When gemstones "Disappear" . . .

[FarmMom]

This one should be catalogued under "need to know info".

As you know, I've been doing a LOT of gemstone buying, topping off a bit over 100 loose stones at the moment. With buying loose stones, comes plenty of research, and of course, learning the hard way.

And because I learned the hardway, I am realizing MANY unsuspecting SHLC customers will also do the same, simply due to ignorance of the hosts selling the product.

MANY types of colored gemstones will FADE in sunlight. Permanently. Imagine putting on your fine, beautiful bold pink kunzite one day, only to put it away in your jewelry box as WHITE.

It's the reality.

Most colored stones are NOT natural. They are either dyed, heated, infused or irradiated. Kunzite and green spodumene are two of many that will fade in sunlight exposure (they are irradiated). We are talking within MINUTES. But YET, not one host has EVER mentioned this VERY important detail . . .

Now to be fair, I haven't seen them selling green spodumene, hopefully because it DOES fade so fast and they KNOW this. But pink also has this effect (although possibly not as fast, I didn't ant to test that out).

Now I had read this months ago, but had forgotten it was a factor with spodumene . .

So when I received my first spodumene gems in the mail, I had gotten two different sizes in my group. I eagerly piled them on the table with the curtain open behind me and began louping everything. My smallest (luckily) spodumene sat on the table with sunlight pouring onto it. 5 minutes, it only sat 5 minutes. I went to pick up my bright green stone and couldn't find it. Finally, I found a clear, faintly green gem . . . my small green spodumene. And in that moment that little bit of warning about spodumene gems came back to mind.

I quickly stuffed it into a black container nd let it sit a week. Nothing. Still clear white. Nuggets. Lesson learned. I have since picked up several other luscious looking spodumene greens and nice fat pink (kunzite), but they will all stay in blackness, and even for presenting for sale down the road will be kept in a special viewing area to keep UV light OUT.

But Spodumene is not the only family that fades. Amethyst can also fade in sunlight, and so can MANY others.

Bottom line, before you pull the trigger on a new kind of gemstone, research it first, and see the positive and negative aspects Especially if it will FADE!

[Bella]

You are so true FarmMom on the fading of certain gemstones. I love good quality Kunzite but I refuse to buy it because of the fading.
Question for you or anyone else, do you know if Peruvian pink opal changes color? I love pink opal and I know some of my pieces (not all) have changed in color over the years.I have a bracelet where some of the stones are fine and others are more orangey to light brown tone. Any ideas what may cause this? I do know that some pink opal is dyed.

[Greeneyesbluesighs]

@FarmMom I knew about the fading stones. I have Kunzite and am very careful with it. I only wear it at night.

And @Bella it has been my experience that if opals are not stored very very carefully they will change color. I have many opal pieces and the ones that I have kept in tarnish free boxes and in a drawer where it’s dark and cool they are fine. A few that I kept in some of those pretty metal embossed boxes from here (pretty but awful for your jewelry) have turned yellow. I have not been able to fix them.

So for the pink opal I would imagine it’s similar. I don’t buy the opals any more for this reason. They have to be babied too much. I don’t have the time or patience to baby my jewelry.

[Bella]

I do know that Australian and Welo opals do need to be stored in proper conditions, but Pink opal is a bit different. I don’t think I have ever heard of Pink opals being fussy to store. I don’t buy Aussie or Welo opals at all from Shop LC too risky, I know they would probably yellow.

[Greeneyesbluesighs]

I just did a bit of cursory reading and yes pink opals can change color for the same reasons a Welo opal can. I know people have said there are ways to make the change back but with my welo opals those tricks never worked.

[Catwoman48]

FarmMom, I cannot believe your post! I have a lot of jewelry, collected over a long life. The past 30 years or so I have purchased a lot of jewelry from shopping channels, including ShopLC.

I love semiprecious stones. I did not own any Morganite or Kunzite until the last year. I purchased a beautiful square Morganite ring from SHOPLC in May last year, for my birthday. Several months later, I was dazzled by a round radiant cut Martha Rocha AAA Kunzite. I had put the Morganite away, as I hadn’t had a suitable occasion to wear it. The Kunzite was beautiful, a gorgeous violet color - nothing like the Morganite, and just like the SLC photo on the website, the TV presentation and the GIA card that came with it. Again, I put it away unworn, never exposing it to any kind of light.

After reading your post, I was shocked. I own many treated stones, notably topaz, and none has ever lost color. However, when I took my Kunzite out of the box, it was no longer violet! It is mostly transparent, almost no color. It’s now closer in color to my Morganite, which is a soft peachy pink. The Kunzite and the Morganite have never been worn and still have the paper tags affixed. They have literally been kept in the dark. Now I am reading here that my Kunzite and Morganite should only be worn at night? That is just crazy. I paid $1,000 for a ring I can only wear at night? And even though it has not been worn AT ALL, it has lost almost all of its color? I would never pay $1,000 for a clear stone (unless it was a diamond!).

