The Evolution of Blue Sapphire: the New Heat Treatment of Gemstone
Before mentioning about the Chanthaburi’s new heat treatment of gemstone, the color development, the heat treatment and enhancement of gemstone were originated by Mr. Sammueng Kaewwaen in the year 1969 to 1970. During these pioneering mentioned years, there were many more gemstone color developers and gems cutters. Every single gems developer has always showed his or her strong determination to improve the colors of gemstones to match the quality and standard of gems markets. They hold these truths to be self-evident: that all heat treated gemstones are neatly created with qualified and systematic methods which make all the jewelry durable and unaltered. The gemstone colors appearing in the jewelry have gracefully stayed without any customers’ product refunds or complaints.
Unfortunately, during the first ages of gemstone heat treatment’s development, the misunderstanding happened among the customers because they had not been correctly informed about details of the Chanthaburi’s gemstone heat treatment. Every misunderstanding occurred with the Chanthaburi’s gemstone heat treatment and color development has later been solved and proved: that all heat treated gemstones have been honestly and sincerely produced with great quality.
When the gems experts recognize any gemstones with cracks, they will say that all of those stones are dyed and fortunately the dyed color coating can be scratched and rinsed off by soaking in caustic soda.
Currently there has been the color development of Blue Sapphire that is made from the natural and inferior grade of Corundum. This recent enhancement is done by the process of heat treatment at temperatures from over 1,300 degrees Celsius. This process allows the color to coat not only over the outer layer of the stone but also the inner layer as well. This method affects the stone color to have the natural like color and durability which the stone itself can be later cut with great beauty and the color can not be even scratched or rinsed off with caustic soda soaking. See following illustrations below.
(Blue Sapphire with the New Heat Treatment and Caustic Soda Soaking)
Before soaking in Soak in caustic soda After soaking in caustic caustic soda caustic soda
(Blue Sapphire with the New Heat Treatment and Caustic Soda Boiling)
Before boiling in Boil in caustic soda After boiling in
caustic soda caustic soda
Compare to Dyed Topaz
Before soaking in Soak in caustic soda After soaking in caustic soda caustic soda
Compare to Dyed Topaz
Before soaking in Soak in caustic soda After soaking in caustic soda caustic soda
Compare to Dyed Emerald
Before soaking in Soak in caustic soda After soaking in caustic caustic soda caustic soda
Compare to Dyed Jade
Before soaking in Soak in caustic soda After soaking caustic soda caustic soda
Boiled in caustic soda concentration.
Before boiling in 5.16 g After boiling in caustic
caustic soda soda
Before boiling in 5.16 g After boiling in caustic
caustic soda soda
Method 1---The pictures below show Blue Sapphire after being heat treated, roughly shaped, and neatly cut
Gemstones after being After being roughly shaped
heat treated
After being cut with the Gemstones with shiny gloss after
maintained color being neatly cut
The depth of color is The depth of color is shown after shown after being cut and polished being cut and polished (The color is
(The color can be seen all partially appeared on the gemstone)
over the gemstone)
Method 2---The pictures below show Blue Sapphire after being heat treated. Compare the result before and after making jewelry (inserting, polishing and coating)
The gemstone after being The gemstone after being coated
polished, coated, and inserted with no covering and coloring.
into the jewelry piece. The color The color and shape are still
and shape are still maintained. maintained.
Processes of Jewelry Making
Suggestions from jewelry makers: to avoid scratches and marks from the polishing and coating process, the piece of jewelry should be firstly polished and the newly heat treated Blue Sapphire should be later inserted into the jewelry piece. The instructions are as follows.
The feature of gemstone before The gemstone with square cut
being inserted-polished-coated shape before being inserted into the jewelry piece.
Insert the gemstone into the Insert the gemstone with square
jewelry piece cut shape
Before the jewelry piece is Polish the jewelry piece with the
polished inserted and square cut gemstone inside
* Before the jewelry piece is polished, the jewelry makers cover the newly heat treated gemstone with the adhesive tape to avoid any scratches and marks.
Polish the jewelry piece Polish the jewelry piece with the
square cut gemstone inside
No protective liquids before the Apply protective liquids before
coating process the coating process
Coat the jewelry piece at the Coat the jewelry piece with the
temperature of 60 degrees Celsius square cut gemstone at the temperature of 60 degrees
Celsius
Before the inserting, polishing After the inserting, polishing
coating process coating process
Before the inserting, polishing After the inserting, polishing
coating process coating process, the feature
of gemstone still maintains
its quality.
The above quality control processes are considered the standard of general jewelry making: all qualified methods of cleaning, polishing and coating. These processes are to certify and guarantee the value of the finished gems products to customers so that price and quality of the products is understood.
The process of destroying product samples is the gems expert’s responsibility to inform the customers about the gems quality. This aspect of information might not be necessary for all the customers to know.
The following name lists are people who get involved in the new heat treatment of Blue Sapphire in October of the year 2012: Mr. Teeranun Jareonjit and Mr. Chet Tongboonkheak. These two gentlemen and I, Mr. Patsapong Chinudompong, have great experiences and good understanding to explain about the quality of gemstones and the gemstone color development. Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to report all the people the evolution of Blue Sapphire: the New Heat Treatment of Gemstone.
Yours sincerely,
Patsapong Chinudompong
Committee Board of Gems Business and Jewelry Thai Chamber of Commerce
November, 2012