10:07 Jun 9, 2012 |
English language (monolingual) [PRO] Mining & Minerals / Gems / tanzanite | |||||||
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| Selected response from: Armorel Young Local time: 22:56 | ||||||
Grading comment
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SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED | ||||
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5 | corundums are predominately heat treated |
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4 +1 | reliability |
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3 +1 | reliability |
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Discussion entries: 1 | |
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corundums are predominately heat treated Explanation: it means that heat treatments in corundum is very widely used and thus it is easier to detect - especially because of the high temperatures used. Heat treatment in Tanzanite or aquamarine is not easy to detect and they are heated to much lower temperatures not resulting in molecular structure changes corundums are predominately heat treated - in fact a "no heat" corundum is sold at a higher price because it is much rarer. |
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reliability Explanation: This seems to be about identifying whether or not gemstones have been heat treated. It would seem that it is not always possible to tell (detect) whether heat treatment has been applied; the only gems that it is possible to inspect or analyse for heat treatment with consistently reliable results are corundum. To paraphrase: In practice, because of these very high temperatures, only in corundum is it possible to reliably detect whether heat treatment has been used. Consistently means that accurate results are always obtained (rather than the results being sometimes right and sometimes wrong). |
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Notes to answerer
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reliability Explanation: "With any consistency" refers to "detected". It means that in other gemstones heat treatment cannot be consistently detected by examining or analysing the stone that has been treated; the results of such an examination do not provide consistent or reliable evidence of whether the stone has been treated or not. This is because a very high temperature has been used. Corundum is the exception; when you examine it, even though high temperature has been used, you can consistently or reliably detect the treatment. But only in corundum is this consistent detection possible, not in other gemstones. The sense of "consistently" is really that all or most cases are detected. -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 19 mins (2012-06-09 10:26:56 GMT) -------------------------------------------------- The sense of "consistency" is as I have said, but my comments on temperature are not correct. High temperature makes the treatment easier to detect, not more difficult. So treatment can only be reliably detected in corundum (which includes rubies and sapphires) because of the high temperatures, which produce the detectable changes referred to in your text. Where lower temperatures have been used, as in other gemstones, the treatment cannot be consistently (reliably) detected. |
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