Orange Sapphire Beryllium Treatment

Important information for our valued customers

Disclosure of beryllium treatment is required and may be referenced as diffusion, beryllium diffusion, beryllium lattice diffusion, beryllium treated, BE heated, or BE treated. BE is the chemical symbol on the periodic table for beryllium.

While sapphires treated by beryllium diffusion are now somewhat commonplace in the jewelry industry, we normally do not sell gemstones treated by this method. We have, however,  made an exception for some of our orange sapphires.  We have had a lot of inquires for the bright orange and deep reddish orange sapphires which are just not found in nature and can only be produced by treatment with beryllium.

So what is Beryllium Lattice Diffusion? Beryllium Lattice diffusion is a treatment where a sapphire is heated under a high temperature (approximately 1800 degrees F) in the presence of beryllium (an additive). The beryllium penetrates the crystal structure of the sapphire. resulting in a reduction in blue tones. Thus bright yellow or orange sapphire can be produced from weak yellow or greenish sapphires.

After some initial controversy where beryllium treatment was not being disclosed, beryllium treatment is now accepted in the gemstone business; however the treatment must be disclosed as the value of the gemstone is lower than non BE-treated gemstones. The treatment should also be disclosed to a jeweler that is going to work on a BE treated gemstone or ring containing a BE treated gemstone (e.g. before polishing, recutting, or ring sizing) as these procedures have the potential to impact the color of some BE treated sapphires.