Some diamonds you find in jewelry may have undergone certain treatments that are used for enhancing their clarity or color or both. Different diamond treatment techniques are used for this purpose like HPHT, laser drilling, etc. based on the peculiarities of the stone. Identifying treated diamonds is important, as their value can be much lower than stones that are not treated. Treated diamonds and lab grown diamonds are not the same. Lab grown diamonds are just like natural diamonds, but with a synthetic origin. But some lab-grown diamonds might be treated to enhance their color or clarity.
You will be able to find out if a diamond is treated or not by analyzing its grading report. Gemological laboratories like the GIA use advanced tools to determine whether a diamond is treated or not so that it will be possible for you to identify the real value of your stone. Check whether your diamonds are treated to avoid paying a huge price for them.
There are different types of treatments used for diamonds. Some of them are listed below so that you can understand them better:
Laser Drilling
This technique is often used to remove inclusions from a diamond. For this method, a tiny hole will be drilled into the diamond till the site of inclusion. Laser rays will be passed through this hole to vaporize the impurities present there.
But if this is not possible, then the treater might apply acid or bleach to lighten the intensity of the inclusions so that they can become less visible.
After removing the impurity, the holes created in the diamond can be filled using the fracture filling method.
Fracture Filling
This involves infusing molten glass-like substances into the holes that are used for treating the diamond. This can effectively disguise the holes drilled into the diamonds. Even though fracture-filled diamonds can last for years if cared for properly, this method can still compromise the integrity of the stone.
Irradiation
This is a color-enhancing method used to make diamonds more attractive. Diamonds with lower intensity of color will be less valuable, but if their color is enhanced, they will have a better value and price. However, diamonds that have undergone this treatment can be sensitive to heat. Therefore, it is important to avoid using high temperatures when repairing rings with irradiated diamonds.
Annealing
This process is done after irradiation and it usually involves heating and cooling the diamonds in a controlled condition to change their color to red, brown, orange, pink, yellow, and purple. Exposing these diamonds to heat can change their color.
So if your diamonds are heated, make sure to inform your jeweler when repairing your diamond rings.