Treating Tips

B.)Treating Tips :AMETHYST -BREZEINA: All unzoned material heats to medium/light

Citrine,Brown zoned material treats to dark Citrine heated at 450C for 1 hour overall "cloudy
look"

AMETHYST-MARAMBA: All material treats to medium/light Citrine,brown zoned material

turns to dark Orange heated to 450C for 1 hour.

AMETHYST-RIO GRANDE DO SUL:All material treats from light to dark Red/Orange No

brown zoning,Specific locations,for example,Serramine produce higher percentage Red/Orange
All heated at 450C.,1 hour

AMETHYST-URAGUAY:All material heats to a light to medium Lemon color at 450C,1 hour

AMETHYST-RHONDONIA&GOAIS. At 450-500C material turns to a Brownish Maderia
Color, >Dark goods lighten at 390C,1 hour

AMETHYST-PAL D'ARCO: Dark goods lighten at 390C.1 hour.more hours,further

lightening.no Citrine

AMETHYST-JACOBINA:Dark goods lighten at 390C for 1 hour,no Citrine

AMETHYST-BOLIVIA:Lightens only from 390C and up.

SMOKEY QUARTZ Stones with brownish zone heat to Lemon Yellow,just in that zone 450C
1hr.

QUARTZ CRYSTAL > >Irradiates to Smokey color at .5-1 megarad,Colbolt 60 > >
TOURMALINE -CRUZEIRO,ARASUAI:Dark Kelly Greens/Black "C" Axis lighten 1-2
shades,slight color improvement,Brown zones at end of some crystals dissappear.Most heats at
750C

TOURMALINE-CRUZEIRO:Very dark Green and Blacks do not heat.

TOURMALINE-CRUZEIRO:Pastel Greys,Blue/Greys heat to "Maine-like" lime Green at 550C

The darker the beginning color the darker the Green.Greys,slight Red skin,irradiate to Reds at
60-150C Colbolt 60

TOURMALINE-CRUZEIRO,ARASUAI.Odd purples,mauves,off-colors,unpredictable,but many

will heat to Greens,Blue/Greens and dramaticly lighten at 750C

TOURMALINE-MORRO REDONDO:Dark Red/Browns lighten to Peach/Pink at 450C and up

to 500C.Peach colors turn to hot Pink and Reds,when first heated to white 700-800C,and then
irradiated to 150C,Colbolt 60.Best results on material oriented for cutting down "C" axis.
TOURMALINE-CRUZEIRO,ARASUAI: light pure Pinks irradiate to hot Pinks and Reds at 60-
150 megarads,Colbolt 60.Peaches,Oranges remain the same color,but intensify *2)see below for
overall heating tips.

BERL -AQUAMARINES: All Aquamarines Greenish,Grey cast heat to purer Blue,some darken
at 450C 1 hour.,Dichroic Greens/Blues become uniform Blue.

GREEN BERLS:Do not change on heat treatments.(see *2.) below for how to identify)

ORANGE MORGANITE:turns to Pink left in direct sunlight for 1-2 weeks or heated >at low
tempurature 400F and up

PEACH MORGANITE: After heating to white at 450C and up.and then irradaiated >to Assorted
Greens with colbolt 60 at 450 megarads.Then can be heat treated at 350F and up to turn to end
color Pink

WHITE BERL,LIGHT AQUAMARINE/MORGANITE: Irradiated at 450 megarads ,Colbolt 60

turns priedominately to Straw Yellows,but can turn any multicolor,Reds,Purples,Greys,etc.At
dosages of 3,000-5,000 megarads,changes predominately to Dark Canary Yellow and "Precious
Topaz like" Orange.<WARNING> Berl has a high content of Cesium.If irradiated with Linier
Accelerator can become highly radioactive,and take as long as 100's of years to be released.
EMERALD: Clarity and color can be dramticly improved with Oiling,Oiling with color
additives,filling with Canadian Balsm,filing with "Optigon".Oiling;First soak the stones in
Acetone,"Attack,etc.Heat the stones slightly(hot plate) and while still warm place in Oil or
Balsm >overnight."Optigon"follow manufacturers instructions.Better results can be achieved in
Oil and Balsm,if the first step is done in a heated vacuum chamber.Then transferred,under
vacuum,to a hydrolic pressure canistar.and left 24 hours.

