Help with GIA Sapphire Report

[minousbijoux]

Does the GIA Sapphire report indicate if a stone has had other treatments? I recently bought a heated stone on the condition that it had no other treatments. Now reading the report, I'm not sure because it reads more like what would be there for an emerald. The categories are NTE, TE - which make perfect sense - and then the ones that confuse me TE1-TE5 listed as "Indications of Heating with Residue in Fissures." Is that how they refer to it for sapphires? Does that cover treatments like lattice and Be treatments? I want to make sure that it really says what I wanted it to say.

Thanks and Merry Christmas!

 

[whatmeworry]

diffusion would say something like foreign elements added. TE1 is something like fissure healed (but not lead glass). See the laboratory manual harmonziation commitee.
http://www.lmhc-gemology.org/LMHC_Information_sheets.html

 

[minousbijoux]

wmw: Thanks so much for that source info. I think I'm probably being too concerned about this, but if it indicates TE on the report, does that rule out any foreign elements?

TIA

 

[whatmeworry]

I think if it only says TE and nothing else then you can rule out Be diffusion. They would have specifically said foreign elements if they thought diffusion. Well anyway that's my understanding of info sheets 1 and 2.

 

[LD]

What is the exact wording on your report?

If your report says only TE then it's a heat only stone with no added nasties! So it would be safe to assume no diffusion I would think.

If yours says TE1/TE2 then this indicates that there is evidence of minor filling of fissures/fractures. This could be from lead or glass. So it's indicative that it's not heat only but that it has been filled with "something". However, TE1/TE2 indicate that this is only minor which is the lesser of the filling evils (IYKWIM)! What I'm not sure is how diffusion would be classified on this scale.

I would assume that BE diffusion would be stated in the "Treatment" description however.

 

[minousbijoux]

LD: That is exactly my worry. It is denoted as TE, so there is no residue in fissures, but does that rule out all the evils there are, such as diffusion?

And how was your Christmas dinner? I know you were preparing for a large gathering...

-Minou

 

[LD]

LD: That is exactly my worry. It is denoted as TE, so there is no residue in fissures, but does that rule out all the evils there are, such as diffusion?

And how was your Christmas dinner? I know you were preparing for a large gathering...

-Minou

Minou - I think you're safe because I'm pretty sure it would have to state if evidence of diffusion was present. Why not give them a call when they re-open after the holidays?

Christmas day was manic (thank you for asking). We all dressed up in fancy dress just to do something "different" and I loved my Princess Leia outfit but the wig was not the most flattering! Never mind, my silver boots went down a storm with the teenagers and my God-daughter has them ear-marked for New Years Eve!

 

[treasurehunter]

GIA will state in their certificates 'diffused corundum' as Variety or gem type-' Diffused Ruby' or 'diffused Sapphire' , or 'lead filled ruby' unlike borax treated rubies which will have Ruby and then under treatment type TE1 etc .