question about be diffusion

[livannie]

Hi! I was just wondering if anyone knows when beryllium diffusion for sapphires started. Is it something fairly new or has it been done for years? Could a sapphire from the art deco period be be diffused?

 

[iLander]

Probably not diffused, but it can be synthetic. They've been making fake sapphires and rubies since the 1890's. It's called the Verneuil process.

For $60, send it to AGL in New York if you want to be sure.

 

[T L]

Also, if the ring hasn't been in your family, then the stone could have been switched out. There's no guarantee that a stone is original to a period piece of jewelry.