Clarity Enhancing Treatments


Laser Drilling

A tiny laser beam is used to drill into the diamond, tunneling-in to remove inclusions. Some inclusions are dissolved by chemical solutions that are placed in the tunnels.


Signs of Laser Drilling

Laser drilling typically leaves lines that resemble tiny jet trails, visible under side-view magnification. You'll see a tiny white dot when viewing the trails from the top of the diamond.

A newer type of laser enhancement creates cracks around inclusions near a diamond's surface. The imperfection is removed, and the marks left behind look more like natural flaws than laser trails.

Laser drilling removes inclusions permanently and does not alter the strength of a diamond. Normal cleaning and the heat produced during setting repairs won't change the appearance of the stone.

Laser drilled areas that are filled-in with a clear substance are more difficult to detect, but the filler should not be considered permanent.


Fracture Filling

Fracture filling is a treatment used to fill-in tiny cracks with a clear, glasslike substance. The cracks don't disappear, but the film creates an optical illusion that makes them invisible to the naked eye.

Fracture filling is not a permanent treatment. Heat from repairs, cleaning, and sunlight can erode the filler or darken its color.


Signs of Fracture Filling

Some signs of fracture filling can be seen using a 10X jeweler's loupe and others require a microscope.

* With magnification, you might see flashes of color where cracks have been filled. The flashes aren't like the typical brilliant colors you see when rotating a stone. Instead, they follow the lines and shapes of the filled cracks.

* Trapped air bubbles are a sign of fracture filling, either singly or in groups that create a cloudy appearance.

Unfilled cracks in diamonds can also produce color flashes. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) advises that unfilled cracks are easiest to detect when looking at them from a perpendicular angle, while filled breaks are more obvious when looking at them from a parallel perspective.

If you're buying a diamond engagement ring or other diamond jewelry that will be worn continuously, a fracture filled stone may not be the best choice, since the treatment is not permanent.

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Fracture Filling

Laser Drilling