The United States' Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulates the import of irradiated gems into the US market. Its regulations since the late 1980s concerned only neutron-irradiated gems, i.e. those irradiated in reactors, such as Swiss blue and London blue topaz.
According to the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) and the Jewelers Vigilance Committee, the NRC has recently stepped up enforcement regarding irradiated gemstones and that additional regulations on irradiated gems are expected to go into effect starting late this year or early next year.
Zimmermann BCS Stones GmbH, a Germany-based company that specialises in treating blue topaz, said: "We interpret recent information from the NRC [to mean] that they will apply the same rules also for accelerator-irradiated gems, hence sky blue topaz."
AGTA added that this means the new rules would also regulate red tourmalines, many beryls (treated blue, yellow and pink colours, but not emerald), kunzite and irradiated diamonds.
Any entity importing the gemstones into the US market needs to have a licence from the NRC.
Those treated using Cobalt-60 (gamma ray) irradiation, such as various quartz colours, yellow sapphire and pearls, are not affected by the upcoming regulations, AGTA added.
Source: http://www.jewellerynetasia.com |
