Diamonds are natural gemstones. Very few are flawless which means that the majority of gem grade stones have internal imperfections. Whether they are visible or invisible to the naked eye, these flaws affect the clarity of the gemstone, and hence its sparkle. Clarity enhanced diamonds are those which have been treated in certain ways to remove flaws, blemishes and inclusions to increase the value of the diamond.
What is the Process?
Clarity enhancement is the process of making the natural imperfections present in most diamonds, such as flaws, blemishes and inclusions, invisible to the naked eye. This state of the art technological process optically eliminates the flaws, improving the clarity and appearance of the diamond.
Clarity enhancement techniques were developed in the 1980s specifically for diamonds. In this process the gemstones are either microscopic laser drilled or feather filled with a material which closely mimics the characteristics of real diamond. The exact procedure depends upon the nature of the imperfections.; However, as "feathering" is a common flaw in many diamonds, this the technique which is most commonly used.
In this process, the internal surface of the flaw is coated with a transparent material which has optical and refractive properties closely matching those of real diamond. This is important and is why the resultant treated flaw is invisible in the diamond. In essence, the light rays travelling through the treated flaw in the diamond are now reflected and diffracted in exactly the same way as by the diamond itself. The flaw is masked to the naked eye.
Only a miniscule amount of material is ever needed to fill the feather flaw so clarity enhancement does not add any weight to the diamond. Whichever technique is used, the result is highly effective.
Why do it?
Most diamonds have internal flaws, so clarity enhancement is used to improve its look and sparkle. The result of this process is a natural good looking diamond which is about 40% to 50% cheaper than the price of an un-enhanced gemstone with the same color and GIA clarity rating.
Clarity enhancement makes flawed diamonds more desirable and more sellable. This means more diamonds are made available for setting into fine jewelry than would otherwise have been available to the gem industry. And this means that more people can afford better gemstones in their jewelry and engagement rings.
Are the Diamonds still Real?
Yes. Clarity enhanced diamonds are genuine mined diamonds that have been permanently treated to enhance their appeal. Clarity enhancement masks the flaws, it does not disrupt the diamond crystal. Treated gemstones are still real diamonds. They are just more affordable.
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