Posts Tagged ‘engagement ring buying tips’

Diamonds are natural gemstones. Very few are flawless which means that the majority of gem grade diamonds have internal imperfections. Whether they are visible or invisible to the naked eye, these flaws affect the clarity of the diamond, 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 natural diamond imperfections, such as flaws, blemishes and imperfections invisible to the naked eye.  This state of the art technological process optically eliminates the flaws, improving the clarity and appearance of the diamond.

To do this, the diamonds 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, most diamonds are feather filled.

In this technique, 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 after clarity enhancement, 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.

Either way, the result is highly effective.

Why do it?
Most diamonds have internal flaws, so clarity enhancement is used to improve the look and sparkle of the diamond.  The result of this process is a natural good looking diamond which is about 40% to 50% cheaper than the price of an unenhanced diamond with the same color and GIA clarity rating.  It makes flawed diamonds more desirable and more saleable. 

This means clarity enhancing makes more diamonds 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 diamonds.

Are the Diamonds still Real?
Yes. Clarity enhanced diamonds are genuine mined diamonds that have been permanently treated to enhance their appeal. They are still real diamonds.

For the best diamond jewelry at affordable prices, please check out our diamond page.

The cut of a diamond refers to the how many facets there are in the finished gemstone and how they are proportioned.  The skill and precision of the faceting affects the gemstone’s fire and sparkle, making it look dull or flash with fire.  The most common types of diamond cut are:

Round Brilliant -
This is also known as the Round cut, American Ideal cut and the American Standard cut.  The standard number of facets used in this cut is 57.  The top of the finished gemstone is a regular octagon, which is normally 56% of the diameter.  The recommended cut height for the diamond is 58% of the diameter, which breaks down into around 14% for the top part of the diamond, above the girdle, also called the crown, and around 43 for the pavilion, or lower part of the diamond.  These dimensions are mathematically calculated to give the maximum brilliance and scintillation, making the diamond flash with fire.

Round brilliants are the most popular cut of diamond and the number one choice for solitaires.

Princess -
Also known as the Square Modified Brilliant, this is a square variation of the Round Brilliant.  The table of the gemstone is again faceted into an octagon, but in such a way as to be nearly square. In contrast to the Round Brilliant, the depth of a Princess cut diamond is often 70-78% of the diameter.  It has 76 facets, which produce a large amount of sparkle, making it the second most popular choice for a solitaire ring.

Oval -
The Oval cut is elliptical, or egg shaped, when viewed from the top.  The length is ideally double the width of the gemstone, although this can vary depending on the proportions of the rough gem.  Oval cuts have 69 facets.  If done skilfully, Oval cut gemstones can have nearly as much scintillation and fire as Round Brilliants. 

Baguette -
This cut produces a rectangular gemstone and really only roughs which are this shape.  The faceting is done in steps, parallel to the edges and the base and table are square with triangular facets.  Baguettes have 20 facets.

Trillion -
Also known as Trilliants, this cut is based on a triangular shape and has 43 facets.  The corners are usually truncated but the tips and culet (bottom point) are typically pointed and thin making many jewelers reluctant to prong set trilliants. The culet is typically centered in the middle of the table when viewed from the top of the gemstone.  The overall geometry of this cut enables lots of fire and color to be seen making it especially suitable for light colored gemstones.

Marquise -
This is also called the Navette cut.  The 57 facets produce an elongated, pointed oval, in which the length is around twice the width.  This is a tricky cut because if it is made too shallow, the light will pass through the back of the gemstone and not be reflected back, reducing color and brilliance.  Well cut Marquises are flash with good color.

There are a number of other cuts, but in general they are based on the ones above.  For example, the Square, Octagon and Emerald cuts are all step cuts based on the Baguette cut.  The Heart cut is based the Brilliant Round and the Pear is a hybrid cut combining the best of the Oval and the Marquise.