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A note about irradiated specimens from Pakistan

While I am happy to report that dealers in Pakistan are being pretty honest about irradiated specimens, many disclosing the fact before even being asked, many Pakistani dealers outside the country are being less forthcoming.  I just saw more of this junk for sale in the US, and I got annoyed, so I am putting this page up for anyone who may not know what to look for.

As far as Afghanistan/Pakistan is concerned, spodumene and topaz are the main species to look out for, but increasingly tourmalines as well (pink).

Apparently these treatments are done at a laboratory in Lahore.

TOPAZ:

Irradiated	Natural

The specimens in the left column are irradiated.  See how dark they are? Topaz should not look burnt.  Specimens on the right are not treated.

Irradiated specimen image source: Ebay

Things to watch for in Topaz:

1) A dark, whisky-like color- this is a result of "over cooking."  The people administering the treatment are getting better though, and I have seen crystals that look light enough to be natural-- though there is still a darker brown hue present.  Any specimen with color in the range between those specimens in the left and right columns should be regarded with suspicion.  In the lighter crystals, look for phantoms.

2) Phantoms- natural phantoms are extremely rare in Pakistani topaz.  If you see one, get suspicious. 

3) Dark smoky quartz associations- as far as I know, there is no such thing as a black quartz/ topaz association from Pakistan (light gray quartz is not unusual).  Quartz is often present with the topaz, and it has impurities that act as color centers when irradiated, turning the quartz nearly black.  Fortunately, this quality turns the quartz into a good indicator that something is amiss.

If you see more than one of these characteristics in the same specimen (or just #1 or #3), assume it has been irradiated.

As a side note, topaz from Katlang is approximately the same color an a Brazilian "imperial topaz," (unless it's pink...) so just because it's different doesn't mean it has been treated (Katlang specimens are usually left alone as their color is already good enough).  Katlang topaz has a very distinctive look (and is usually much more expensive) so it is difficult to confuse.

SPODUMENE

Most Pakistani dealers don't know the difference between the terms spodumene, triphane, kunzite, hiddenite, etc.  The general name used for all of it is usually just kunzite.

The vast majority of spodumene from the region is Afghani, and is usually pretty light in color.  Spodumene is pleichroic, so the orientation when viewed and the size of the crystal will impact perceived color-- under the right conditions, you can observe very vivid color naturally (particularly with the kunzites).

Irradiated	Natural

Irradiated specimens image source: Ebay

Things to watch for in Spodumene:

1) Bright green crystals- .  Vivid greens are not usual for Afghan spodumene, though green spodumene is known  from there.  The naturally green specimens will fade in sunlight rather quickly, and should be kept in the dark.  Most of the natural greens that make it to the market are already severely faded. Irradiated specimens usually have much brighter/ deeper green colors than the natural ones (see images above).  If a specimen can retain that bright green color, it has probably been irradiated.

1.1) Green with good crystal form- I have also noticed that bright green crystals, particularly when displaying good crystal form, are usually irradiated.  I'm guessing the dealers feel that a combination of sharp crystals and improved color would make for a faster sale, so specimens with good crystals are more likely candidates for irradiation (vs. irradiating a random shard).

It is usually safe to assume that purple spodumene (kunzite) from Afghanistan is natural.

2) Dark smoky quartz associations- Just like with the topaz, look for dark or black quartz, for the same reasons given in the topaz section. (see leftmost spodumene image)  

TOURMALINE

This one is new to me... but Afghan tourmalines are getting irradiated these days too.  It's a bit less obvious than the preceding two examples, and so far I have only seen this done with rubellite (pink) tourmalines.

Pink Afghan tourmaline is usually pretty light, particularly the smaller crystals.  I don't have any pictures of an irradiated example, so I have approximated the appearance of a treated specimen using Photoshop.  The good thing is, a light pink specimen cannot be transformed into the brighter "bubble gum pink" that is so sought after... the color can only be darkened, usually adding slight purplish hues

This is probably the least clearly explained of the three examples I have given, but I am just putting the information out there for people to be aware of it.

Irradiated  (Photoshoped Approximation)	Natural