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****Click Here To Ask a Question!****

New for February

Hi Barry,

I'm from southeastern Texas and I have a question about Brazilian opals. I've heard that opals can dry out and want to know if they can dry out in my safe. Should I be doing something to keep them in good condition?

Joelle

Hi Joelle,

Opals do contain water and they can dry out and develop small fractures. This is called crazing. Even though Brazilian opals are said to be less likely to craze, I would still take precautions. One of the Australian opal suppliers suggests putting a damp cotton ball in the container, gembox, or plastic bag the opal is being stored in. Even though your area of Texas is quite humid, the air inside a safe can get pretty dry. Why take a chance? I had a bad experience with what was once my favorite opal and I sure wish I had taken better care of it. It was pretty much ruined. Thanks for the great question.

Barry

Dear Barry,

I recently purchased a paraiba tourmaline. It's supposed to be a 1.25 ct. stone, but looks smaller than that to me. What would look bigger--a 1 ct. paraiba or a 1 ct. sapphire?

Karen

Hi Karen,

The rule of thumb on diameter and carat weight is that if two stones weigh the same, the stone with the higher specific gravity(S.G.) will be smaller. Since the S.G. of sapphire is 4.00 on average and the S.G. of tourmaline is 3.06 on average, the 1 ct. tourmaline will have a bigger diameter IF the stones are cut the same. Sometimes cutters will facet a stone which is unnecessarily deep to preserve weight, especially if the stone is expensive. Check the bottom of your stone to see if it has a "big bellied" pavilion that is rounded and seems too deep. You should also get your stone weighed to put your mind at ease. Thanks for the question.

Barry

Hi Barry,

I recently bought a pretty tanzanite ring. After buying it, I read that it is not recommended for a ring and that it is temperature sensitive. What does that mean, and will I be able to go out with it in the winter if I wear gloves?

Beth

Hi Beth,

Tanzanite is definitely sensitive to thermal shock, which is a rapid temperature change. GIA states that a change from the heat in a display case to the cool temperature of a glass countertop can cause tanzanite to fracture. When I heat-treat tanzanite I take it up to 550 degrees C. in increments of 50 degees per hour and am careful to give it at least a 12 hour cooling down time because rapid cooling seems to be the biggest danger. I would think that if you wore gloves in cold weather your stone would be safe, but why not err on the side of caution? Tanzanite should be treated with care--no exposure to abrasives, no steam cleaners and no sonic cleaners. Your tanzanite ring should be fine if worn carefully.

Barry

NEW FOR DECEMBER

A friend of mine just bought a 'green kunzite'. Have you ever heard of green kunzite?

Diana, Australia.

Hi Diana,

I went on-line to check this out and there are people selling 'green kunzite'. Yikes! Kunzite is the pink and lavender/pink variety of spodumene and hiddenite is the rich green variety. The lighter green spodumenes are usually called green spodumene by many gemologists because they don't have the richer green associated with the gems from Hidden, NC, which was named after the man who discovered hiddenite, William Hidden. Kunzite from Afghanistan is being irradiated to produce a very attractive green gemstone which reputable dealers are describing as irradiated green spodumene. I will try to find out how stable the irradiation treatment is and get back to you. My feeling is that calling these gems 'green kunzite' would be like selling 'purple citrine' or 'golden, yellow emerald', and I would advise your friend to at least get the R.I. tested for the 'green kunzite'. Thanks for the great question.

Hi Barry,

I have a 'Lake County Diamond' and would like to know about it. PJ, San Diego.

Hi PJ,

One of the great things about answering questions about gemstones is that it expands my knowledge. I knew nothing about Lake County Diamonds before getting this questions. Now I want to go find some for my collection. 'Lake County Diamonds' are from the Kelseyville, CA, area. They are a volcanic glass made up of almost pure silica and have a hardness of 7.5-8.0 (Mohs). Usually colorless, they can be yellow, lavender and pink. They are found 12.9 miles south of Kelseyville and are unique to that area. There are several websites that tell about them. This one has directions to the deposit: http://eclecticarcania.blogspot.com/2008/03/lake-county-diamonds.html

This is an interesting subject and I would appreciate any additional information on these stones.