*1)For minimum breakage all heat treatments should be done on finished(cut and Polished),as
clean as possibe,stones.As slight fractures can spread,and bubbles halo or burst,you must achive
the "Beilby Layer Flow" in polishing to seal the pores. All heat treatments are best done at a
graduated temperatures both up an down. All stones should be placed moisture free in a crucible
and covered with a heat sink material Beach Sand,or better powdered Alumina.

*2)The change of color in Aquamarine can be determined with a Poloriod filter.Hold the stone
under direct incandescent light,and the filter out of,and on the edge of the light.Turn the filter in
a circle.You will see the color change.If no color change the material will stay Green Berl after
heating.

TOPAZ (Neucler) U.S.Patent Number 4,749,869

TOPAZ(Colbolt) MARAMBIA: For best results preftreat at 60 megarads Colbolt 60,removing

any that return white or very light Blue,Then dose the material at 450 megarads again Colbolt 60.
The stones will return various shades of brown and greenish brown.Then must be heat
treated.Start first by heating to 425F.in a glass doored,convection toaster oven.Or Heat to .375F
in a convection,glass doored microwave oven.for 10 minutes.Let ovens cool to cold,open door
and remove any good Blues,heat again to 500F Toaster oven and 425F microwave oven.Final
colors medium Blue to "Swiss and "London" Blue.Many Dichroic.

TOPAZ(Colbolt) RHONDONIA: Treat to 450 megarads Colbolt 60. Colors will mostly return
lighter Browns,After heat treatment(see Marambia above) becomes mostly lighter Blues.

OURO PRETO: Color improvements and changes can be effected by various heat treatments
and/or irradiation.Formulas N/A

*3.) All material for Colbolt treatment must be packaged in metal containers.as most other
materials will disintergrate under irradiation.1 gallon Gas cans or boxes constructed out of air
conditioning duct,sealed with screws or pop rivets. Colbolt 60 walk in rooms units generate 400F
at operating temperatures.Stand up units dramaticly less.

TOPAZ(Linier Accelerator) MARAMBIA:Pretreat as above with Colbolt 60,instruct lab to dose

5,000 megarads. Repeat heating instruction as above.final colors will be medium to dark "Swiss"
Blue and "London Blue"

TOPAZ-RHONDONIA:Dose at 5,000 megarads,follow above heating.Return colors will contain

some Sky Blue,but most light Blue.

OURO PRETO: N/A

SCAPOLITE Natural Straw Yellow stones turn purple after irradiation at 450 megarads Colbolt
60. Best results when material is first heated white.500F+/-
I think it would be interesting to compile a list of treatment recipes.
I was inspired to start the list when I stumbled on a stockpiled pdf when I was searching for
something unrelated and it reminded me of a thread we started in 2007:
http://web.archive.org/web/200102211008 ... /Notes.htm

I've done a little research on the person who compiled this original list, Mark Liccini, only to
discover, it appears as though he passed away in 2002. I've taken the liberty of reformatting and
rewriting some of this info and adding additional information which has already been posted on
the forum. Please also feel free to add any information you have on what is appearing to be a
legendary lapidary icon: Mark Liccini.

We could add to the list, modify the list or remove things from our list.
Eventually, we could add it, for permanent reference, to the Gemology Project.
I'll start:

Beryl
*Tip:For minimal breakage all heat treatment should be done on finished goods, which are as
clean as possible. Slight fractures can spread,and included crystals can halo or burst. All heat
treatments are best done by slowly graduating temperatures both up an down. All stones should
be placed moisture free in a crucible and covered with a heat sink material such as beach sand,or
better, powdered alumina.1

Aquamarine* Heating to 450C for one hour changes the valence state of the iron.

Aquamarine often has a residual greenish tone until it's heated.

