{"id":24193,"date":"2022-11-22T10:00:39","date_gmt":"2022-11-22T15:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/?p=24193"},"modified":"2022-11-22T16:43:10","modified_gmt":"2022-11-22T21:43:10","slug":"gia-will-not-grade-these-types-of-diamonds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/gia-will-not-grade-these-types-of-diamonds\/","title":{"rendered":"GIA WILL NOT GRADE THESE TYPES OF DIAMONDS"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"GIA<\/div>\n

Here’s something that most people don’t know…<\/p>\n

\nGIA<\/strong> (The Gemological Institute of America<\/a>) does not grade every diamond<\/strong> sent to them.<\/p>\n

\nSure jewelers can try. They can send them a bunch of stones… But if these diamonds are “temporarily enhanced<\/strong>“, GIA will NOT grade them!<\/strong><\/p>\n

What is enhancement?<\/h2>\n

\nEnhanced diamonds are diamonds that are changed to look better than Mother Nature intended<\/strong>. Meaning, man has stepped in and manipulated<\/strong> the diamond in such a way, that the color or clarity look betters, sell betters, but makes them more money<\/strong> (and if you didn’t know it was “enhanced<\/strong>“, it could be misleading or fraud<\/strong>). Enhancement MUST be disclosed<\/strong> at the time of the sale!<\/p>\n

\nSo jewelers can take an ugly diamond<\/strong> with very visible black spots<\/strong>, send it in to companies that do this kind of alteration, and have them adjusted (enhanced) until they look pleasing to the eye<\/strong>. Those black spots can be removed, made invisible, so no one would know the difference<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

How are they enhanced?<\/h2>\n

\nThere are a couple of ways that diamonds get enhanced…<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Boiling<\/li>\n
  2. Laser Drilling<\/li>\n
  3. Fracture Filling<\/li>\n
  4. Color Enhancement<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    <\/strong><\/p>\n

    \nLet’s break it down…<\/p>\n

    1) Boiling<\/h2>\n

    \nBoiling is done to some diamonds that have a dark inclusion on the surface<\/strong> of the stone. The diamond is dunked into a special acid<\/strong> that dissolves the flaw. It’s a permanent process that removes a blemish<\/strong> off the stone… But this boiling only works if the imperfection is on the surface<\/strong> (outside) of the stone. If it’s inside <\/strong>the stone, buried deep, it can’t be boiled<\/strong>. It will have to be drilled…<\/p>\n

    2) Laser Drilling<\/h2>\n

    \nSome inclusions reside deep within the stone, and if the flaws are sightly enough, they can actually be drilled out<\/strong> (this can take an I2 clarity diamond<\/strong> all the way up to an SI1 diamond<\/strong>, or better).<\/p>\n

    \nA laser drill burns a small hole or tube<\/strong> into the diamond (usually from the bottom, through the pavilion<\/strong>), and once that tube reaches the flaw, the imperfection can be either burned out<\/strong>, or boiled out with acid<\/strong>. These holes are permanent and won’t affect the diamond much (won’t be easily noticed<\/strong>). But if there are a lot of these, it could weaken the integrity<\/strong> of the diamond (make it not as strong).<\/p>\n

    3) Fracture Filling<\/h2>\n

    \nThis is a process that takes laser drilling one step further<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    \nOnce the flaw has been burned out, a void is left behind<\/strong>; a cavity in the stone (along with the hole). So fracture filling is literally filling that hole back up<\/strong>. It’s inserting a special clear compound<\/strong> that fills the cavity (like filling a chip in a windshield<\/strong>), so it blends in and pretty much disappears with the rest of the diamond.<\/p>\n

    \nThis process makes it very difficult to detect<\/strong> that any enhancement was ever done… Which is why it’s frowned upon<\/strong> in the jewelry industry.<\/p>\n

    4) Color Enhancement<\/h2>\n

    \nDiamonds dug from the Earth are naturally white, whitish, yellow, or brown. These are the most common colors<\/strong> found in nature. Most people desire the white diamonds, meaning all the other colors are hard to sell<\/strong> and pretty useless.<\/p>\n

    Soooo, jewelers take these off-color<\/strong> stones and send them in to get them heat treated<\/strong>, or color enhanced<\/strong>. Adding intense heat to these stones can alter the original color<\/strong> and make them look different, better. It can change a brown diamond<\/strong> into a beautiful bright blue diamond<\/strong>. It can turn a dingy yellow stone<\/strong> into a stunning pink <\/strong>or green <\/strong>stone. It’s actually amazing…<\/p>\n

    But they’re also not permanent!<\/h2>\n

    \nColored diamonds (found in large quantities in mall stores), are not true colored diamonds<\/strong>. True colors, made by nature, are called “fancy<\/strong>” diamonds (fancies, as seen here at James Allen<\/a>). Those colors are permanent<\/strong>, and also quite expensive<\/strong>!<\/p>\n

    \nStores enhanced these low-color yellow and brown<\/strong> stones and have ultimately created a booming business<\/strong> from them. The stones look brilliant <\/strong>and vibrant<\/strong>, but they won’t last forever<\/strong>! Reheating these stones, or adding torch heat<\/strong> (like a jeweler’s torch working on prongs<\/strong>), can make those altered colors fade and dim<\/strong>. It can make them appear dull<\/strong> once more.<\/p>\n

    So as you can see…<\/h2>\n

    \nSome of these processes are permanent, and some are not<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    So which diamonds won’t GIA grade?<\/h2>\n

    \nThe diamonds that are not permanent<\/strong>, GIA will NOT grade<\/strong> (give out a diamond report). These stones are refused and sent back, because the diamonds could, and would, change over time<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    So GIA WILL grade these enhanced diamonds:<\/h2>\n

    <\/p>\n