Customer Service
Gemstone Treatments
Understanding Treatments
What Are Gemstone Treatments?
Treatments are processes applied to natural gemstones after mining to improve their appearance — primarily color and clarity. The vast majority of colored gemstones on the market have been treated in some way. This is widely accepted in the industry, provided treatments are fully disclosed.
At VividCarat, treatment status is disclosed on every stone — both in the listing description and on the accompanying laboratory certificate. A treated stone is not a dishonest stone. An undisclosed treatment is.
Heat Treatment
The most common treatment in sapphires and rubies. Stones are heated to temperatures between 1,200°C and 1,800°C to dissolve rutile silk inclusions, improve color saturation, and increase clarity. Heat treatment is permanent and stable. It does not affect the durability or wearability of the stone.
Unheated stones command a significant premium — typically 30% to 300% over heated equivalents of the same quality — because they are far rarer and represent the gem in its entirely natural state. A laboratory certificate is the only reliable way to confirm no-heat status.
Fracture Filling
Some stones — particularly emeralds and certain rubies — have surface-reaching fractures filled with oils, resins, or glass to improve apparent clarity. Unlike heat treatment, fillings are not permanent and can degrade over time or with ultrasonic cleaning. The degree of filling is graded on certificates from "none" to "significant." VividCarat discloses filling grade on all applicable stones.
Beryllium Diffusion
A treatment used primarily on sapphires to introduce beryllium into the crystal lattice under extreme heat, creating colors — particularly orange and yellow — that were not present in the rough. Beryllium-diffused stones are considered heavily treated and are priced accordingly. Lab certificates detect this treatment reliably.
Coating
Thin surface coatings can alter the apparent color of a stone. These are considered the lowest-quality treatment as they are neither permanent nor stable. We do not sell coated stones.
Irradiation
Used to alter color in certain stone types, particularly topaz (to produce blue) and some diamonds. Irradiation results are generally permanent in properly treated stones. Lab certificates state irradiation where applicable.
Disclosure Policy
Our Disclosure Standard
Every stone listed on VividCarat states its treatment status clearly: "Unheated," "Heated," "Minor oil," "Fracture filled — none/minor/moderate/significant," or "No indications of treatment." This information is confirmed by the accompanying laboratory certificate, not just our word.
If you're purchasing an unheated stone, the certificate will state: "No indications of heating" or "No indications of thermal enhancement" depending on the issuing lab. This is the industry-standard phrasing — not "natural" (which refers to species) but specifically addressing heat.
Asking About Treatment
During the Zoom consultation, we discuss treatment status for every stone we present. If you have a preference — heat-treated for value, or unheated for investment — we source accordingly. We never present a treated stone as unheated. The lab certificate makes it impossible to do so without being caught.