Your Perfectly Imperfect Diamond
When it comes to natural diamonds, inclusions can be a thing of beauty.
When your partner drops to their knees and pops open that little ring box, the last thing you’re probably thinking about is how that diamond got here in the first place. The journey of a diamond is truly a feat of nature, and the work required to turn it into the sparkling symbol of love you see on your finger will make you appreciate every single one of its imperfections.
Diamonds form under extreme heat and pressure. Over 90+ miles underground in the earth’s mantle, these stunning gems are crushed and heated to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. After a billion years or more, some diamonds rise to the surface as part of molten kimberlite. Miners generally dig 2 to 4 miles down to find these jewels, and the diamonds are then cut into shapes to show off their beauty.
After such a long journey, there are bound to be imperfections. Gemologists call these inclusions, and if they’re on the surface of the diamond they’re called blemishes. But not all inclusions and blemishes are visible to the naked eye.
Some diamond companies will subject diamonds to gem treatments in order to “fix” the flaws and give the visual perception of a better color or clarity diamond. Here are some of the treatments used:
Fracture or Cavity Filling
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Fillers of clear glass, wax, resin and oil are used to mask surface imperfections on the diamond. Though it can help to visually enhance clarity, the diamond can no longer resist heat exposure, contact with chemicals, or even changes in air pressure — like when you’re on an airplane. You run the risk of the filler becoming visibly altered, and the treatment can artificially add weight to the diamond.
Surface Coating
This treatment changes the color of the diamond. It’s also referred to as backing because a very thin layer of paint, permanent marker, or metal oxide coating is applied to the diamond, either all over, or on its girth, to achieve the desired color.
Laser Drilling
Laser drilling reaches dark inclusions by forcing a chemical into the diamond to visibly enhance it. But this method can affect the structure of the stone and is easily detected by a gemologist.
No two natural diamonds are alike — each is as unique as you. Small, microscopic inclusions in a diamond can be a positive thing. Their existence alone lets you authenticate and distinguish the diamond as natural, as opposed to imitation or lab-grown. And small inclusions give the diamond a unique identifier when viewed with a loupe, so you can prevent a dreaded diamond switch at the jeweler.
Sparkle Cut Diamonds refuses to use gem treatments and instead embraces the natural (and often imperfect) beauty of every diamond. We only sell GIA / IGI graded natural diamonds. And our proprietary nanoscale cuts won’t change your diamond’s industry grading, shape, carat weight or clarity.
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