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Clarity enhanced diamonds are diamonds that just needed a “makeover”. These are diamonds that are for the most part relatively clean apart from a prominent addition or two. Think of it as getting a bit of a surgical procedure. A “diamond plastic surgeon” starts with a diamond that would have a low clarity… a very low SI2, an I1, or a very high I2 clarity. If the diamond’s inclusion(s) can be built to be less noticeable, then you have a more marketable diamond. Clarity enhanced diamonds are 100% real diamonds and they are not some sort of diamond simulants (like a Cubic Zirconia or Moissanite) or man made diamond.

A bit of history-

Clarity enhancing diamonds is a relatively new process, since early 80s, therefore it is not too possible that you would find a clarity enhanced diamond in your grandmother’s band. This process depends on the use of lasers and modern day materials that would don’t you have been available when your grandmother got engaged. The one individual who is diamond credited with commercial desigining a clarity enhanced diamond is Zvi Yehuda. His company is still involved in improving the clarity of diamonds and they’ve been working on improving the process over the years.

How is it done?

Clarity enhanced diamonds fall into one of two categories. Both types of clarity enhanced diamonds should be relatively simple for a trained person to spot. Some jewelers might not be able to spot a clarity enhanced diamond but it will definitely be detected if a clarity enhanced diamond is delivered to a gemological research laboratory for a diamond grading report.

Laser Drilling- This process uses a laser to precisely routine into a diamond to access a diamond addition. The addition will be dark in color against a bright background. Because of all the white light being returned back up through the diamond, the diamond’s dark addition would be very noticeable. Upon reaching the addition, heat from the laser will many times will completely vaporize the addition. A special cleaning solution (actually cooking acid! ) might be needed in order to bleach out the dark addition so that after the treatment, it will then be a light colored addition against a bright background.

The laser routine holes that are now in the diamond are extremely small and you will need high magnification in order to see them. Because of the reduced contrast between the now lightly colored addition and its background, the clarity grade of this clarity enhanced diamond will be improved. The freshly clarity enhanced diamond will many times be “eye clean” but its clarity grade (determined under magnification) will not change.

Fracture Filling- Now this process presents very much concerns! It can be difficult to detect, even by people who you would think that they should know what to look for… Normally a purple to orange flash can be seen when the stone is turned and light is resembled off the area that has the fracture filling. Fracture filling clarity enhancement is the same process that is used when you get a crack in your auto glass. A liquid is forced into the crack (fracture) and just like magic… it is gone! It really is a dramatic change in character of the diamond. The liquid that is used is a glass-like material which has similar optical properties fot it of diamond.