Ask J. Shea

I heard that they can now enhance diamonds and take out inclusions on the inside of them, is this true?

Diamond clarity is an important diamond characteristic you'll hear about when you shop for an engagement ring or other diamond jewelry, but clarity isn't always natural--it can be altered by mechanical treatments--and clarity enhanced diamonds may be among the gemstones offered to you.

A tiny laser beam is used to drill into the diamond, tunneling-in to remove inclusions. Some inclusions are dissolved by chemical solutions that are placed in the tunnels.

Fracture filling is also a treatment used to fill-in tiny cracks with a clear, glasslike substance. The cracks don't disappear, but the film creates an optical illusion that makes them invisible to the naked eye.

Fracture filling is not a permanent treatment. Heat from repairs, cleaning, and sunlight can erode the filler or darken its color.

Be wary if someone insinuates that the word enhanced is a positive gemstone feature. It does sound more desirable than the term treated, but it means the same thing. Find out which treatments were used and how those treatments affect the value of the diamond, its long-term appearance, and the care you should give it.

Buying treated diamonds is a risk, we do not even stock them in our store. We will special order them if the customer insists. Buying treated diamonds will allow you to buy a larger stone for less money if you are on a budget, but you must be extremely careful and deal with people you know. This is also why buying diamonds off of the Internet is so risky. They could give you what seems to be a good deal, but if they don’t disclose that the diamond was treated you will end up with the short end of the stick.

Email all of your jewelry related questions using the form on the Ask J. Shea page.