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Our Top Diamond Picks:
What are Enhanced Diamonds?
Clarity
Enhancement Process
During the clarity enhancement process we insert a microscopic
amount of material into the imperfection. This material has the
same optical refraction index as the diamond. When light travels
from one medium to another, it either changes its course or
reflects in a different direction. When light attempts to pass
through a non-enhanced diamond that has a feather, the light
hits the feather and reflects in a number of directions. That is
why we see the feather, and the diamond doesn't appear to be
clean. With a Clarity Enhanced diamond, the light passes through
the natural feather because the material used for the
enhancement has the same optical characteristics as the diamond.
This makes the enhanced imperfections invisible.กก
Many
people are unaware that a number of techniques are used to
improve the clarity of diamonds by removing or hiding
imperfections.
Two very common techniques are laser drilling and fracture
filling. |
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1.
Laser Drilling
Many diamonds come from
the earth with tiny black inclusions inside them. Even if they are
hard to see, they tend to scatter light and reduce the brilliance
of the diamond. About 25 years ago, high powered laser beams were
first used to "burn-out" these impurities. To reach the
inclusion, a laser
drill is used to create a tiny hole reaching deep inside the
diamond. Often the laser's heat will
vaporize the speck. If not, acid is poured into the hole, usually
dissolving the spot or bleaching it to a less noticeable white
color. Naturally, this process is irreversible. And, since it has
become an "industry-standard" procedure, it's not
usually disclosed by diamond sellers. The holes are so small in
diameter, it's very difficult to see that the diamond has been
drilled. Still, looking at the side of the stone in very bright
light may show some thin "threads." Diamond grading
reports will usually indicate that a stone has been laser drilled.
The Federal Trade Commission has recently revised the "Trade
Practice Guides" for the jewelry industry, and surprisingly,
has omitted laser drilling from its list of diamond treatments
that should be disclosed to the public. Normally, the FTC requires
disclosure if the treatment: (1) is reversible (i.e. not
permanent), (2) requires special care and handling (different from
an untreated gem), and (3) substantially affects the diamond's
value. Laser drilling is permanent. However, drilled diamonds are
less desirable and worth considerably less than undrilled ones of
otherwise equal size and equal grade. Be sure to ask if the
diamond you're buying has been laser drilled.
2.
Fracture Filling
Sometimes, a chemical substance is used to fill small cracks in a diamond. The effect of this treatment can be very dramatic, turning a very "ugly" diamond into one that is remarkably brilliant.However, all other things being equal, a treated, clarity-enhanced diamond is worth much less than one that is naturally beautiful. There's nothing inherently wrong with gem enhancement, as long as you know what's been done to the stone, and you're not paying for one thing and receiving another.
This makes it important to know how to detect fracture filling. Luckily, the "refractive index" of filler material is different from a diamond. It's close, but different enough so that you can detect its presence by rotating the diamond under a bright light. At certain angles, the filler will create a "flash effect." It is important to note that, if a fracture filled diamond is submitted to extreme heat (such as that used with a jeweler's torch for ring sizing or prong repairs), the filling material may bleed out of the diamond, thus leaving the formerly masked inclusion visible. Two companies in the United States supply most of the fracture-filled diamonds sold. They are working to ensure that their products are not misrepresented to consumers, and both indicate that fracture filling may be redone if necessary. However, there are reports of thousands of fracture-filled diamonds (especially small ones) being surreptitiously released into the jewelry distribution channel. You must be extra-vigilant when the true source of the diamond being shown to you is unknown.
3. Other
Enhancement Techniques
There are various
chemical coatings that can be used on a diamond to temporarily
enhance its color. Radiation treatments can be applied to
off-colored diamonds, turning low-value brownish yellow stones
into expensive fancy colored diamonds (pinks, greens, blues,
etc.). This is not fraud as long as it is disclosed. However, this
treatment is difficult to detect except by a gem lab, and often,
the diamonds are misrepresented as natural.
   
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