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ATTITUDES TOWARDS GEMSTONE TREATMENTS The final consumer is extremely edgy concerning gem treatments. It is thus very important to our industry to fully understand what we are selling and how to explain it. Many retail jewelers prefer to describe treatments as "enhancements" when speaking with consumers because they feel this is a less derogatory term. But in our experience as independent appraisers, we find that the consumer is not happy to have an issue of importance to them glossed over. Therefore, we take a different approach in explaining treatments to our clients. First, we fully disclose and explain any treatment that we can detect, and indicate that treatment is likely in cases that are not provable (such as blue topaz). If the treatment is considered routine, we explain to the client that their stone would be unlikely to appeal to them--or anyone else for that matter--had it not been treated. On the other end of the spectrum, we always explain that an extremely fine untreated stone is much more costly than a fine-quality treated stone. Most intelligent, reasonable people get the point and appreciate the bluntness. In cases of treatment that is not routine, the client's attitude depends mainly on whether or not the treatment was disclosed and explained by the seller. These situations are dealt with on an individual basis. In conclusion, it is undeniably important that we understand gem
treatments at every level of our industry. Ignorance of the issue
invites a black eye on the public image of our profession. The final
consumer deserves to know what they are buying. Leaving the retailer
as the final line of defense against a bad reputation for our industry
is simply not enough. We all need to know what we are selling, and
that means building a body of knowledge in the area of gem treatments.
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