What is a clarity enhanced diamond?

Clarity Enhanced Diamonds

Many consumers aren’t aware that 95% of the gemstones in the market are enhanced in some way or the other. Sapphires are routinely heated to improve. Emeralds are treated with oil to make them appear more transparent. While Topaz which is mined from the earth as a dull gray stone achieves its beautiful color through enhancements. All these treatments are safe and accepted as a standard in the jewelry industry. Just like these gemstones, natural diamonds are also enhanced to improve its clarity and brilliance.

What is clarity enhanced diamond?

Diamonds are a girl's best friend, and there is no other way to propose special than a diamond. But for any budget-conscious shopper, they can become the reason for an empty pocket. So here's a solution to your problem –clarity enhanced diamonds.  At half the cost of a top quality diamond, they are a very good choice for people who wouldn't want a hole in their pockets and get a great looking diamond.

So what is clarity enhanced diamond? Diamonds that have visible imperfections and blemishes like fractures, dark spots or cloudiness are treated by skillful jewelers who create the appearance of a significantly higher priced and quality of the diamond. But don't worry ladies. A clarity enhanced diamond is a 100% natural diamond and not an imitation like Gemesis or moissanite.

How are they produced?

The term clarity enhancement lets you know that a diamond has undergone improvement to increase its clarity. These diamonds can save you up to 50% of the cost while still ensuring that you'll be wearing a natural, beautiful diamond. So how does this process work? When a gem quality diamond rough is mined from the earth, it is sent to a diamond cutter to be carefully cut to achieve the maximum carat weight, color, and clarity. Mother Nature created these diamond roughs in different shapes.

Based on the rough, the diamond cutter determines which shape to cut. This can include round, princess, cushion, radiant, and many other shapes. The diamond rough is then placed on a cutting wheel which can spin up to 30 miles per second. In addition to the speed, this wheel needs to be greased and oiled to avoid friction, making it very slippery. At times, the diamond slips, and it is possible for the cutting instrument to make a feather-like surface inclusion on the diamond. These tiny inclusions can affect the diamond’s beauty. Most diamonds have internal blemishes and even tiny crevices. When light travels through the eyelid, the crevices may prevent the light moving through the diamond, reducing the incredible sparkle that makes a diamond so beautiful. Until 1984, there was no way to correct these man-made feathers. After 30 years of proven chemistry, we now know the clarity enhancement technology allows us to restore the diamond to its original beauty.

A few of the imperfections found in these diamonds are just cavities filled with different type of materials and impurities. Thus, they can be easily enhanced by filling the inclusion with a diamond-like substance that essentially seals it. A diamond tester placed over the filling will still test positive, and the filling does not add any additional carat weight. There are many processes that can be done to reduce cavity without causing any harm or damage to the diamond.

Laser drilling:

For cavities that do not reach the surface of the diamond, a laser beam is used to burn a microscopic hole on the surface of the diamond, and the black cavity is contained within the diamond.

Special laser drilling:

In this procedure, instead of burning a microscopic hole as it is done in laser drilling, we burn a microscopically thin plane through the diamond till it reaches the inclusion. The mark left from this procedure is much more natural looking and harder to detect with the naked eye.

Fracture drilling:

For clean, empty cavities, a special formula of silicon and other compounds are filled in the cavity in a microscopic amount. The cavities when filled become nearly invisible.

At the end of the clarity enhancement process, the diamond is rinsed and polished, unveiling its original, maximum brilliance and fire. The diamond is clearer and presents more sparkle. The glass-like material that is used for filling the cavities also has the same light refractive properties as the diamond. This allows the light to pass through the feather instead of deflecting off in an unwanted direction. The flaws become invisible, or so slight that they can only be detected under magnification.

How can you know if the diamond is enhanced?

Jewelers are not legally bound to disclose that a diamond has been laser treated that’s why it is always good to ask them all the necessary details. Usually, fracture filled, and clarity enhanced diamonds are detected using the gemological microscope. The filling leaves a neon color in the diamond which is usually invisible or then mistaken for spectral colors when observed face-up. Under the gemological microscope, this neon color distinctly obvious and the purple pinkish color gives it away.

Will the filling last?

You might be wondering if there is a chance that the filling comes out? The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has discovered three ways that can cause the filling to come out of the diamond. These three ways include exposure to fire, boiling acid and re-cutting the diamond. The chances of a woman deliberately exposing her diamond ring to fire or boiling acid are pretty slim. If you’re getting a jeweler to work on the ring, prior knowledge about the diamond being enhanced can prevent such exposures.

Why it is better to buy a clarity enhanced diamond than one that is not enhanced?

A natural diamond and a clarity enhanced diamond are both naturally found under the surface of the earth. They are both mined and cut in the same way. But clarity enhanced diamond is generally priced at a relatively lower rate than natural diamonds because of the work that is done on them for an improved appearance.

So you can get a larger, enhanced diamond for a price 30-50% less than a small natural diamond. Why would you want to spend more money on a diamond that looks the same when you can save that money up for a nice honeymoon? Following the enhancement treatments, you will no longer be able to detect the imperfections with a naked eye. If placed next to a non-clarity enhanced diamond, with the same physical characteristics, the difference becomes indistinguishable. Besides, there are actually very few people in the world that can tell you the difference between a natural and a clarity enhanced diamond. These are genuine, natural diamonds with the same color and clarity rating. Cracks and blemishes disappear and you can void the diamond of any color by injecting a bleach solution in it. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) clarity enhancements and diamonds and a permanent treatment just like it does spoiling an emerald.

Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. If you’re a guy who wants to surprise the love of your life with a ring, but a decent ring is out of your price range, then you should consider a  clarity enhanced diamond ring. Unlike a few reports and articles, we provide clarity enhanced diamonds that do have a lifetime guarantee with any chipping, breaking, or issues during normal wear. Because just like your love, we want your diamond to stay brilliant and dazzling forever. Clarity enhanced diamonds have been in demand for the past 15 years, and their popularity is increasing even now. We pride ourself on an exceptional commitment to quality with our extensive selection process and use of cutting else technology, ensuring each diamond is carefully considered to guarantee excellence. 

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