Barry

Hi Barry,

I make wirewrapped jewelry and use a rock tumbler with stainless steel shot to work harden and clean silver after a piece is wrapped. I recently wrapped a 'Mystic Blue Topaz' and am not sure if I should use the tumbler because it looks like the topaz has a coating on back.

Donna, USA

Hi Donna,

Mystic Topaz is produced by using a film optical treatment called 'physical vapor deposition'. The layer is only microns thick and is applied only to the pavilion. The guidelines for this stone state that the mountings should be polished before the stone is set, and that the stone should not be exposed to acids or abrasives, including abrasive polishing cloths. Ultra-sonic cleaners and steamcleaning can also damage the thin layer and it is suggested that Mystic Topaz be treated with the same care as a pearl. If the stone needs a cleaning, mild soap and water should be used. Given the above information, I would think that a tumbler loaded with stainless steel shot would be a bad idea.

Barry

Hi Barry,

I would like your opinion of Victoria Stone, a manmade stone no longer being produced. I wonder about the future value.

Teresa, USA

Hi Teresa,

From what I've read, Victoria Stone is hard to find. S. Imori, who developed it, never told anyone how he fused all the elements together in the stone and recrystallized them, so Victoria Stone has never been reproduced. If the interest in Victoria stone continues, and supplies diminish, the laws of supply and demand would dictate an increase in value, even for a synthetic. It has happened before with a synthetic, Linde Star Sapphire being a good example.

Barry

NEW FOR NOVEMBER, 2008

Dear Barry,  I have several gemstones I'm interested in selling but I'm not absolutely sure what they are or what they're worth.  Where do I start? Lorraine.....USA  Hello Lorraine: I would think that the first thing you should do is get your stones identified by a certified gemologist.  To become familiar with the gem values I would suggest that you attend gem shows where you can see similar gemstones and look at prices on websites with high standards and credentials--after you've had the gemstones identified, of course. Gemshows are fun AND they are educational.  I would also seriously study Barbara'sfree gemology information.  It is in your best interest to not get in a rush to sell your collection because there's such a thing as "sellers' remorse" too!  Dear Barry, What is a "malaya" garnet and why are some malayas so much more expensive than others? Tom.....Canada

"Ladies custom designed 14-karat yellow gold fashion ring set with 1 blue topaz - in a 4 prong basket head.topaznaturalemerald, facetedlength 24.69mm; width 19.95mm; depth 11.45mmdepth % 57.4 clarity:fI primary color: bluesecondary color: greensymmetry: goodcolor intensity: mediumtransparency: transparenttone: medium est. weight: 49.91 carat"(I will leave out the ring stuff) it is stamped 14k and ACD

She appraised it at $1,400 (insurance value)

I am touched my grandmother has left this keepsake to me and just want to make sure I can afford to actually wear it. I was considering having it converted to a pendant; but want to preserve the ring setting also. Thank you for your time and expertise... Wendy, TXHello Wendy,I'm delighted to take your question. As per usual, of course, I cannot make any valid judgments about a stone I haven't seen and tested, but just let me make a couple of "off the top of my head" comments.The appraisal looks like it was thoroughly and professionally done. Insurance value is always set on the high side due to the difficulty of sourcing a particular size, shape and setting for a piece of jewelry. Given that, the value seems like it's in the right ball park.The one thing I would point out is that the appraisal fails to note whether the stone is enhanced (treated) or not. The term "natural" only applies to whether a stone is from Mother Earth or made in a lab (natural vs synthetic). Many natural stones are enhanced by various processes like dyeing, irradiating, heating, coating, etc. I am fairly sure that your blue topaz is irradiated. These were produced starting in the early 70's from natural white topaz which is available in large, clean pieces. Unenhanced blue topazes do exist, but they are rare, generally pale and rather small, and a 49 ct. one would be worth much much more than the value given to your ring.Without enhancements we wouldn't have Tanzanite, or black onyx or several other well known and loved gems, so saying your topaz is enhanced is not to run it down. In my opinion, however, the appraisal should have indicated the gem's enhancement status.Your thought about converting it to a pendant would be wise if you want to wear it frequently, as topaz although hard, is fragile, due to its tendency to cleave. A good custom jeweler should be able to dismount the gem, remake the ring setting into a pendant and remount it for you -- keeping the character of the setting virtually the same. Congratulations on receiving this beautiful piece with both monetary and sentimental value.

