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Diamond Enhancements - A Layman's Guide to Treated and Clarity Enhanced Diamonds
By H B Harris
What are enhanced or treated diamonds? Diamonds that have been subjected to some form of manmade alteration with the intent to improve appearance and ultimately increase value to the consumer. There are many types of enhancements. Some target improving clarity, some color. Some are temporary, some permanent. All are to make a diamond more marketable. There is fracture filling, drilling, coating, irradiation, HPHT. I am not going to go over the pros of any of these procedures. In my opinion there is only one and it is common to all treatments, cheap poor quality diamonds appearing better. There is one thing to keep in mind. "If it's too good to be true..." The greatest risk to a consumer is the failure of a jeweler to disclose any of these treatments, whether deliberate or not.
Clarity enhancements include fracture filling, drilling, and KM. An abbreviation of "CE" in a description implies Clarity Enhanced. Do not be misled into thinking the diamond has a "better" clarity if you see or hear anything similar in the description of a diamond. Diamond has grain just like wood, and with that comes fractures or "feathers", which are common in diamonds. These fractures are openings along the grain of the diamond weakening the material; however, more of a concern is how these fractures appear once the diamond is finished. This is what truly affects the value. Fracture filling, developed in the late 1980's, is where a glass-like compound is used to fill cracks, making them much less visible and often hard to detect even under magnification. The idea of the process is to make a fracture less reflective by filling it with a compound with a similar reflective index. The process is not permanent and can discolor under heat and cleaning. To a trained eye this process is detectable under magnification, usually most notably by a colored reflection in an area where no cracks are apparent. The uninformed eye can confuse natural reflections with this type of enhancement and vice versa. Most laboratories do not certify diamonds that have been clarity enhanced using this method, largely because the integrity of the stone is unknown. Sometimes diamonds have large colored, mostly black, imperfections that are visible to the naked eye. To improve the appearance of diamonds with this type of problem, drilling is used. There are two types of laser drilling, traditional and KM. Traditional drilling was developed in the 1960's. It uses a single larger drilling technique directly to the imperfection. KM stands for Kiduah Meyuhad, which translates to "special drilling." Basically, it is micro drilling, targeting the imperfection making tiny cracks that lead to the surface. Both types of drilling creates a channel to the imperfection which makes it possible to boil out the black using an acid, resulting in a clear imperfection that much less noticeable. The difference between the two is that KM drilling looks natural and is very hard to detect. The process is permanent and certifiable. All laboratories will plot drill locations. The integrity of the diamond is not compromised or hidden as it is with fracture filling.
Treatments used to improve color vary depending on the chemical composition of the diamond. Coating a diamond is one treatment used to better color, but it is only a thin film. Coating does not change the actual diamond material nor is it permanent. The most commonly used color enhancement is irradiation, while a newer treatment called HPHT has emerged in the last 10 years. The main purpose of these treatments is to change the color of a diamond to a more appealing one or higher white color. The whiter the diamond the more expensive it becomes, and natural color diamonds can be found in every color, however, they are significantly more expensive and extremely rare. Irradiation is fairly self-explanatory; a cyclotron is used to bombard the diamond to change the molecular structure of the diamond. Irradiation generates a wide variety of very saturated colors, usually with a somewhat metallic appearance. HPHT stands for High Pressure High Temperature; however the treatment only works on certain diamond types. With certain brown diamonds (Type IIa), HPHT will make the diamond whiter while yellows will generate other colors. Other brown diamonds can be treated to blues, pinks, and other colors as well. With HPHT the color appears much closer to naturally colored diamonds. One of the big concerns about this treatment is imperfections. Because of the nature of the treatment, after the process is completed the diamond has a thin frosty layer that must be removed, and imperfections in stones can become larger. To the average person and even many professionals in the industry detection of these treatments is very difficult. This process is permanent. Laboratories will certify either of these treatments and add comments indicating which process was used.
Anytime a diamond is treated in some fashion one thing is certain, an illusion of value is the goal. The question is "Is the consumer aware of these details?" Buyers beware... Not all deals are deals! In fact, very few are truly deals. The main reason I chose to write an article about enhancements is because a friend of mine found a diamond on Craig's list and asked me to check it out for her to make sure it was a good price. Based on the listing price and quality, I knew there must be something wrong. I just didn't know what. Upon calling and explaining that I didn't want to waste any time, the person reluctantly admitted that the diamond had been fracture filled. I am certain the only reason the person disclosed the treatment is because they knew I would see it anyway upon inspection. The diamond would clearly not have been worth the price given this fact.
For those out there looking for a diamond, I hope this article has been helpful. I didn't want to get into too much detail. A quick overview and heartfelt warning is my goal. For more information you can search some of the terms mentioned or visit my website for links to labs where you can get more scientific information. When in doubt, get a diamond with a certificate and look for comments.
I have been directly involved in the diamond industry since 1987 in many areas. I am writing from experience in terms I hope the average person can understand and gain from. I hope this article has provided some helpful information. It was written to protect consumers who may be considering a diamond purchase. If anyone has any questions or comments feel free to email me by visiting my website. There are informational links to several laboratories where you can get more scientific information. Please look for future articles I will be writing regarding other areas of the industry that I believe require some clarification and perhaps even exposure.
