Color Enhanced Diamonds
Saturday, April 30, 2011 by admin
Beautiful fancy colored diamonds are steadily growing in popularity. Natural fancy colored diamonds are very rare, extremely attractive, and tremendously expensive. Very few people have the pleasure of owning one of these brilliantly intense stones. But with modern advancements in the diamond industry, it is now possible to enhance the color of a dim or pale diamond into a radiating colored stone.
The most common color enhancing process is known as irradiation. Brown and yellow diamonds are transformed into fancy colored diamonds by controlled exposure to periods of radiation. The color change is permanent unless the diamond is subjected to extreme heat.
High Pressure High Temperature treatment (HPHT) is another common color changing process in the diamond industry. Through exposure to extreme pressure and heat, similar to a diamond’s natural environment, yellowish diamonds can become more desirable fancy colored diamonds. Today, this process is also used to turn brownish diamonds into more costly colorless diamonds. HPHT is also a permanent color enhancing process.
Not all diamonds can undergo color enhancement. Even if the diamond can be transformed, the process could produce the wrong color, possibly a less desirable color. In some cases, the process may damage or even destroy the diamond. Any diamond color enhancement process carries a great deal of risk.
Color enhanced diamonds are inspected and labeled by the GIA. Colored diamonds enhanced by radiation or high pressure and temperature are just as beautiful as a natural fancy colored diamond and much more affordable. The color enhancement of a stone should be disclosed by the seller prior to the purchase.
The most common color enhancing process is known as irradiation. Brown and yellow diamonds are transformed into fancy colored diamonds by controlled exposure to periods of radiation. The color change is permanent unless the diamond is subjected to extreme heat.
High Pressure High Temperature treatment (HPHT) is another common color changing process in the diamond industry. Through exposure to extreme pressure and heat, similar to a diamond’s natural environment, yellowish diamonds can become more desirable fancy colored diamonds. Today, this process is also used to turn brownish diamonds into more costly colorless diamonds. HPHT is also a permanent color enhancing process.
Not all diamonds can undergo color enhancement. Even if the diamond can be transformed, the process could produce the wrong color, possibly a less desirable color. In some cases, the process may damage or even destroy the diamond. Any diamond color enhancement process carries a great deal of risk.
Color enhanced diamonds are inspected and labeled by the GIA. Colored diamonds enhanced by radiation or high pressure and temperature are just as beautiful as a natural fancy colored diamond and much more affordable. The color enhancement of a stone should be disclosed by the seller prior to the purchase.
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