1) Many stones are colored unevenly (called color zoning). The color we see when we look at a faceted stone from the top may not be its color throughout. The facets cause light to bounce around inside the stone before it exits to your eye and tends to blend the differently colored areas of the stone into a single color. I have seen some pieces of rough that are very light, but when faceted skillfully, because there is a darker area right at the culet (pointed bottom) where most of the reflection occurs, they look much darker as cut stones. It is possible that your stone was highly color zoned and well cut to compensate for it. By turning the stone over you are minimizing reflections and color blending and color zoning would be more visible. I have seen this phenomenon most strongly in amethyst and citrine and also in sunstone and sapphire. I am not familiar with extreme color zoning occurring in Tanzanite, but it is possible.2) Both Tanzanite and iolite are gems which look different colors from different angles (pleochroic). With Tanzanite the two colors are generally blue and purple. With iolite there are three: a blue-violet color (very similar to Tanzanite color) a grey blue, and a light straw yellow (near colorless). Tanzanite and iolite can sometimes be confused if they are not closely examined. Perhaps the stone is an iolite and when you turn it over and view the bottom you are looking at the near colorless axis.

3) One type of simulated or imitation gemstone is called a doublet. In a doublet the top and bottom of a gem are made of different materials. One of the characteristic features of some doublets is that the top is brightly colored and the bottom is colorless. When these are made to deceive they are generally put in closed settings so the back cannot be observed, but they can be found in prong settings as well.

