Clarity Enhanced Diamonds - Why Buy a Treated Diamond

Commercial grade diamonds, diamonds which are I1, I2 and I3 in clarity grade, are sometimes treated to improve the appearance of the stone. Clarity enhanced diamonds fall into two categories, fracture filled and drilled. The two treatments are different in many ways.

Today, the most common treatment is fracture filling. Fracture filling enhances the apparent clarity of the diamond. This is achieved by filling fractures, or cracks, in the diamond with a glass like substance. This makes the crack practically invisible to an unaided eye. This treatment is not permanent. If a fracture filled diamond is heated the glass filling will seep out of this clarity enhanced diamond, and the stone will return to it's original form. It is worth noting that for this reason GIA and other gemological laboratories do not give a clarity grade to fracture filled diamonds, stating that the clarity is not permanent. However, the diamond can be retreated, for free in some cases.

The Second common treatment is laser drilling. Laser drilling is used to remove dark inclusions in a diamond. By using a laser, small dark inclusions are burned out of a diamond leaving white cavities. It is considered that a light inclusion is better then a dark one. Laboratories will give such stones a clarity grade because the treatment is permanent. Cutters argue that this treatment is a part of cutting the diamond and is not a treatment.

To learn more about treated diamonds read this

The price of a treated diamond is a controversial issue.  Most people agree that a commercial, treated diamond, should be priced by taking the original value of an untreated diamond and adding the cost of the treatment.  In this case the stone is only a few hundred dollars more expensive then a regular I1 clarity diamond.  However, when we are speaking of laser drilled diamonds the situation is not so clear.  Since even an SI clarity diamond may be treated, and the treatment is permanent, you are likely to pay the same for it as you would for any other untreated diamond in that clarity grade. 

So why buy a treated diamond?  A commercial diamond will not look good in an engagement ring.  An I clarity stone will almost always have eye visible inclusions or fractures.  However, a fracture filled diamond will look much better.  Likely, your bride to be will not even see the fractures, or if she does she will not be appalled by them.  So if you are on a tight budget and need to buy an engagement ring, consider buying a clarity enhanced diamond.