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Nearly every single gemstone on the open market today has been heat-treated. It is a very common practice which has been employed for centuries to bring out the purest of the sapphire's hues. The controlled heating of a gemstone is considered a finishing process to complete what nature has started, and is a widely accepted and expected practice by the jewelry industry, the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA), and all major reputable gemstone retailers. The effects of heating are as permanent as the gemstones themselves because it is merely a continuation of the gemstone's formation process deep in the earth. Fine quality unheated gemstones (which should be accompanied by a certification from an independent third-party laboratory stating that the gemstone exhibits no indication of heating) are exceedingly rare and generally command exorbitant prices.