At Stunning Diamonds we use 100% Real Natural Diamonds in all our diamond jewellery.

Every diamond used in our jewellery was mined from the earth, is conflict free and not treated or altered in any way apart from basic cutting, polishing and cleaning. We do not sell artificially enhanced, synthetic or lab created diamonds.

This is worth explaining when you understand that many jewellers, diamond traders and websites deal in artificially enhanced diamonds and unless you are aware of this and know to check - you could end up with diamonds that are not 100% Natural when you presumed they were!

If you are planning on buying diamond jewellery it is extremely important to be aware of artificially enhanced diamonds and to know if the diamond(s) in the item you intend to purchase have been augmented in any way so you don't over pay or end up with artificially enhanced diamonds when you thought they would be all natural. 

Many times it will be extremely difficult to detect if a diamond has been artificially enhanced. If you look closely you may be able to see a small drill hole from laser drilling or you may notice cloudy spots that may indicate enhancements. However, your best bet is to ensure the diamond seller provides a gemmology appraisal. Having a gemmologist assess your diamond jewellery and do certain tests to determine if the diamond(s) are enhanced is the best course of action for any consumer buying diamond jewellery.

Every item of diamond jewellery supplied by Stunning Diamonds comes with an appraisal outlining the exact make up of the diamonds and gold setting.

Natural Diamonds  

Natural Diamonds V's Artificially Enhanced   

You may be wondering what all the fuss is about artificially improving a diamond's gemelogical characteristics. The truth of the matter is that a diamond is more valuable when it has not been artificially augmented. Besides general polishing and diamond cleaning, any other artificial enhancements to improve the colour or clarity of the diamond(s) in your diamond jewellery will result in a lower valued item.

For some people buying enhanced stones is attractive, they purchase a beautiful looking stone for much less than an untouched diamond, however the problem lies with shady diamond salesmen that will fraudulently sell you a diamond that has been artificially manipulated for the same price as an untouched stone. This is why it is extremely important to understand diamonds and the processes in which a diamond can be artificially enhanced so that you can make an educated and informed decision when buying diamond jewellery.

If a diamond has had other augmentation done to it besides basic cutting, polishing and cleaning it must be openly stated with full disclosures according to FTC rules. Although diamond augmentation must be disclosed to the buyer, unfortunately many diamonds that have had fracture filling, laser drilling or other types of treatments are never disclosed to the buyer by shoddy diamond traders and the consumer pays full price for a diamond that in reality is worth much less.

In addition without having an understanding of what the word "enhanced" means in relation to diamonds the consumer may be under the misunderstanding that this is in fact a good thing.

Bottom line - if you expect to have 100% Real Natural Diamonds in your diamond jewellery then you need to check with the seller that is in fact what you will get. Otherwise you may end up paying more for your diamond jewellery than it is actually worth and after all you won't have 100% Real Natural Diamonds! 

Below is an outline of how diamonds can be artificially enhanced.

Diamond Enhancement

Diamond enhancements are specific treatments, performed on natural diamonds (usually those already cut and polished into gems), which are designed to improve the gemmological characteristics - and therefore the value — of the stone in one or more ways. These include clarity treatments such as laser drilling to remove inclusions, application of sealants to fill cracks, colour treatments to improve a white diamond's colour grade, and treatments to give fancy colour to a white or off-colour diamond.

The CIBJO and government agencies such as the United States Federal Trade Commission explicitly require the disclosure of most diamond treatments at the time of sale.

Laser Drilling

The combustibility of diamond has allowed the development of laser drilling techniques which, on a microscopic scale, are able to selectively target and either remove or significantly reduce the visibility of crystal or iron oxide-stained fracture inclusions. Diamonds have been laser-drilled since at least the mid-1980s. Laser drilling is often followed by glass infilling.