My suggestion would be to take the ring back to the store where your husband got it and ask to speak to the jeweler or owner (not just a sales clerk). Show him/her the piece and explain your reservations about it -- you might also show them this note. Even if the stone is not what you expected it to be, it might be an honest mistake on their part. The people who supplied them, or those further back in the chain who supplied the supplier, may be at fault. A reputable firm will stand good for their product, no matter who was at fault.If you end up keeping the ring, let me add that Tanzanite is not a highly durable ring stone. You should reserve the ring for occasional wear as this gem is rather soft and somewhat cleavable. If you want to wear it daily you might consider having the jeweler reset it as a pendant. BTW, I would be very curious to know what you find out from the jeweler.  Dear Barbara, I'm I able to test a blue chalcedony with a Jadeite Filter? If so what color should it be thru the filter? Secondly is a blue chalcedony Quartz?.. Jimmy, CanadaHello Jimmy,So far as I can determine, a jadeite filter will not detect dye in chalcedony -- it is specific to chromium and, in general, that would not be the dyeing agent. Although a great deal of chalcedony on today's market is dyed (especially in "sea foam" colors and darker blues), there's still a lot of natural around. One old fashioned, but often useful, method is to examine the surface of the stone under high magnification -- in some pieces dye will show up as concentrations of darker color in minute fissures and pits.In addition to worrying about dye -- chalcedony can be simulated quite convincingly with glass, and recently I have seen some translucent cubic zircona cabochons that were a dead ringer for fine blue chalcedony!Yes, chalcedony is a type of quartz. It has the same chemical formula (SiO₂) and the same trigonal crystal structure as amethyst or any other quartz, but its crystals are ultra-microscopically small and randomly oriented. Such a material is referred to as an aggregate. So in a nutshell, chalcedony is an aggregate form of the mineral quartz (as are agate and jasper). Dear Barbara,  What's all this hoopla about imperial garnets? I see so many that are from Tanzania or from Madagascar. They all look different. What makes an imperial garnet? There seems to be some type of color shift or color change involved... Diane, CaliforniaHello Diane,So far as I know, there is no official variety "Imperial" garnet -- it's just a trade name with no defined meaning. It's a case of "romancing the stone". To my knowledge there are only three recognized gems with Imperial as part of their variety names: Imperial topaz, Imperial jasper and Imperial jade -- even with these long established gem names, great liberties are taken by sellers who give lesser materials these names to justify prices. With a trade name, just about anything goes. This is well and good -- it's free enterprise, capitalism, Mom, and apple pie, as long as the seller acknowledges that the name is made up.I do this on my website by using a name in quotes: so if I call some unusual serpentine that has golden pyrite patches "Oro Verde" serpentine, or a piece of antique glass purpled by the sun, "Desert amethyst", the quotes are meant to make it clear that this is simply a descriptive or marketing term, not a taxonomic one.In the case of "Imperial garnet" one seller may use it to designate a piece with a slight color shift, while another may use it to indicate a particularly vivid color of grossular or Spessartite. Dear Barbara, I bought a turquoise/silver bracelet from a Native American woman at a jewelery table in Oregon and paid $100 for it - one year later, the turquoise color changed on part of the stone. It looked like it got wet and became discolored. I was frustrated and feel like I was conned. I forgot what mine she said it was from. Anyway, I took it upon myself and took the stone out of the bracelet and put in on my electric stove burner and the stone turned black, it burnt - was this the wax or was it a turquoise mixture - anyway it was a lesson for me not to throw money was like that again! Question: real or fake turquoise - I like turquoise but am reluctant to buy anymore. Thank you...Kim, USA. Hello Kim,I'm sorry you had such a bad experience with your turquoise jewelry, and all the questions and concerns you raise are reasonable.Very often I have the unpleasant task of explaining to someone why they were "taken" when they bought something. Although I cannot say anything for sure without having seen and tested the turquoise, I think in your case the news may be good.In general, turquoise is quite porous and it absorbs skin oils, lotions, sunscreens, household chemicals and even pollutants from the air. With time, this makes an often-worn piece change color, usually to a browner, darker tone. When turquoise has black or brown matrix running through it, those seams are places where absorption and differences in the density of turquoise patches occur. It would not be unusual for a piece of natural turquoise to do what you describe.In fact, waxing the surface, as is usually done with fine "Persian Grade" turquoise helps to retard such absorption. So waxing is not necessarily a bad thing. Turquoise is also a heat sensitive stone, and will definitely darken or blacken at high temperature. I doubt your piece was plastic or resin as it would have smelled absolutely awful as it blackened.There are many grades of natural turquoise some of which are more porous than others. Very porous types are usually "stabilized" with a plastic resin which is drawn into the pores with a vacuum. Such turquoise would still be considered of natural origin, but should be sold as "enhanced".A synthetic form of turquoise is manufactured with and without matrix and is sold by some of the larger wholesalers that supply jewelers. (Even some Native American jewelers use it for less expensive pieces.)Turquoise simulants such as pieces made of ground up turquoise with dye molded in epoxy, glass, and ceramic or plastic imitiations are also available on the market. If they are properly advertised they would be called "faux" turquoise, but too often they may be passed off as the real thing in which case they would qualify as fakes.Here's a link to my essay on turquoise where you can see pictures and read a little more about it.http://www.acstones.com/gemofmonth/2006/gemofmonth.01.06.html In the short run it is best to buy from established firms that offer a money-back guarantee.

1) Natural origin, unenhanced: these are untreated in any way, and except for cutting into cabochons, just as Nature made them. 2) Natural origin, enhanced with heat: the rutile that makes the star by reflection (not refraction, BTW) is a separate mineral which can exist in sapphire in a dissolved state or precipitated as needle-like crystals. Some pieces which contain rutile have it in both forms. Treating such stones with a very specific heating/cooling regimen causes some of the dissolved rutile to form crystals (by a process known as exsolution). This enhances the star.3) Natural origin, enhanced by diffusion: some stones have too little rutile to form a strong star. These can be made into star stones by super high temperature heating in the presence of powdered rutile (titanium oxide). At close to the melting point of the sapphire, some of the rutile migrates into the surface layers and precipitates upon cooling. Such a piece can be cut into a star stone.

