All; what effect is soldering with stone in place apt to have on
the color of heat treated or non heat treated stones? Is my nice
sapphire apt to turn into a red ruby or viceverser?
Ralph Cross
Fremont jewelers
Ralph, Unfortunately some of the postings might lead one to think
what you have asked about, however the reality is that most blue
sapphire material, when heated, changes to a different color blue not
into a ruby. However, this process is achieved by heating the
material in an oxidizing atmosphere over a period of time at a fairly
high temperature. The likelihood of you achieving the same effects
through the heating required to do repair work on something will not
alter the color in the same way. That being said, I still would
advise you to remove all colored stones when working on a piece, or
protecting them carefully with some form of heat shielding, as you
just can’t tell what might happen, not necessarily to the color, but
also to the inclusions within the stone.
Daniel R. Spirer, GG
Spirer Somes Jewelers
1794 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA 02140
617-491-6000
@spirersomes
www.spirersomes.com