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Thank you, H. B. Harris http://www.adlerwinston.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=H_B_Harris
http://EzineArticles.com/?Diamond-Enhancements---A-Laymans-Guide-to-Treated-and-Clarity-Enhanced-Diamonds&id=2446242
The Certificate Game - An Inside Look at How Diamond Certificates Foster Consumer Confidence
By H B Harris
Did you ever wonder why two diamonds certified by different laboratories could have a tremendous difference in price? This article is going to explore some of the differences and try to explain why prices vary so much. There are many laboratories in many countries that grade diamonds for quality. Some strictly report quality and some offer appraisal services. On the retail level, these laboratories are used to create confidence and imply value; however, inside the industry it is well known that some laboratories do not grade quality as strictly as others. It is also known that some are more lenient on other categories of grading. Armed with all this information and the desire to create profit margins, many in the industry will send diamonds to specific laboratories in an effort to get the highest grade. By doing so the illusion is that the same diamond grade is cheaper than other diamonds graded by more reputable and reliable laboratories.
What does this mean to the consumer?
It usually means "You get what you pay for". If you want to be sure you are get what you pay for, it would be wise to get a report from a lab recognized worldwide as consistent and respected. Here's a list of the major laboratories.
1. Gemological Institute of America (GIA) 2. Hoge Raad voor Diamant (HRD) 3. American Gem Society (AGS) 4. European Gemological Laboratories (EGL)
Are there others? Sure. These are the most widely used and recognized. GIA and EGL have multiple locations, and with multiple locations come more opportunity for discrepancies. GIA seems to have managed to maintain their stature and reputation within the industry. The same cannot be said for EGL. HRD is in Belgium and AGS is in the United States.
All the labs provide the basics according to their standards. This includes what many refer to as the 4 C's (Carat, Color, Clarity, and Cut). Each lab addresses each of the 4 C's differently. By comparing the labs with respect to the 4 C's, it will become apparent how those in the industry take advantage of the each. The "Carat" part is the most straightforward. All labs generate a carat weight for a diamond using a calibrated scale. There should be no variations from one lab to the next. Weight is reported with an accuracy of 0.01 of a carat.
The "Color" of a diamond is where we start to see differences in the labs. GIA may have the narrowest divisions between color grades starting from white to yellow. HRD and AGS stretch the divisions slightly. EGL can be tighter in the higher whites sometime, but have a much broader tolerance for color in the white to slightly yellow range. Here are a few examples of how this plays out on paper. A diamond graded K color at GIA will probably get J at HRD and AGS while at EGL at least a J and possibly an I color. In the higher whites, there is less room for movement. Generally, D or E colors are fairly consistent; however, there have been occasions when EGL graded high colors stricter than GIA. As a result, when certifying lower colors EGL would create the greatest potential for profit and value.
When looking at "Clarity", there is even more confusion. All labs start with Flawless or Loupe Clean and end with I3. The most significant differentiating factor in clarity is that EGL incorporates an additional clarity grade called SI3 which no one else recognizes. It does however have some validity, mainly because of the exaggerated price difference between an SI2 and an I1. SI3 bridged the gap between the very generous SI2 and a very critical I1. There was always a premium for a very nice imperfect diamond, but now it can be confirmed and computed. In general, for the rest of the clarity grade system, GIA and HRD tend to be stricter through the higher qualities. Once again, if a dealer is going to spend the money for a certificate for a lower quality diamond, EGL would be used in an effort to avoid getting an I1 grade, as well as for cases where the diamond might be on the border of a higher grade.
The "Cut" part of this equation was the last to be added to the certificates and probably the most complex. It involves a largely subjective interpretation of what angles, percentages, and proportions of the modern round brilliant create the most scintillating and appealing effect. Polish and symmetry take on a new importance now also since they are factors that affect the cut grade. GIA, HRD, and EGL use "Excellent" to "Poor" to describe cut, polish, and symmetry. AGS uses 0-5. AGS may be the most discerning when it comes to this category, followed by HRD, GIA and lastly EGL. The term "Ideal" is used by some to describe a specific type of cut called Tolkowsky, named after its creator. Keep in mind that much of this is marketing. Cut is very important however wide tolerances can be allowed and still have a beautiful lively diamond.
In conclusion, research the labs for yourself. Links to all 4 labs are available on my website, as well as a few others. Personally, I choose to work only with GIA graded diamonds. They may cost a bit of a premium but I never have to apologize for quality discrepancies. My philosophy is that if the quality is not good enough for a GIA report then it's probably not worth spending the money on any certificate. Inside the industry, dealers will not dispute quality nearly as much when a diamond is graded by GIA, and to an extent HRD as well. It is not uncommon for a sale to take place between dealers "sight unseen" with GIA graded stones. With other labs this is not a realistic possibility. I cannot express enough that anytime a diamond is certified by anyone other than GIA, I insist on seeing the stone before I make a purchase or even offer.
I have been directly involved in the diamond industry since 1987 in many areas. I am writing from experience, in terms I hope the average person can understand and gain from. I hope this article has provided some helpful information. It was written to protect consumers who may be considering a diamond purchase. If anyone has any questions or comments feel free to email me by visiting my website. Please look for future articles I will be writing regarding other areas of the industry that I believe require some clarification and perhaps even exposure.
H. B. Harris
http://www.adlerwinston.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=H_B_Harris
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Certificate-Game---An-Inside-Look-at-How-Diamond-Certificates-Foster-Consumer-Confidence&id=2257531