I am having a problem getting good quality photos that show the difference between the Kunzite stone I received and the one I have now - unworn, to boot! I will be e-mailing Customer Service, providing them with photos, and requesting return of the Kunzite for a refund. Now I am afraid to wear the Morganite, which remains a delicate color. Both are set in rose gold, BTW.

Is this something I should have known about? I won’t buy Welo opals because of the color change problem. However, I have never had any of my other stones change color over the years. I will never buy colored stones from ShopLC again. I have gotten some excellent buys on diamond earrings (too many!) and gold chains, very happy with those purchases. And I love the Santa Fe “costume jewelry.” But if a stone can be color treated, I will not buy it from ShopLC. I am so disappointed at their dishonesty. Yes, neglecting to mention that a stone should NEVER be exposed to light is dishonest!

[Bella]

Catwoman48, I have a rather dark peachy Morganite that I wear occasionally and it has never changed color. I have never heard of Morganite changing color. I’m not saying it can’t happen though. I did not purchase mine from Shop LC. I have several heat treated topaz as well and none of mine have changed in color as well. The only issue I have is with Welo opals and some of my pink opals that I purchased from Shop LC. Not surprising! I love good Kunzite but I’m afraid to bite the bullet due to fading.

[FarmMom]

FarmMom, I cannot believe your post! I have a lot of jewelry, collected over a long life. The past 30 years or so I have purchased a lot of jewelry from shopping channels, including ShopLC.

I love semiprecious stones. I did not own any Morganite or Kunzite until the last year. I purchased a beautiful square Morganite ring from SHOPLC in May last year, for my birthday. Several months later, I was dazzled by a round radiant cut Martha Rocha AAA Kunzite. I had put the Morganite away, as I hadn’t had a suitable occasion to wear it. The Kunzite was beautiful, a gorgeous violet color - nothing like the Morganite, and just like the SLC photo on the website, the TV presentation and the GIA card that came with it. Again, I put it away unworn, never exposing it to any kind of light.

After reading your post, I was shocked. I own many treated stones, notably topaz, and none has ever lost color. However, when I took my Kunzite out of the box, it was no longer violet! It is mostly transparent, almost no color. It’s now closer in color to my Morganite, which is a soft peachy pink. The Kunzite and the Morganite have never been worn and still have the paper tags affixed. They have literally been kept in the dark. Now I am reading here that my Kunzite and Morganite should only be worn at night? That is just crazy. I paid $1,000 for a ring I can only wear at night? And even though it has not been worn AT ALL, it has lost almost all of its color? I would never pay $1,000 for a clear stone (unless it was a diamond!).

I am having a problem getting good quality photos that show the difference between the Kunzite stone I received and the one I have now - unworn, to boot! I will be e-mailing Customer Service, providing them with photos, and requesting return of the Kunzite for a refund. Now I am afraid to wear the Morganite, which remains a delicate color. Both are set in rose gold, BTW.

Is this something I should have known about? I won’t buy Welo opals because of the color change problem. However, I have never had any of my other stones change color over the years. I will never buy colored stones from ShopLC again. I have gotten some excellent buys on diamond earrings (too many!) and gold chains, very happy with those purchases. And I love the Santa Fe “costume jewelry.” But if a stone can be color treated, I will not buy it from ShopLC. I am so disappointed at their dishonesty. Yes, neglecting to mention that a stone should NEVER be exposed to light is dishonest!

Oh my gosh Catwoman! I am SOOOOOOO sorry to hear that! That is 100% awful and no one should EVER have to deal with that for nice jewelry!

My firt thought would be to locate a VERY reputable jeweler who SELLS Kunzite and ask if you can bring it in. get his thoughts on the situation. I don't know why it would have faded like that, I would hope he might have some answers. Maybe the way they did it, or something to 'cut the corners" and do it faster/cheaper? I'm not sure.

I CAN tell you that Kunzite is VERY inexpensive online and green Spodumene even less. NO ONE wants to buy it because it is a gamble, but for it to turn THAT FAST is crazy.

I don't believe topaz fades, my grandmother had PILES of blue topaz and I always remembering it being a nice brought blue. But sitting in the sun in a glass case might cause anything to fade.

I do so love morganite, thelovely soft pink. Like you, it's a very certain occasion to wear it I only have a tiny small cheap set pendant from SLC.

keep us informed about your kunzite and what SLC says . . .

[Margui]

So pink opals should not be wear during daytime? My pink opals earrings have turned a little bit yellow but not the ring.