NRC CRACKS DOWN ON IRRADIATED TOPAZ
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission vows a renewed crackdown on unlicensed importers of irradiated gemstones, particularly blue topaz.
The move, explained in a recent NRC bulletin, follows continued reports of unauthorized imports of irradiated gemstones. The NRC has checked for irradiation periodically since some blue topaz imports slightly exceeded NRC minimums several years ago.
The latest crackdown will most affect London," Swiss," "American ... .. Super Blue" and similar darker colored blue topaz irradiated by neutron bombardment. The lighter "Sky Blue" shades usually are achieved in a linear accelerator reactor and do not require an NRC license. ("Swiss" blue, somewhat lighter than "American" or "London" blue, is produced by a combination of the two processes and still must be treated in a licensed facility.)
Neutron bombardment is a concern because it creates radioactivity, says James Hickey, NRC operations chief. Linear accelerators, on the other hand, use electrons, which don't create radioactivity - "Customs agents will look for written verification as to whether the gems are unirradiated, acceleratorirradiated or neutron-irradiated and whether the NRC has licensed the importers," says Hickey.
Customs agents can seize neutron-irradiated gems imported by unlicensed firms, and the NRC can prosecute violators.
Reaction: Eric Brunwart, a member of the American Gem Trade Association's blue topaz committee, says he welcomes the NRC move but admits it could have an adverse effect on the market. "Probably more than half the blue topaz sold in this country is neutron-irradiated, and more than half of that comes from unlicensed reactors," says Brunwart, who also is president of Columbia Gem House in Seattle, Wash. "That amounts to millions of carats. Testing even a small portion of that will be a long process."
The biggest concern, says Brunwart, is the large quantity of topaz treated in China, India and Brazil, where safety standards may be much lower than in the U.S. Hickey agrees the NRC's main concern is the topaz processed in overseas reactors.
Brunwart says AGTA has proposed to the NRC a plan to track topaz treated at licensed facilities in the U.S. But tracking topaz through various stages of distribution could be complex, says Cheryl Kremkow, spokeswoman for the International Colored Stone Association, New York. Most blue topaz that is neutron-irradiated in the U.S. is processed at one of the three NRC-approved facilities: the University of Missouri; General Atomics, San Diego, Cal.; and Alnor Instrument Co., Skokie, Ill.
"After treatment it's exported to Thailand or some other country for mounting into jewelry and sent back here as finished product," says Kremkow.
Still, Brunwart says tracking would help the NRC better identify goods that aren't produced in licensed facilities and don't conform with U.S. regulations.
The NRC advises dealers and retailers to be sure gem suppliers identify and label gem shipments as neutron-irradiated, accelerator-irradiated or not irradiated. Retailers, and secondary dealers buying goods from importers, do not need a license, says the NRC.