According to FTC Guides, gem treatment must be disclosed if it creates what obligation for the customer?

• A. Increased price
• B. Warranty obligation
• C. Special care requirements
• D. Color enhancement

Answer: (C)

The key idea is that the FTC Guides require disclosure whenever a gem treatment creates ongoing obligations for the buyer to take special care of the stone. If a treatment means you must follow specific maintenance steps or precautions to preserve the gem’s appearance or stability, that information is material to the purchase and must be disclosed. This is why the correct option is about special care requirements—the need to keep the gem in good condition by following particular care guidelines is exactly the kind of obligation that buyers should be warned about. Increased price, warranty obligations, or merely the fact that a treatment exists do not by themselves encode the ongoing care steps the buyer must follow, so they aren’t the primary disclosure trigger in this context. For example, an emerald that’s oil-treated requires periodic re-oiling and avoidance of certain cleaners to maintain its appearance, illustrating how care requirements drive the disclosure.