Thanks for the explanation. But now someone who works at a rock shop has posted that prasiolite is green amethyst. Are there legal regulations on the naming of gems?
Not as such. Some gemstones are named by the person or people who
discovered or developed the treatment for the gem. Unfortunately,
many of them are miners or dealers who are more concerned with
designing a name that will help them sell as much of it as possible.
Using the term green “amethyst” for prasiolite is simply the miners’
and dealers’ way of attaching a very well-known gem nomenclature
(amethyst) to a relatively new, treated gemstone (treated green
quartz) so that they may sell as much of it as possible.
It is not only the customers who are confused. I mean, I have met a number of wholesalers who are calling this stuff green amethyst and charging an arm and a leg for it! I know a number of jewelry designers are probably calling it green amethyst because the wholesalers told them that is what it was.
This has long been a problem in the gemological and jewelry
community. People who mine and deal in a new gem variety have
historically often attached well-known gemstone nomenclatures to
them, jacked up the prices and, before the public catches on, make
their fortunes. The end result is always predictable - when dealers
sell strands of very inexpensive prasiolite as green “amethyst” for
$900 as another recently posted, there is a lot of commerce for a
while. Then, after the public is finally informed of the true value
of these consumer confidence in our entire industry is
ruined until the hoopla blows over.
What’s the answer? First, study gemology. Seriously. If you want to
know and understand enough about the gem materials you use every day,
you have to make at least a minimal study of the science involved in
why each gem material is named the way it is. You don’t have to spend
thousands of dollars on a diploma (although I strongly recommend it)
to gain this knowledge, there are plenty of books on the subject.
Ganoksin’s web site has plenty of entries about these types of books.
Second, try googling the gem’s name. There are hundreds of gemology
sites out there, all dedicated to listing the properties of all
Most of them will tell you everything you need to know
about what a gem material really is, along with common treatments and
care of the gem. Get involved in your local rock and gem club. People
there are interested in all of the subjects we discuss here,
including the state of the gem and jewelry industry.
Read as many trade publications as you can. Every trade magazine
I’ve read has addressed the problem of green “amethyst” over the past
few years.
Unfortunately, there is no organized Gemstone Nomenclature Police,
so we’re all on our own. We, as trade people, must arm ourselves with
as much knowledge as possible to avoid such outrageous occurrences as
$900 strands of prasiolite. If we don’t, the public will eventually
find out. When that happens, our kids won’t be getting their
back-to-school clothes, or Christmas iPods.
James S. Duncan, G.G.
James in SoFL
