Diamond treatments to consider in order to improve your diamond

Whether purchasing a diamond ring for that once in a lifetime proposal or simply investing in a jewellery piece – picking that perfect diamond is crucial. However, if your budget does not allow for a diamond of high grade, it is possible to get several treatments in order to improve the quality of the diamond. Here are a few suggestions for you to consider in order to enhance your diamonds:

If you’re looking to enhance the clarity of your diamond there are two main treatments that you should consider.

A diamond may undergo a process called fracture filling in order to improve the overall clarity of the diamond. This process involves molten glass being poured along fractures (mostly surface) and although it can last for many years with proper care – the filling can diminish with jewellery repairs or professional cleanings – unlike laser drilling.

Laser drilling is a prominent technique used to remove small inclusions (flaws within the diamond) or lighten inclusions that are extremely dark and noticeable within the diamond. This technique has been known to make the diamond more marketable overall however it does leave a drill hole within the diamond which is filled by foreign materials.

There are multiple methods that can be used to treat your diamonds colour – these include:

An alternative to the other methods, by adding a layer of silica over a diamond a variety of colours can be produced.

Irradiating a diamond can produce beautiful colours in diamonds, ranging from brown, yellow, black, green and blue. The treatment can cause the diamonds become sensitive to jewellery repairs, recutting and heat. Furthermore after the irradiation, if the diamond undergoes a repolish, the diamond can actually change colour.

Annealing is a process where the diamond undergoes specific heating techniques particularly extremely heating and cooling in order to change the colour of the diamond. When a diamond undergoes this procedure it can produce a wide spectrum of colours within; including brown, orange, yellow, red, purple, green and pink diamond colour transitions. The temperature is applied to the diamond and only stopped once the desired colour is reached. Once the colour is reached, diamonds should not be subjected to further heat treatments as it can quite vividly change the colour of the diamond.