Gemstone Enhancements
The term "enhancement" is defined as any treatment or process other than cutting and polishing that improves the appearance (color/clarity/phenomena), durability, value or availability of a gemstone. In today’s gem marketplace, many gemstones have been enhanced by a variety of methods. Such processes may range from simple heating (such as with tanzanite) to high-tech irradiation (such as blue topaz).
One of the most significant contributions the AGTA has made to the trade is the creation of the Gemstone Enhancement Manual (G.E.M.). Published for the first time in 1985, the G.E.M. has provided a valuable intra-industry method of communicating gemstone enhancement and treatment information. Past presidents Roland Naftule and Ray Zajicek, as well as several other board members and a variety of trade groups were very instrumental in the manual’s creation. "It was conceived as an informational tool, one that helped transform enhancement disclosure from a dirty word to something commonplace," explains Zajicek. "We were able to bring a better understanding to the jewelry industry of all the processes used to bring colored gemstones to the marketplace."
The AGTA GTC takes enhancement disclosure seriously, which is why full enhancement disclosure is an important part of our gemological reports. Indeed, the AGTA member guidelines are the most stringent in the industry. To view the full AGTA enhancement manual, see the following link:
