A Message to the Gemstone and Jewelry Trade Media

The following is an official statement that was released after a meeting hosted by the Chanthaburi Gem and Jewelry Association (CGJA), held at the Maneechan Resort, Chanthaburi, Thailand, on Saturday, June 8, 2002.

The Chanthaburi Gem and Jewelry Association (CGJA) and the gem heaters of Chanthaburi reassert their previous objection to what they consider the unjust criticisms and hasty conclusions of some gemologists (including representatives of the AGTA and GIA) in respect to the controversy surrounding heated orange-pink sapphires. The CGJA and the gem heaters of Chanthaburi consider the recent decision to describe the heating process which these gemstones were subject to as "bulk diffusion" or "treated sapphire" is unqualified and has effectively stymied the legitimate business that developed involving these materials. Any retraction or clarification that may be forthcoming is unlikely to restore the formerly healthy trade in these beautiful gems.

The CGJA and the heaters of Chanthaburi reiterated that their findings regarding the process which the orange-pink sapphires were subject to, as well as the source of the physical properties of the gemstones in question, were developed through substantial practical experience and experimentation. The various formulae and theories that have been suggested by non-local individuals, who have very little familiarity with heated orange-pink sapphires, are still speculative. The continued use by these non-local individuals of the verb "assume" in putting forward such presumption only reinforces the fact that their opinions are somewhat theoretical.

The origin of the technique used to create the orange-pink sapphires dates back to the heating of yellow sapphire (c. 1982). According to participants at the June 8 meeting, the first two persons to develop this technique were Mr. Sammeuang Kaewwan and Mr. Annuparb (Jonk) Chinudompong. At that time, Dr. Henri Hanni, head of the SSEF Swiss Gemological Institute in Basel, Switzerland, visited Chanthaburi, and met with Mr. Annuparb, who provided him with a significant number of gemstones for study. Dr. Hanni took several of these samples back to Switzerland for testing in several major gem laboratories, including SSEF. Shortly afterward, but after extensive testing (including heating up to 1000 degrees Celcius), he reported that the material was stable and the color did not fade in any way. As a result, the heated yellow sapphires are accepted throughout the industry worldwide. Continued testing by SSEF concluded with a finding that the color change was brought about by oxidation and not through the addition of a foreign element. Dr. Hanni was praised for his honesty and professionalism.

The participants at the June 8 meeting discussed the contention that the orange-pink sapphires were the result of heating pink sapphires in the presence of chrysoberyl (BeAlO4). The CGJA and the heaters of Chanthaburi note that such a technique can only be effective when there is a catalyst already present within the heated gemstone. Heating pink sapphires in the presence of oxygen and chrysoberyl (BeAlO4), both of which are colorless, only results in color change in some instances and the results are extremely varied. All present agreed that this color change must be a result of chemical reactions involving elements already contained within the gems.

The labeling of these gems as "bulk diffused" or "treated sapphires" is simply erroneous, because it automatically implies the addition of an external agent. The participants at the meeting felt that a more accurate description would be "enhanced by heat," possibly in conjunction with a graded color permanence scale.

The CGJA and the heaters of Chanthaburi are critical of the nine-level definition system developed for heated gemstones. They feel that any system that labels the inclusion of anything other than hydrogen (light element, colorless) or oxygen (light element, colorless) as "synthetic material" is indicative of a limited familiarity with the intricacies of gem heating. In this respect, they feel, the nine-level definition system is ignorant as to the importance of these heating techniques to the gemstone industry in general. The CGJA and the heaters of Chanthaburi felt it important to remind the industry that some 90 percent of the corundum traded during the past 20 years has involved heated material. Heating processes have resulted in the improvement in the value of many gemstones, through the permanent enhancement of their color and clarity.

While the heaters of Chanthaburi were not consulted during the formulation (and, therefore, have expressed their reluctance to recognize it), they called for fairness in applying the "natural" rule. They expressed their disbelief as to why natural chrysoberyl has been labeled as "synthetic material", particularly when hydrogen and oxygen are accepted as "natural"?

Given the above, the CGJA and the heaters of Chanthaburi simply do not understand why some theoretical gemologists and laboratory technicians view heating developments negatively. Moreover, they feel that the shortsighted discrediting of new heating techniques will only affect the long-term viability of the international gem industry.

The CGJA has requested that the Gemological Institute of Thailand (GIT) be a more a outgoing leader for the Thai industry, by proactively promoting the benefits of heating and acting as an advocate of newly developed techniques, until such time that they are accepted globally.

Posted: June 20, 2002