Why?
G & G, Summer 1981, my hero George Rossman, wrote an article entitled "Color in Gems, The
New Technologies"

To paraphrase.
Beryl is a berylium aluminum silicate. Yet, none of those elemental constituents are able to cause
color.
Iron is responsible for golden yellow, golden green, green and blue beryl.
In order to understand how minor amounts of iron impart various colors we need to know:
1. where within the atomic structure of the beryl the iron is located
2. the oxidization state of the iron.

The blue and yellow color seen in beryl results from small amounts of iron situated in the
channels formed by silicate ions, running parallel to the "c" axis of the xl.
If the iron present is in the 2+ oxidation state, the color is blue. If it is in the 3+ oxidation state
the color is golden yellow. Combinations of oxidation states impart intermediate colors.

When you heat greenish blue beryl to 450 degrees C, it reduces the iron from 3+ to 2+, therefore
eliminating the yellowish cast.
All Aquamarines with a greenish or gray cast, heat to purer blue, some darken
Dichroic Greens/Blues become uniform Blue
Green Beryl*: Does not alter as the result on heat treatment1

*Tip: To help determine if a greenish beryl can be altered with heat, one can use a polaroid filter.
Hold the stone under direct incandescent light,and rotate the filter in a circle.If a color change is
apparent, the color CAN be changed. If no color change is seen, the material will remain
unchanged if heat treated.1

Orange Morganite⇒ Pink left in direct sunlight for 1-2 weeks or heated at low
temperature 205C 1

Peach Morganite⇒ Green

After heating to colorless at 450C, the beryl is irradiated with Cobalt60 at 450 mega-rads to
produce assorted greens
If, the green is subsequently heated to 180º C, it will be converted to pink.1

Colorless Beryl, Very Light Aquamarine/Morganite

Irradiated with Cobalt60 at 450 mega-rads, usually turns to Straw Yellow, but this has also been
known to produce red, purples and gray1
At levels of 3,000-5,000 mega-rads, changes predominately to Dark Canary Yellow and
"Precious Topaz like"Orange"1
Warning:
If beryl has a high content of Cesium, irradiation with Linear Accelerator can become
highly radioactive, taking 100s of years to "cool" down. 1

EMERALD:
Clarity and color can be dramatically improved with oiling, oiling with color additives, filling
with cedar oil (preferred), Canadian Balsam or filing with "Opticon".1

Oiling
First, soak the stones in Acetone,"Attack":, etc.
Heat the stones slightly (hot plate) and while still warm place in Oil or Balsam* overnight.
*Tip: Better results can be achieved with Cedar Oil and Balsam, if the first step is done in a
heated vacuum chamber. Then, transfer, under vacuum, to a hydraulic pressure canister and left
for 24 hours.1

Opticon: follow manufacturers instructions. Opticon yellows with age and is not an acceptable
treatment within the trade.

Quartz
Amethyst: Lighten tone I believe only amethyst from certain locals will lighten when heated.
Most will alter to citrine.1

Amethyst (Local: Pal D'Arco) Dark goods lighten at 390C for 1 hour.more hours; longer heating
time does not increase lightening
Will not alter to citrine1

Amethyst (Local: Jacobina) Dark goods lighten at 390C for 1 hour. Will not alter to citrine1

Amethyst (Local: Bolivia) :Lightens only from 390C and up.1

Amethyst⇒Citrine

Amethyst (Local: Brezeina): Heated at 450C for 1 hour overall "cloudy look":
All unzoned material heats to medium/light Citrine
Brown zoned material treats to dark Citrine1

Amethyst (Local:Maramba): Heated to 450C for 1 hour

All material treats to medium/light Citrine
Brown zoned material turns to dark Orange1

Amethyst (Local:Rio Grande do Sul) Heated to 450C for 1 hour

All material treats from light to dark Red/Orange; No brown zoning1

Amethyst (Local:Uraguay) Heated to 450C for 1 hour

All material heats to a light to medium Lemon color 1

Amethyst (Local:Rhondonia and Goais) Heated at 450-500C

Material turns to a Brownish Maderia Color
Heated 390C, for 1 hour
Dark goods lighten1

