| ASBL |
Assembled: the tag code for
products made of multiple layers or combinations of
manufactured and/or natural materials fused, bonded or
otherwise joined together to increase stability and/or
imitate the apperance of a natural gemstone, create a
unique design or generate unusual color combinations |
| B |
Bleaching: The use of chemicals
or other agents to lighten or remove a gemstone’s
color. |
| C |
Coating: The use of such surface
enhancements as lacquering, enameling, inking, foiling,
or sputtering of films to improve appearance, provide
color or add other special effects. |
| D |
Dyeing: The introduction of
coloring matter into a gemstone to give it new color,
intensify present color or improve color uniformity. |
| E |
The “E” symbol indicates that
a gemstone is routinely enhanced |
| F |
Filling: As a by-product of heat
enhancement, the presence of solidified borax or similar
colorless substances which are visible under properly
illuminated 10X magnification. |
| G |
Gamma/Electron irradiation: The
use of gamma and/or electron bombardment to alter a
gemstone’s color ; may be followed by a heating
process. |
| H |
Heating: The use of heat to
effect desired alteration of color, clarity, and /or
phenomena. (Residue of foreign substances in open
fractures is not visible under properly illuminated 10X
magnification. |
| I |
Infilling: The intentional
filling of surface breaking cavities or fractures
usually with glass, plastic, opticon with hardeners
and/or other hardened foreign substances to improve
durability, appearance and/or weight. |
| L |
Lasering: The use of a laser and
chemicals to reach and alter inclusion in diamonds. |
| O |
Oiling/Resin Infusion: The
intentional filling of surface breaking cavities of a
colorless oil, wax, natural resin, or unhardened
man-made material into fissured transparent/translucent
gemstones to improve appearance. (i.e., oil, man-made
resin, cedar wood oil, Canada balsam, paraffin, etc.) |
| R |
Irradiation: The use of neutron,
requiring an environmental safety release from the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), with the
combination of any other bombardment and/or heat
treatment to alter a gemstone’s color. |
| S |
Bonding: The use of a colorless
bonding agent (commonly plastic) within a porous
gemstone to give it durability and improve appearance. |
| U |
Diffusion: The use of chemicals
in conjunction with high temperatures to produce color
and/or asterism-producing inclusions. |
