Don’t be Fooled by Enhanced Diamonds

The phrase ‘too good to be true’ can be applied to everything in life, including diamond jewelry. If you find a cheap engagement ring or bridal ring, or see signs for wholesale diamond rings, be sure that the seller isn’t cutting their price by cutting quality. While there are excusive retailers who can offer you genuine designer diamond rings and other natural diamond jewelry at a great price, many offer low prices because they are using enhanced diamonds.

Unlike high quality natural diamonds, enhanced diamonds are inferior stones that have been artificially treated to hide cracks, repair ugly inclusions and improve their color. These treatments are unnerving by any standard and include laser drilling and boiling in sulfuric acid to remove black or dirty inclusions, exposure to radiation to enhance or change the stone’s color, placing the diamond in extreme heat and pressure to improve clarity, using a sealant to hid cracks and pits in the diamond, and being coated with a substance to add a reflective effect.

While all of these treatments can result in a gemstone that is cheaper than a natural diamond, don’t be fooled. Enhanced diamonds cost less because they are lower quality, and therefore less valuable. In fact, there is heated debate in the jewelry industry about the use of treatments to enhance diamonds, as it can make stones difficult to grade and certify accurately.

Under US law , all enhanced diamonds must be declared and sold as such. One of the most common practices to enhance diamonds that must be declared is laser drilling to dissolve inclusions to improve clarity. These holes are clearly visible under a jeweler’s microscope and it is debated whether or not this process damages the integrity of stone.

The GIA (Gemological Institute of America) is the leading organization in studying and grading diamonds and all other gemstones, and they also require that all diamonds that have been laser drilled must be disclosed as enhanced. When buying diamond jewelry make sure it comes with a clear appraisal that discloses full information about each stone.

If clear information about stone enhancements is not immediately available, or a customer service rep does not want to talk about this process openly then walk away and look elsewhere for a natural, high quality diamond.

Unfortunately, just because a diamond has not been laser drilled does not mean that it hasn’t been subjected to other enhancement treatments such as a being boiled in sulfuric acid. Most inferior stones actually have fractures that extend to the surface from inclusions deep in the stone that allow the acid to travel into the inclusion without holes being bored.

Would you consider buying a diamond ring if you knew the diamond had been immersed in sulfuric acid? Or buy a diamond bracelet that had been exposed to radiation? Would you buy any kind of gemstone jewelry that you knew had cracks that had to be filled with a sealant?

The GIA has announced that new treatments to artificially enhance diamonds are being developed all the time, making it more difficult for customers to identify and buy a genuine, natural diamond. They have reported finding diamonds being sold with “an uneven texture with abundant fractures” and “unevenness in their color”[1] although they couldn’t identify what techniques had been used to treat the stone. Another report noted that High Press/ Heat Treated (HPHT) annealing of diamonds is “one of the most serious challenges the diamond industry has ever faced”[2]

This worrying trend makes it even more important to only buy diamond jewelry from a source that you trust, and who are dedicated to only creating designer diamond jewelry using the highest quality, natural diamonds. Look for sites that advertise that they don’t use enhanced diamonds, and have clear certification for all of their diamond jewelry from

While enhancements may not be visible to the naked eye, they will certainly be visible to a trained jeweler or appraiser. While you may not be immediately concerned about the resale price of your diamond bracelet, engagement ring or gold diamond ring, any valuable piece of diamond jewelry is an investment in the future, and you will certainly want to make sure that any jewelry passed down from generation to generation is the highest value that it can be.


Sources:
[1] http://www.gia.edu/newsroom/issue/2798/1003/insider_newsletter_details.cfm#4
[2] http://www.gia.edu/gemsandgemology/18578/1826/524/back_issue_article_detail.cfm

A Gem Amongst Gems

A gemstone is a breathtaking sight that in some mysterious way to capture our imagination and causes a gasp of admiration. But despite the fact that a gemstone may look great to the eye, it is necessary to inquire carefully about the gemstone quality in order to avoid further disappointment. The factors to consider are the gemstone color and cut as well as the quality of the metal setting.
Sparkling and colorful, all gemstones styles can arouse a wide range of emotions, but not leave anyone indifferent.
Their shine and brilliance is sure to implant admiration even into the most callous soul. In terms of universal respect and recognition gemstone quality jewelry outshines any other object used for personal adornment. Gemstone articles get a great deal of appreciation from those who find true beauty in their dazzling brilliance and the subtle glow of the setting, and this fact triggers the development of gemstones trade.Precious gemstones are also valued and recognized for their durability and their main positive attribute apart from breathtaking beauty, is their permanence. However, there is still risk that due to poor gemstone quality or any external detrimental factors, gemstones of any styles and types will lose their initial look and begin to look pathetic rather than breathtaking. In that case it appears appropriate to use gemstone enhancement methods as a remedy to improve gemstone quality.There are several types available: permanent methods (namely laser drilling, heating and radiation) and temporary methods (bleaching, oiling and waxing) that can be of considerable help and applicable for all gemstones styles.
Speaking about the gemstones styles available, it is necessary to mention that there is a staggering diversity of options in that respect. To name just a few of those available would be: pear, round, oval, marquise, and others. There are a few even more sophisticated ones like bow-tie style. Before purchasing a gemstone jewelry , it is crucial to take proper care in assuring the gemstone quality as well as the reliability of the metal setting. The notion of gemstone quality is made up of several aspects, namely the gemstone color and cut, size and weight, as well as whether the gemstone has undergone any kind of treatment.
It seems opportune here to provide the reader, who is likely to be the lucky owner of a collection of gemstones, with a few tips concerning the storing of gemstones and their maintenance.
It goes without saying that gemstones are appreciated not only for their appealing look, its amazing glow and shine, but also for their durability, which was recognized already in the earliest times as an intrinsic gemstone quality. Notwithstanding the fact, the certain rules of gemstone wearing and storing, similar for all gemstones styles, are obligatory to observe in order to prevent the precious mineral from losing its charm.
First and foremost it is essential to keep articles of jewelry with gemstones away from each other in order to prevent them from scratching each other; there is additional risk that the gemstone that is intrinsically tougher than metal may damage the surface of the metal setting.
In terms of maintenance occasional cleaning using gentle soap and a soft tooth brush (referred to as gemstone bath is required in order to get rid of the dust maintain the appealing look. Provided that good care of them is taken, including occasional cleaning and appropriate storing, they are sure to last for centuries and therefore successfully acquire the status of a family treasure and be passed on to successive generations.