4) Synthetic origin: these are man-made "from scratch". Powdered aluminum oxide and rutile are melted and cool into sapphire crystals containing enough rutile to form a strong star.

In terms of value, 1 and 2 are relatively close in cost (lab certified natural, unenhanced stones go for about a 20% premium) -- but because over 90% of sapphires and rubies found in the marketplace are heated, it's actually prudent to assume that all corundum gems have been heated in some way. 3 and 4 are also close in value and at least one or two orders of magnitude less valuable than 1 or 2.Now, as far as telling them apart. In your photos, the brown and gold and light grey blue pieces look obviously natural -- the bright blues most likely are not. Some of the signs of group 3 and 4 are legs which are very straight and evenly bright. Another is that the star shows up strongly in less than ideal lighting conditions. Diffused pieces, especially, (which I cannot tell from the photo, but which you should be able to see in person) give the appearance of the star being "on the surface" rather than coming from inside the gem. In general, I get suspicious when I see any group of "natural" stones that are so uniform in color and optical phenomena as yours. The vast majority of natural blue sapphires are more of a blue grey color, and lighter than yours. Also the intensity of the star tends to vary from stone to stone in any group.If you got those stones in the 70's it's a little early for them to have been diffused, but I don't rule it out. It is not too early for them to be synthetic, though. (The Russians are supreme in the production of the synthetic gems, but the Thai's have long been #1 in enhancement -- using new treatments often not "discovered" by the rest of the market until long after they were invented).To sum up, I'd say that on the basis of the photos, it is likely that your navy blue stones are either synthetic or diffusion enhanced, but the others appear to be natural and unenhanced.Dear Barbara, I have several small clear quartz crystal clusters that are delicate and I would like to seal them. Do you know of any products that I could use to coat and bond the crystals without a cloudy finish....MJ, USAHello MJ:If any pieces are loose or detached a tiny drop of superglue will secure them. For an overall sealant, try gloss or semi-gloss polyurethane spray varnish. As with any such project, try it on a piece you aren't crazy about first and do several very thin coats rather than a single heavy one. Dear Barbara, I am trying to make some jewelry and I want to use some pieces of black coral, but I would like to know which would be the easiest way to cut and polish this coral in cabochons. I am new in this and I don't know if Ishould buy a machine to do this; I just want to keep it simple....Victoria, USA. Hello Victoria,Black coral is made of a hair-like protein material, and is sensitive to heat, but it polishes to a gorgeous shiny black with minimal effort.Use a small jewelry saw to gently cut the pieces into the size and shape you want. Begin to work them (dry) with 600 grit sandpaper (by hand is fine). Be sure to wear a dust mask and take it slowly, so that heat doesn't build up. Once the pieces are smooth, use 1200 grit sandpaper to make them even smoother. Do not use water as this causes the material to swell and it may crack.The last stage is to polish them with "Zam" which is a metal polish that jewelers use (it is green and comes in a stick). You might be able to do this by hand with a soft cloth, but the polish will be much easier to get with a "buff" on some type of rotary tool. I would recommend a "Dremel" type which you can get inexpensively and which has a lot of other uses. Remember to go slow, and not let heat build up, and wear your dust mask, and keep the coral dry, and you soon should have "patent leather" shiny black pieces. Dear Barbara, In the fall you posted information on an internet gemology course that you were teaching, and I lost the web address. Could you give it to me again? Thank you...Jeff, Florida.Hello Jeff: This page will take you to a no charge, not-for-credit version, but if you want to register for credit, there is also a link to the college website for that. Registration is going on now, and the course starts Janurary 23rd for Spring, 2006.http://www.bwsmigel.info/home.html  

