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Post by gaetzchamp on Jan 12, 2005 9:59:33 GMT -5
Hello all-
After looking at some of the posted photographs and hitting some of the local rock shops, is it possible to add dyes to rocks?
Some of the colors look very fake and unnatural. They are beautiful however, but sometimes I just have to wonder.
I know that Mother Nature is a very clever gal and would never put anything past her, but I thought I'd bring it up here.
Happy Hunting all,
Gaetz
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Post by krazydiamond on Jan 12, 2005 10:06:44 GMT -5
yes, they do dye rocks, here is a good example: www.gemhut.com/bgagt.htmsome of it looks more natural than others. i am tumbling a few pieces now, we'll see how it looks in a few weeks. KD
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MichiganRocks
starting to spend too much on rocks
"I wasn't born to follow."
Member since April 2007
Posts: 154
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Post by MichiganRocks on Jan 12, 2005 10:07:02 GMT -5
You betcha! Rock dying is a lot more common than people realize. A reputable shop will tell you that they have been dyed.
Ron
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Post by creativeminded on Jan 12, 2005 10:25:17 GMT -5
Ron I have to tell you I love your penguins, everytime I see them whether I am in a good mood or not I have to laugh. Thanks for the daily pick-me-up Tami
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Guy
off to a rocking start
Want to expose my children to the world of Rocks!
Member since December 2004
Posts: 22
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Post by Guy on Jan 12, 2005 10:40:32 GMT -5
Okay...my entire world of nature has been shattered...dyeing rocks? WOW....I mean the hair thing I understood...I had even accepted slum lords dyeing carpet after each tennant to make it look new...but rocks? Well, I shall keep my wits about me now...the two I have left that is....
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MichiganRocks
starting to spend too much on rocks
"I wasn't born to follow."
Member since April 2007
Posts: 154
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Post by MichiganRocks on Jan 12, 2005 10:55:13 GMT -5
Hey Guy, they do worse things than that to them! You can treat them with Opticon to hide cracks. In fact, in the gem trade that has become a real problem, especially with emeralds. It has become accepted practice to sell emeralds that have had their cracks treated to hide them without telling the customer. That's the main reason that emeralds don't sell for more than they do.
Ron
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Post by gaetzchamp on Jan 12, 2005 11:32:09 GMT -5
Yeah, I thought so.
So KrazyD, what's the appeal for this? Is there a large market for rock "augmentation/enhancements"?
Personally I would not buy anything that had been enhanced. It just doesn't look right to me. JMHO!!!
later, Gaeter
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Exotica
starting to shine!
Member since January 2005
Posts: 39
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Post by Exotica on Jan 12, 2005 12:29:36 GMT -5
While rock dyeing is a common practice, nature does still produce very beautiful and vibrant colors of her own in rocks, as polishing or wetting displays.
A lot of gemstones are dyed, and as mentioned above, a reputable dealer will let you know. I know a lot of times agate slices are dyed. I see a lot of dyed jade and moonstone while looking for gems. Personally, I stay away from anything dyed. Usually it is only dyed to try to imitate what nature produces naturally but rarely. I think the variety of shades and shapes that various stones come in is part of what maked them beautiful!
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rollingstone
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since July 2009
Posts: 236
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Post by rollingstone on Jan 12, 2005 13:05:02 GMT -5
Also, most citrine is heat-treated amethyst, most red tiger-eye is heat-treated golden tiger-eye. I believe radiation is also used to treat some rocks to enhance or change their colours.
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Exotica
starting to shine!
Member since January 2005
Posts: 39
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Post by Exotica on Jan 12, 2005 13:59:49 GMT -5
Yes, a lot of faceted stones are irradiated, and I know they do it to diamonds, too. I think it is an accepted practice as long as it is disclosed. From what I have been reading, most of the problems occur when the different enhancements aren't disclosed. The GIA has a lot of information and articles on various enhacements and treatments of gemstones.
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Skipper
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2003
Posts: 258
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Post by Skipper on Jan 12, 2005 15:21:28 GMT -5
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MichiganRocks
starting to spend too much on rocks
"I wasn't born to follow."
Member since April 2007
Posts: 154
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Post by MichiganRocks on Jan 12, 2005 18:28:46 GMT -5
Dying rocks is a function of porosity. Any chalcedony (such as agate) has porosity and will absorb dye readily. Most dyes are most readily accompoished by doing the same procedure as concealing cracks. Heat the rock up to approximately 150 degrees, allow to soak in the dye for half an hour, then cool slowly.
Ron
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Pdwight
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2003
Posts: 619
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Post by Pdwight on Jan 13, 2005 0:34:33 GMT -5
I love the penguins too Ron, neat !!!!
Dwight P
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Post by BearCreekLapidary on Jan 15, 2005 21:01:16 GMT -5
Hi Gaetz,
Dying and heating are widely practiced.
If you have ever see an entire red slab of Tiger Eye ... then it has been heated to change the color from gold to red and the vibrant blue Tiger Eye ... yes, it is dyed.
Then when you get into gemstones ... there are many different processes that enhance/change the beauty of a natural gem.
Enjoy,
John
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Post by docone31 on Jan 15, 2005 21:24:01 GMT -5
There is not an emerald today that has not been treated by the mine. The exceptions seem to be the emerald mine in Canada, and mine run emeralds. A rough history of enhancements. It has been done since the Pharoahs in one way or another. Emeralds in particular have been oiled since Roman times. Rubies, saphires, diamonds, amythyst, apatite, and others all change colour a little when heated for simple ring repairs. Topaz will colour shift when heated for prong tipping, small blue colours will show around the prongs. Aquamarine will also print blue half circles and become more clear. Aquamarine rough is heat treated before being sold. A lot of dying is done by flaming. Example, quartz will turn yellow when silver is flamed over it. An emerald, when dopped will burn its enhancement and crack from the pressure. When CA is used, or epoxy to dop, the acetone used to remove the residue also removes the treatment. Opticon turns black when it is dopped. The trick to dopping emeralds, heat the rough part of the stone to dop with wax. The keel or culette will usually be cut with this dop. When transferring use dop wax on the dop alone, then use epoxy or CA to adhere the pavillion cuts to the dop. The dop wax on the table will be cut away with faceting, and the area that was unenhanced should be cut away also with cutting the crown/table. Heat the pavillion dop only and shave the adhesive away. That way you will not scratch the polish. Enhancements are considered natural by policy, and law. I always tell my customers about the enhancements used and the possibilities of their use if I am not certain, and what enhancements are used if I know. I have never lost a real sale if it is a real sale. I have tried to set emeralds that have been opticon enhanced, and they crack on setting. That really sucks. The customers know the risks and I just hate telling them what happened. Usually I let them watch me set the stone. It is still disappointing. Foreign faceting is not that good anyway. Their facet angles are way off. A lot of rubies are oiled. When soldering prongs on, the heat from soldering will expose the veins in the stones. It is almost impossible to reoil a stone.
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