Not all diamonds are naturally flawless. A diamond may have minute imperfections or impurities caused during its development deep within the surface of the Earth as diamonds sometimes capture other elements during its formation, including trapping air. The trapped air, which may seem like tiny cracks or fissures, is visible to the naked eye even after the diamond is cut and polished since the light that enters the diamond refracts differently when passing through the air pocket than when passing through the diamond. This refraction causes the diamond to appear unattractive and lower in value.

An Israeli scientist developed in the mid 1970s a treatment method to fill these air pockets in diamonds. Through a vacuum process, a glass-like filler material that has similar refractive index or optical properties to that of a diamond’s is inserted into the pocket of air through its opening that reaches the natural surface. With this clear filler, the light that enters the diamond is now refracted evenly making the diamond more appealing to the naked eye and sometimes even under magnification.

The filler material used to enhance the diamond does not alter a diamond’s weight nor does it change its color and shape in any way. As a matter of fact, the perceived clarity of the diamond is rather improved by one or two grades, sometimes even as high as a VS2 in the grading scale.

The filler material usually remains intact under normal wear and tear. However, since the treatment is not permanent, the filler material may evaporate when exposed to extreme heat such as a jeweler’s torch during repairs or cleaning; or when exposed to boiling acids and ammonia bases. The diamond then returns to its original unappealing look when the fillers evaporate. Treatment labs, however, offer guarantees for free reprocessing during such events.

Generally known as clarity-enhanced diamond, the fracture filled diamond can be detected under magnification by most professional jewelers. They are determined by the “flash” of light the diamond creates when light enters the filler material. This “flash effect” is visible from the underside of the treated diamond.

Enhanced diamonds were first introduced in the US in the late 1980’s and were critically met with much controversy. Unscrupulous diamond traders even began selling them without disclosing their enhanced status. A widely publicized case in Saint Louis, MO tells of a jeweler who unknowingly purchased a parcel of enhanced diamonds and sold them as non-enhanced. When the story broke out in a media expose, the negative publicity experienced by the jeweler drove him to commit suicide.

Today though, enhanced diamonds are widely accepted by the buying public and have eventually played a very important role in the diamond industry. When they are sold with full disclosure, the buyer understands the value and benefits they are getting from treated diamonds. Moreover, the consumers appreciate the fact that they can now have their own ideal diamond at very affordable and reasonable prices.