Diamond Enhancements

Diamond enhancements, known also as diamond treatments, involve several techniques for improving the gemological characteristics of gems that are already cut and polished. Jewelers treat the diamonds mainly to improve their clarity and other quality parameters by laser drilling and other means so that the gems can be sold at higher prices. This is the reason that United States Federal Trade Commission requires the jewelers to clearly disclose to the customers all the treatments done on the diamond. Because treated diamonds are not considered higher on the quality standards as compared to the untreated or natural diamonds, the treated gems are traded at huge discounts. We suggest that you ask the jeweler for 100% natural diamonds mined from earth and are not treated at all, if you aspire to buy such pure diamonds of high quality. Here are some of the treatments that today’s jewelers do on the diamonds for artificially enhancing their quality.

Bleaching : Bleaching ensures that an otherwise dim looking gemstone gets a shining color. This technique enhances color of the diamond so that it matches to the brightness of colorless or near colorless diamond to an extent.

Gamma/Electron Irradiation : Under this treatment, the diamonds are showered under gamma rays or they are invaded by electrons. This is done to change the diamond’s color quality.

Heating: A diamond is given heating treatment by putting it under high temperature. This technique is applied in order to ensure alteration of the gem’s features like clarity and color.

Infilling/Fracture Filling : Many diamonds have cracks on their surfaces due to varied reasons. This technique allows for filling these cracks with foreign material like plastic and glass. Another purpose of filling the fractured sites is to give strength to the gemstone and to have more durable diamond. But any professional gemologist can locate these fillings by observing the bend of light when it enters such gemstone.

Use of laser: laser is a powerful ray that can penetrate harder substances. This characteristic of laser is used for treatment of diamonds that have some inclusions that lower the quality of diamonds. Generally laser is used when the diamond has visible black inclusions.

Oiling/Resin Infusion : Technique allows for making significant improvements on how good a diamond can appear to the viewers to impress upon them its quality. Under the infusion technique a diamond’s surface cavities are filled with material like paraffin, resin, oil that is colorless and wax.

Irradiation: irradiation is mainly aimed at changing the color of a gemstone so that it appears similar to the colorless or near colorless diamonds. To accomplish this purpose, neutrons are bombarded on the diamond meant for the treatment through irradiation. Heat treatment also is done for more altering of the diamond color.