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Gemstones, Minerals & Fossils
Gemstones and Minerals
Faceting
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<blockquote data-quote="Lefty" data-source="post: 379057" data-attributes="member: 2976"><p><a href="http://www.earthstreasury.com/heat-treatment-of-montana-sapphires/" target="_blank">It appears that pale coloured sapphires from Montana in the US are routinely heated to increase the colour.</a></p><p></p><p>Same article says that very dark blue sapphires can rarely be made lighter by heating.</p><p></p><p>I have some small Montana sapphires but don't think I'll muck around with them.</p><p></p><p>Yeah, an oxy is a pretty rough way to approach anything, it was just for fun and curiosity. Sapphire has a very high melting point so even an industrial oxy torch probably can't melt them, probably need a plasma cutter or something.</p><p></p><p>Just for fun, I once tried to make my own "synthetic-but-natural-based" gemstone by pulverising very dark pyrope garnets and Springsure labrodorite (plagioclase feldspar) in a dolly pot meant for crushing gold-bearing quartz and then applied as hot a flame as I could get to the powder.</p><p></p><p>I failed to create a new synthetic, it just stayed a pinkish powder :lol:</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lefty, post: 379057, member: 2976"] [url=http://www.earthstreasury.com/heat-treatment-of-montana-sapphires/]It appears that pale coloured sapphires from Montana in the US are routinely heated to increase the colour.[/url] Same article says that very dark blue sapphires can rarely be made lighter by heating. I have some small Montana sapphires but don't think I'll muck around with them. Yeah, an oxy is a pretty rough way to approach anything, it was just for fun and curiosity. Sapphire has a very high melting point so even an industrial oxy torch probably can't melt them, probably need a plasma cutter or something. Just for fun, I once tried to make my own "synthetic-but-natural-based" gemstone by pulverising very dark pyrope garnets and Springsure labrodorite (plagioclase feldspar) in a dolly pot meant for crushing gold-bearing quartz and then applied as hot a flame as I could get to the powder. I failed to create a new synthetic, it just stayed a pinkish powder :lol: [/QUOTE]
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Gemstones, Minerals & Fossils
Gemstones and Minerals
Faceting
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