Smoky Quartz

Smoky Quartz Heated to 450C for 1 hour

Stones with brownish zone heat to Lemon Yellow, just in that zone1

Colorless Quartz⇒ Smoky Quartz: Irradiates to Smokey color at .5-1 mega-rad, Cobalt 601

Additional Temperatures, needing more information:

Reddish Brown Zircon to Blue: 1000 degrees C in a reducing (oxygen free) environment2

Reddish Brown Zircon to Colorless 900 degrees C in air2

Orange Beryl to Morganite: 400 degrees C2

Yellow and Brownish yellow topaz to Pink: 550 degrees C2

Topaz (all colors) to Colorless:1000 degrees C2

Dark Green Namibian Tourmaline will brighten Significantly:370 degrees C2

Brownish Green Zoisite to Tanzanite:370 degrees C2

Sapphire containing titanium to develop or brighten color:1600 degrees C2

1
Information originally compiled by Mark Liccini
2
Information from Peter Read in Gemmology

to be continued......

General Observations on Heating, from Hans Meevis

Quote:
I have heated, over the years, with some success, tanzanite, aquamarine, amethyst, and recently
tourmaline in my normal jewellery burnout kiln.

I also have heated many other stones with spectacularly bad results. Amongst others, larimar,
(went white) lavulite (went brown) smoky quartz (trashed.) Aqua (white), citrine to try and make
it lighter (crashed) .

Just a few weeks ago I took some dark olive green tourmaline and in a fit of lethargy put some in
the oven.. I think it is Zimbabwean material and it had already been very badly cut. (faceted) It
was lousy stuff, completely un- sellable .
The material is clean though. Clean materialis is the best to experiment with.. Although, I have
put stuff in the oven that had fractures and did not get more badly fractured.( even though the
color was not necessarily better)

So this is how I got this tourmaline to a better color.

I took a stainless steel egg cup and filled it up with Satin cast 20 casting powder. Same stuff you
cast jewellery with. Then I took a tourmaline and cleaned it with alcohol and pushed it to the
middle of the egg-cup. Tapped it down firmly and put it into my oven.

300C I leave it at the temperature for about an hour ( it is only an egg cup so it saturates through
quickly), then I take the egg cup out of the oven and let it cool outside until room temp. I don't
care for this million hour cooling down bit, because I am only playing around, and the material
sucks anyway, so I can afford to trash it. No change.

400C Same as above, no change

500C Some change, and it goes a little bit lighter.

I use a control stone of the same original colour to check. Then I go up into 50C increments

At 550C was my best color, noticeably lighter. I went to 650 with this stone, and there was no
more color change, so I called it quits. At least it will be sellable after have I recut it. With
disclosure, of course. By the way, it did not lighten the c-axis at all, so essentially it still
remained junk.

Then I took another one and did the same thing some days later.
This time after doing the same as above,there was no change in colour at all.
Even from a similar source, or parcel from the same mine, stones seem to react differently to
heat. Anyway, that is my non-scientific experience.

So I decided to increase the temperature in hundred degrees segments until something DID
happen.
This is not something I would normally do , but I just wanted to see how high I could take a heat
sensitive stone like tourmaline.

At 700C, nothing had happened to the dark olive green colour.

And I was not even careful to cool it down slowly, other than putting the egg cup outside the
oven.
750C Nothing. I certainly did not think a tourmaline would go so high.

At 800c it died. (At that temperature the oven is a bright orange inside)
The tourmaline had became brown and now looks a bit like petrified wood. ( if I knew how to
put a picture in this post, I would )
Ok, so that's extreme. I have never heated tourmaline to that temperature and I wanted to see
how high it would go..

Most stones I have played with are in the 300 to 550 maximum. Some work, most do not.
About ten years ago I heated tanzanite rough to 400-450C . Of the three stones, two went better
and one died. I think I used building sand in a smelting crucible then.
If I am serious, I will let the oven cool down to room temperature before I take the stone out.
Sometimes, I just put a piece of stone into my casting cycle, just to see what happens.
I take it out before I go too high, like over 550C.
Mostly they trashed.....
Hans Meevis