A New Enhancement Method of Gemstone： Ion Implantation Technique

The ion implantation technique has gained compelling results in fields of technology,except in jewelry industry.In order to discuss the application of ion implantation technique in jewelry industry and the colouring mechanism of gemstone,the authors selected sapphire,diamond,topaz,jadeite,serpentine as the testing samples,which were implanted by Be,Ti,Cr and H ions.The testing samples before and after ion implantation treatment were observed and tested by EDXRF,UV-Vis,FTIR,as well as heat treatment at different temperature.The results show that the luster of the samples after ion implantation treatment is improved obviously.The colour of the samples could be changed by Be ion implantation treatment.The colour of diamond sample becomes yellowish-brown after H ion implantation treatment.Ti⁴⁺ is implanted in the sapphire samples from Shandong Province,so the colours become gorgeous and brighter,which indicates that the dark colour is due to high content of Fe ion and lOW content of Ti ion.After heat treatment at different temperature. the external appearance of samples does not change obviously.ICP-MS and EDXRF are important methods for testing ion implantation of gemstones.