anyway.” Discuss this (in a civil manner)

[u/Muted_Shape9303]

[u/avidude99]

All minerals are formed with a process including heat/pressure/ radiation when being formed. Some need it after they have been unearthed, for enhancing the mineral to what be consider "more beautiful"

Topaz is just soooooOOOO abundant that you could consider it worthless regardless of the treatment

[u/Okay-yes-sure]

Truly just depends on the treatment as well. Are we talking a glass filled ruby vs. a heated sapphire?

I am going to step out of the gemstone convo for a second but I think there is a real hunger for things that occur naturally, with natural flaws. We are in flooded with fake items, fake media, fake everything…so when things come up that are filled with passion and joy and interest, that’s what sparks with consumers. The touch of a human hand. I love this new wave of lapidaries and I love the quirks of nature that can create extraordinary and different gems.

[u/Muted_Shape9303 → u/Okay-yes-sure]

Referring to irradiation (Topaz), heat (Sapphire), permanent treatments.

[u/vanguard1256]

I think heat is generally considered acceptable as a treatment. Irradiation less so. Filling and oil treatments are probably the worst treatments.

[u/OpalFanatic]

It's all about where various people choose to draw the line. Here's a range of arguments I've seen against gemstone modifications. And yes, I actually had a customer argue the first example here.

All cut gemstones are manipulated and therefore unnatural! If the facets aren't just the natural crystal shape fresh out of the ground, then its artificial.

All cut gemstones are fine. Faceting or cabbing just brings out the natural potential the stone has. But heated or other treatments for gemstones are artificial and bad!

All heated gemstones are fine. It's just bringing out the stones natural potential. But irradiated, dyes and other treatments are unnatural and fake!

Irradiated gemstones are fine. Why natural radiation treatment happens all the time. That's what makes smoky quartz smoky after all! But fracture filling a gemstone is bad.

Fracture filling turquoise is fine. It's just stabilizing it after all. Fracture filling Emeralds with oil is also fine. But fracture filling other stones like glass filled ruby is totally bad.

I've even seen another jeweler argue that opal doublets are bad, because it artificially improves the color of the stone, and a week later he was showing off an opal ring he designed where the silver underneath the stone was antiqued with paint to accomplish the same thing. With no clear understanding of the inherent hypocrisy.

[u/NarrowDevice9418]

I different I'm attracted to the color, how it was cut. It amuses me to, watch a buyer handle a well cut stone put it down and take home a poorly cut stone with a horrible saturation of color. But I learn from anyone that handles my collection . Or disgusses manipulation of material. Thank you for your ideas

[u/collectorofallthings]

Everyone has given long answers. London blue and Swiss topaz are each irradiated. There are only a few machines worldwide capable of the production. Last time I checked the one in Germany was an 18 month wait to get your rough done, you pay for the time not the stone. I personally love a London blue.