Galarneau's Gems
We Cut Rocks
At Galarneau's Gems we follow the Federal Trade Commission's Guidelines on Gemstone Treatments. It is our policy to disclose all known treatments to the stones that we sell.
Heating: Used to improve or alter the color and/or the clarity of the stone.
Irradiation: Used to alter the color of a stone.
Diffusion: A treatment which adds color to the surface of the stone while the center of the stone remains unchanged.
Fracture Filling: A treatment that uses plastic or other materials in the stones to hide or seal cracks or fractures and to improve the stones appearance and durability.
Dyeing: A treatment that adds color to a stone to change, improve, or intensify it.
Bleaching: Used to lighten or remove a stones color.
Laser-drilling: Using a Laser to remove inclusions and improve the clarity of the stone.
Stabilization: The use of a bonding agent with a porous stone to give it durability and to improve appearance.
Synthetic: These are stones that are man-made which have the same optical, physical, and chemical properties as the natural stone it represents.
Imitation: These are stones that are man-made using materials designed to imitate or resemble the appearance, but not duplicate the characteristic properties of a natural stone.
Doublet: A layer of stone backed by another stone and held together by an adhesive. This process is used to add color to a clear stone and make plumes or dendrites stand out. Sometimes turquoise is made into doublets to allow thin, fragile layers of turquoise to be used for jewelry.
Triplet: A sandwich of a very thin layer of rock topped with a clear cover and backed with a solid rock. This process is often use on thin slices of opal. Triplets can also be made of plume agates and dendritic agates.