NEWS BULLETIN: August 8, 2007
EXCLUSIVE

NRC updates Colored Stone on status of neutron-irradiated blue topaz

By David Federman, Colored Stone Editor-in-Chief

The jewelry industry will remain in limbo a while longer about the eligibility of neutron-irradiated blue topaz for sale this holiday season. Although the Nuclear Regulatory Commission ran spot checks of dealer inventories on August 2nd, and found all stones tested safe for wearing (eight of the nine samples measured at background radioactivity levels and one twice above), it is not yet ready to declare huge industry backlogs of this gem safe for selling.

What’s the holdup? The NRC wants lab data promised at a July 26th meeting which would prove the industry’s contention that existing stocks of neutron-irradiated blue topaz pose no health hazard. It also wants procedures in place to ensure the safety of new supplies of blue topaz before it will give the go-ahead to sell old ones. That most likely means the creation of licensed testing facilities to satisfy any future concerns. “Right now, the NRC has to take things on faith,” says a New York importer. “But they want to be able to take things on fact.” If so, the industry will to have to hustle if blue topaz is going to have a green Christmas.

In a statement prepared for Colored Stone, Scott Moore, deputy director of the agency’s Division of Materials Safety and State Agreements, gave the results of the NRC’s radiation tests. He also explained why the Commission is still undecided about exempting on-hand neutron-irradiated blue topaz from its testing and licensing rules:

“The survey results show that the dose rate from irradiated gemstones are very low, and provide some confirmation that irradiated gemstones are not a significant public health and safety hazard.

With regard to the lab survey data that JVC and others offered at the meeting, we are looking for testing and survey data that NRC can use to further confirm (with the survey results that we took last week) that irradiated gemstones at the point of retail do not present a public health and safety hazard.

The path forward that we discussed at the 7/26 meeting was twofold:

1. Industry should come into compliance with NRC's requirements for exempt product distribution. One suggested path for the gemstone industry to do so would be to apply for a license or licenses for testing and distribution of the exempt product, and have distribution through these licensees (who have insured that the gems meet certain safety levels).
   
   
2. With a clear path forward identified for industry to achieve compliance, NRC would be open to considering resolution of the inventory on-hand (or needed by Christmas), if NRC assures that the gemstones do not present a health and safety hazard. NRC could make that assurance through information provided by JVC and others, as well as by conducting its own independent surveys.
   

This was also sent out to our Colored Stone E-News mailing list members as an e-mail news blast. Want to receive the latest up-to-date information on the gemstone industry? Sign up for our Colored Stone E-News mailing list here.

Back to Part 1 of Topaz Troubles

Sept/Oct 2007 • Blue Topaz: The Ban That Never Was • Pearl Trade Faces Crisis • Chinese Pearl Farming Imperiled • Blue Topaz: From Hot Rock to Cool Stone This X-Mas • Topaz Troubles • NRC Exclusive Statement to CS on Irradiated Topaz • This Holiday Season May Not a Blue (Topaz) Christmas • The NRC's website