http://www.acstones.com/gemofmonth/1998/gemofmonth9.98.html

http://www.acstones.com/gemofmonth/1999/gemofmonth2.99.html

Dear Barbara, Recently I came across a medium orangy red stone, presumably Mexcian opal that was domed on top and faceted under.Its properties were: R.I. spot reading 1.46, Flourescence: Inert. Under 60x magnification, small isolated gas bubbles and color zoning and also a small area of dye-like looking concentration can be seen. The girdle was smooth. My main concern was that under the polariscope, when I rotate the stone, it shows snake-like bands.My question is, could this be natural or glass then? I hear only snake-like banding shows in plastic or glass. My instinct says its natural-- I am so confused with this stone...Rahlia, Hong KongHello Rahlia,The snaky bands you see are called "anomalous double refraction" and are typical of Mexican opal. The fact that it doesn't fluoresce is also consistent with Mexican opal, whereas many plastics would. The RI is a bit high, but as it is just a "spot reading" I wouldn't be too concerned, since such readings only give an RI range. Color zoning, even that which might appear dye-like is not unusual in these sorts of opals. The only thing that gives me pause is the bubbles: There shouldn't be any! Check them under the microscope with a polarizing lens, if they are actually rounded small crystals rather than bubbles, they should flash, dark and light, as you turn the lens, bubbles wouldn't do that.Synthetic fire opal, which is a possibility, has been produced by the Kyocera company, but to my knowledge, has not yet entered the market in any significant quantities.Dear Barbara, I was fascinated to read the question and answer session here. It's not too often someone is as helpful or honest. Thank you. I am a novice, learning slowly; my passion is colored gem stones. Recently, I purchased a Nambian demantoid garnet-- it is 90 points for $100. The color is gorgeous medium, the dispersion is magnificant in my opinion. Prior to this I purchased a 40 pointer for the same price. Can you tell me why there was such a difference in price? The quality appears the same and both are very clean. One more thing: Are they valuable? I am crazy for this stone and just had to possess one.Russian demantoi is out of my reach and I've only seen it in the museum. Can these gems be an investment for my children? Will they appreciate over time? Thank you again for your time and your column....Patty, New York Hello Patty,It's nice to know that you enjoying reading my "column". :-)Prices for the less common gem species are not standardized. Very small differences in clarity and color can affect price dramatically, as can fluctuations in supply. Also, just like you, the gem dealer you buy from has to pay different prices from his/her different sources, and so might not have consistent prices.You are correct in noting that Russian origin gems, at least at present, are the epitome of value for this particular species. Small pieces with good color and nice horsetail inclusions, are available, though, at least from some dealers at less than "museum" prices.I never recommend gems as an investment, as there are just too many uncontrolled factors influencing their value up and down: mine depletions, new discoveries, political issues disrupting or enabling supplies, changes in fashion, etc. I cannot tell you (or myself) whether most gems will appreciate with time, or the reverse. In my opinion, we all should just buy the gems that we like, at prices we can afford to pay, and then simply enjoy them. A wonderful endorsement for the purchases you've made of these Namibian demantoids, is your comment that you are "crazy for them". If, on top of that, they should appreciate in value, that's just the icing on the cake. 

