Jewelry Blog

>Heat Treatments

Heat treatment is often used to turn brownish and yellow shades of topaz pink. Heat is considered a stable treatment.

Irradiation Treatment

Irradiation can turn colorless topaz blue, and it intensifies the color of other shades. Gems are typically stored for a time after the treatment to reduce their radiation levels.

All irradiated gemstones are monitored by the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which states: The NRC believes irradiated gemstones currently on the market are safe. The NRC has not requested that jewelers take these stones off the market. (USNRC Web Site)

Irradiation can be stable or it can fade in sunlight.

Diffusion Treatment

Diffusion is accomplished by coating a cut topaz with a chemical and then heating the gemstone to alter its color (coating its exterior with shades of green and blue-green).

True diffusion treatment is stable, but other (more temporary) techniques are sometimes used to coat a stone.