LANOT

GM&GMOLOGY,UMMR2016,VOL.52,NO.2

UniqueDrilledmerald
EdytaJ.Banasiak
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Figure1.This3.39ctemerald(8.918.877.61mm)ismoderatelyclarityenhanced,obscuringtwodrillholes(notvisibleinthisphoto).PhotobySoodOil(Judy)Chia.

A3.39ctemerald,asconfirmedbystandardgemologicaltesting,wasreceivedbytheNewYorklab(figure1).Atfirstglanceitappearedtobea
Fee
typicalemeraldwithmoderateclarityenhancement.ItwascategorizedasF2,indicatingthatthefracturingpresentinthestonehadanoticeablebutnot
significanteffectonthefaceupappearance.Furthermicroscopicexaminationofthepavilionrevealedtwoprominentdrillholesfilledwitharesinand
emeraldfragments(figure2).Theresindisplayedablueandyellowflasheffect,andgasbubblestrappedintheresinwerealsopresent(figure3).The
fillerhadmuchhigherreliefthantheemeraldhostandwasclearlyvisibleunderreflectedlightduetothedifferenceinlusterbetweenthetwomaterials
(figure4).

Figure2.Withmicroscopicexamination,thecircularoutlineofthedrillholeisapparentonthepavilionfacetoftheemerald.PhotobyEdytaJ.Banasiakfieldofview4.08mm.

Figure3.Thisdrillholeshowsablueandorangeflasheffectalongtheinterfacebetweentheemeraldandtheresinfiller.PhotobyEdytaJ.Banasiakfieldofview3.57mm.

Thequestionaroseastowhysuchatreatmentwouldbeperformedonthisstone.Microscopicobservationdidnotyieldanyclues.Onehypothesis
wouldbethateyevisibleinclusionswereremovedbydrilling,analogoustothelaserdrillingtreatmentwellknownindiamonds.Assumingthistheoryis
true,theenhancementactuallysignificantlyreducedthevalueofthisgoodqualityemerald.Weconcludedthatthestonecontainedaresinous
materialinthedrillholesalongwithemeraldfragments.ThiswasthefirsttimeGIAsNewYorklabhadwitnessedthistypeofenhancementinan
emerald.

Fee

Figure4.Examinationofthedrillholeinreflectedlightshowsanemeraldfragmentintentionallyplacedintheopening,presumablytoconcealthehole.Notethelusterdifference
betweentheemeraldandtheresinfiller.PhotobyEdytaJ.Banasiakfieldofview3.57mm.

AOUTTHAUTHOR
EdytaJ.BanasiakisastaffgemologistatGIAinNewYork.