Several inclusions can be thus removed from the same diamond, and under microscopic inspection the fine bore holes are readily detectable. They are whitish and more or less straight, but may change direction slightly, and are often described as having a "wrinkled" appearance. In reflected light, the surface-reaching holes can be seen as dark circles breaching the diamond's facets. The diamond material removed during the drilling process is destroyed, and is often replaced with glass infilling, using the fracture filling techniques described below.

Fracture Filling

Around the same time as the laser drilling technique was developed, research began on the fracture filling of diamonds to better conceal their flaws. The glass filling of diamond often follows the laser drilling and acid-etching of inclusions, though if the fractures are surface-reaching, no drilling may be required.

The glass present in fracture-filled diamonds can usually be detected by a trained gemmologist under the microscope: the most obvious signs - apart from the surface-reaching bore holes and fractures associated with drilled diamonds - are air bubbles and flow lines within the glass, which are features never seen in untreated diamond.

The fracture-filling of diamond is a controversial treatment within the industry - and increasingly among the public as well - due to its radical and impermanent nature. The filling glass melts at such a low temperature (1,400 °C or 1,670 K) that it easily "sweats" out of a diamond under the heat of a jeweller's torch; thus routine jewellery repair can lead to a complete degradation of clarity or in some cases shattering, especially if the jeweller is not aware of the treatment. Similarly, a fracture-filled diamond placed in an ultrasonic cleaner may not survive intact.

It is notable that most major gemmological laboratories refuse to issue certificates for fracture-filled diamonds. Labs that do certify these diamonds may render any treatment benefit moot by disregarding apparent clarity and instead assigning the diamond a grade reflecting its original, pre-treatment clarity.

Colour Enhancements

Generally there are three major methods to artificially alter the colour of a diamond: irradiation with high-energy subatomic particles; the application of thin films or coatings; and the combined application of high pressure and high temperature (HPHT). However, there is recent evidence that fracture filling is not only used to improve clarity, but that it can be used for the sole purpose to change the colour into a more desirable colour as well.

The first two methods can only modify colour, usually to turn an off-colour Cape series stone into a more desirable fancy-coloured stone. Because some irradiation methods produce only a thin "skin" of colour, they are applied to diamonds that are already cut and polished. Conversely, HPHT treatment is used to modify and remove colour from either rough or cut diamonds-but only certain diamonds are treatable in this manner. Irradiation and HPHT treatments are usually permanent insofar as they will not be reversed under normal conditions of jewellery use, whereas thin films are impermanent.

Clarity Enhanced Diamonds

One of the most valuable traits of a diamond is its clarity. However, many diamonds that have imperfections are artificially manipulated to increase this trait, this process is called clarity enhancement and while it may make a diamond look aesthetically pleasing, it is not always beneficial for the buyer.

There are a few ways in which the clarity of a diamond can be manipulated. One of the more common methods is to drill a tiny whole in the diamond in order to remove an inclusion which is minerals or elements that can cause discolouring. Other methods include filling cracks or fissures in a diamond with sealant and colour treatments that try to improve a diamonds colour or to give the diamond an exotic hue.

Possibly the most common way a diamond is clarity enhanced is by drilling. Many diamonds that are the right size and colour but have inclusions which are generally iron oxide or more commonly called rust usually are candidates for drilling. Drilling is usually done with a laser which neatly makes a small hole down through the diamond to the inclusion. Acid is usually used to remove the rust from the diamond making it clear of any inclusions. At this point the diamond may be left with a small fracture or it may be filled, usually with heavy glass that is unnoticeable to the naked eye. This technique of filling fissures, drilled holes and fractures is known as fracture filling and can take place in diamonds that were drilled to remove inclusions or diamonds with small fissures. Instead of heavy glass, small cracks and fissures can also be filled with tiny diamond vapor depositions which are almost undetectable as well.

When you purchase your diamond jewellery from Stunning Diamonds you can be assured of receiving

100% Real Natural Diamonds. 

---

"The engagement ring arrived on time and as described and my partner Grace loved it. You are a great company to deal with I will be recommending you to all our friends who are also planning their engagement".

Todd Williams 

READ MORE