If you know anything about precious stones, the first thing that comes to your mind when hearing the word “emerald” is how hard it is to find a flawless one. Although highly valued, the large majority of these stones have inclusions, microcracks, and fissures which make untreated emeralds far less presentable. This is why jewelers almost always treat it with some kind of filler — most commonly oil or resin.
Recognizing that customers deserve to know what kind of filler was used on their stones, GIA will start issuing official reports from the second half of December. It’s a response to the trade’s increasing need for in-depth information about the treatments that have been applied to improve emeralds’ aesthetic qualities. At first, the identification procedure will be performed free of charge.
According to Tom Moses, GIA’s vice president and chief research officer, this means that the organization is timely responding to the market’s needs — now it’s all about addressing reasonable questions as to the fillers’ compositions when dealing with emeralds.
The organization had previously identified fillers over two decades ago but refocused on fillers’ degrees. Over the years, fillers have become more diverse — in particular, they can be replaced or combined — which led GIA to revise its reports again.
This enables customers to request the new service in addition to verifying the type of stone and reporting the level of filler. If some additional substance is detected, the document will include one of the following specifications:
- Type of the filler: A (can be oil, wax, and/or resin of natural origin)
- Type of the filler: B (man-made resin)
- It is unknown what material is currently present which enhances clarity.
For questions or additional information about the new service, clients should contact their GIA laboratory service representative or email LabService@gia.edu. Plus, be sure to take advantage of this service while it’s still free because they will definitely start charging for it in the future.
