MK Designs is committed to ethical practices. As a member of the Jeweler’s Ethics Association (JEA) it is our goal to provide accurate and complete information about our pieces.
Treatments are performed on gemstones in order to alter color and/or clarity. Treatments are not a bad thing, not disclosing treatments is. Many gemstones are routinely enhanced by traditional methods and this is considered acceptable practice by the jewelry and gemstone trades when properly disclosed.
Methods of Treatments
Heating is used on many gemstones to improve or change color. Since gemstones acquire color through temperature when in the ground, heating is considered by many to be a continuance of a natural process. Sapphire, Topaz, Ruby, Tanzanite, pink Tourmaline and Zircon are often heat -treated.
Irradiation is commonly used on green Tourmaline, Diamonds and Topaz.
Pearls are usually bleached, occasionally irradiated and cultured pearls are sometimes dyed.
Emeralds are usually penetrated with colorless oil, wax or unhardened resins.
MK Designs will specify when a stone is UN enhanced. The Diamonds we use are considered to be UN enhanced unless otherwise specified. It is considered that all other gemstones may or may not have been treated in one of the acceptable methods described above. We do not sell jewelry containing stones with surface treatments, such as cobalt or titanium, which will scratch off.
We use the following Gem Enhancement Codes located in the description of the product on the website and on the invoice at purchase
N- Not Enhanced
U- Diffusion
SC- Special Care Required
R- Irradiation
D- Dyeing
O- Oiling/Resin
L- Lasering
H- Heating
HP- Heat & Pressure
F- Filling
C- Coating
W- Waxing/Oiling in Opaque Stones
B- Bleaching
I- Impregnating
