FAQs

95% of all sapphires in the market worldwide are normally heated.

Ethical mining means that the miners are paid competitively, have medical benefits, are adults, and the mines are regulated to protect the environment.

Standard or normal heating is the process of applying very gradual thermal energy to the stone in order to improve its color and in some cases reduce some impurities. This is now an acceptable method of treatment recognized by all prestigious gem laboratories world-wide and by the gem and jewelry industry.

Not necessarily provided that the treatment is only comprised of thermal energy without additional elements such as chemicals or other substances. For example, we see today normally heated sapphires costing around 80% to 90% the price of untreated sapphires, provided that cut, color, weight (carat) and clarity (GIA's 4 Cs) are equivalent.

Most opals in the jewelry industry are oiled to transport them. The oil is not pressurized into the gem, so no foreign material forms
part of the opal structure.

Because it costs much more to operate a mine in the USA due to regulatory (including environmental constraints) and labor costs. Further, USA gems are very scarce, such as Montana sapphires, North Carolina emeralds, California tourmalines, Georgia amethysts, etc. The supply is very small and limited while demand has grown dramatically in the last decade and the outlook is that this pattern will continue.

Gentle Heat applies to gems that have not been heat treated, such as standard or normal heating, but are likely to have been
exposed to a jeweler’s torch, or may have undergone thermal friction during the
cutting/polishing process.

Furthermore, some gems may have been exposed to hear naturally prior to being mined from earth; these types of gems are also included under the Gentle Heat
category.