Dear Barbara, "I've been a lurker on your website for quite some time and I'm wondering about some of the wonderful blue and blue green gems I've seen there, like Azurite/Malachite. What is their hardness? Are they suitable for jewelry use?" ...Mary, New York*****Dear Mary, Although azurite and malachite are both fairly soft minerals, in Nature they are often combined in various proportions with quartz which has a hardness of 7. In general, the harder the material, the shinier the polish that can be obtained. (Polish also depends, of course, on the skill of the cutter). A simple rule of thumb, then, would be, the higher the polish on one of these mixtures, the more quartz and the harder the gem, and so, the more usable it is in jewelry. Soft minerals like chrysocolla, and cuprite also sometimes occur in attractive gemstones that have a fairly high proportion of quartz in their makeup. On the ACS site such stones are labeled with the (J/D) jewelry use code, which means that they can be used for jewelry purposes, but protective settings and care in setting and wearing are good ideas. Earrings, pendants and brooches made with stones of this type would be quite safe. Daily wear rings, bracelets and belt buckles would be very risky, but occasional wear of such pieces would most likely be OK. Dear Barbara, "I'm a beginner in the gem hobby. Can you recommend a good book?" ...Scott, Florida*****Dear Scott,I get that question frequently, and I usually recommend The Eye Witness Handbook of Gemstones, by Cally Hall. It has wonderful photos and illustrations and highly readable text. Each page is devoted to one species or variety of gemstone, and although detailed gemological information is there, it is unobtrusive. Most entries have photos of the gem as rough, cut specimens, and set in jewelry. There are notes on lore, history and major world sources. This book is a delight for the more advanced gem lover, as well as the beginner -- so you won't "outgrow" it. Best of all, it's only about $20 and is widely available from internet sellers such as Amazon.com, and "bricks and mortar" chains like B. Dalton. Dear Barbara, "What do you think of the gems and jewelry sold on TV on the shopping channels?" ...Jean, Ohio*****Dear Jean,(The first thing I'd better say in answering this question, is that you should "consider the source" -- they are, afterall, my competitors, secondly, I'm giving you my opinion not an unbiased, factual analysis.) That being said, here goes:There are a growing number of these venues, some of which broadcast 24 hours a day, and others which operate more like info-mercials or auctions. I think, in general, they have had an overall positive effect on the colored stone marketplace. People watch their shows and are introduced to a wide variety of gem species that are not common in jewelry stores and catalogs. In my view, any development which promotes increased exposure to the diversity of colored gemstones is "a good thing".On the other hand, I feel that in their attempt to appeal to a very wide, often gemologically naive, audience, and to sell mass quantities of their items, much of what they say about their merchandise is misleading. For example, two terms that are virtually always misused on such shows are "rare" and "natural". To call gemstones which they sell in multiples of thousands of pieces, over and over in the course of time "rare" is, in my opinion, a misuse of the term. Likewise, the term "natural" is frequently used to imply, that a gem has not been enhanced -- for example, the vast majority of the jade sold on these shows is dyed, but they repeatedly refer to it as natural. True, it is natural jade as opposed to a synthetic or imitation, but it has been bleached and then dyed to produce totally "unnatural" colors. There's nothing wrong with selling dyed jade (there is a huge market for it) as long as it is clear to the customer that it has been dyed.The shopping channels operate, as I do, under the guidelines published by the Federal Trade Commission which sets rules for advertising. They employ a legal staff to make sure that they, at least technically, comply with the letter of the law, but I feel they frequently circumvent the "spirit" of the law. As a member of AGTA (The American Gem Trade Association, which publishes the accepted industry guidelines for disclosure of enhancements), and from my own personal convictions, I believe sellers should make the maximum disclosure on the goods they sell, (not the minimum technically required by law).As far as the quality of their merchandise, I have no quibble with it. They sell what would be called "commercial" quality goods. That's not a slam, as 99% of the gems in the marketplace including those in mall jewelry stores and mail order catalogs, are in that category. With their huge buying power they can offer you about the best price you are going to find on such items. If, on the other hand, you're looking for something more in the range of "gem quality" (AAA color, custom cut, etc.) you won't find it on TV. (Even though they use that phrase liberally.) Such pieces are truly rare and there is no way they can be provided in calibrated sizes, and matching colors for hundreds to thousands of jewelry pieces. The jewelry pieces they offer are also a good bargain, for mass produced items, though settings tend to be hollowed out, or made of light gauge material. If what you want is a limited edition, or one-of-a-kind custom design, you should look elsewhere. To sum up: they cut a few corners, ethically, on disclosure of treatments and exaggeration of rarity, but offer excellent bargains for the type of goods they sell.