Diamond treatment/enhancements on stones under 0.10ct

[whotheyare]

was wondering if this was even possible and would a regular appraisal from a jewelry store would they know? thanks

 

[denverappraiser]

This is a scary topic.

I once went to a trade show and was visiting with the folks at Yehuda, one of the big treatment companies. They reported that in the previous year (2001?) they had treated a million carats of melee, mostly for clients in Thailand.

A second observation is that, as a jeweler, it’s nearly impossible to buy this stuff, even if you wanted it. It simply isn’t available in the US distribution channels.

Lastly, I don't recall ever seeing anyone offering merchandise for sale that was disclosed to being set with clarity enhanced melee, at least not in the advertisment.

Given those observations, and given that this is only one of the companies in the business, I think it’s pretty clear that there is a fair amount of clarity enhanced melee out there and the question then becomes where is it, who’s buying it and is it being disclosed? My suspicion is that it’s being built into promotional grade jewelry like 1 carat total weight tennis bracelets and is being sold undisclosed to the discount houses but I'm just guessing about this.

Can an appraiser tell? If they look hard enough at each stone using the right tools, maybe. If they don’t, no way. In a typical type appraisal environment, I don't think this would be picked up.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

With fancy color enhanced diamonds it is fairly easy for experienced tradies to tell if there are a lot of set stones because the colors are often to good to be true.

There is no substitute for knowing who and where the goods came from - but as Neil says, there are supply chains where good ethics may not be as important as a quick buck.

 

[Richard Sherwood]

I''ve seen clarity enhanced (fracture filled) goods in a small amount of larger tennis bracelets I''ve examined, 5 to 10 carat range.

Most of them came to me from privates who bought them from secondary sources (such as auctions), and the treatment was not picked up by the non-professional jewelry seller.

 

[diagem]

A professional appraiser "should" have knowledge in this field!!!
Its not that difficult to spot CE Diamonds (Fracture filled)!!! Especially in white goods. (It gets trickier as the color gets darker.)

I would expect a professional appraiser to be knowledgeable and experienced enough to be able to spot CE Diamonds.

 

[JohnQuixote]

I''d expect that too DG, but anyone can hang out a shingle that says "appraiser." Hairdressers need more licensing. I''m not sounding an alarm, just noting that this will depend on the appraiser''s abilities, training, equipment & commitment.

 

[diagem]

Date: 8/1/2007 11:05:58 AM
Author: JohnQuixote
I''d expect that too DG, but anyone can hang out a shingle that says ''appraiser.'' Hairdressers need more licensing. I''m not sounding an alarm, just noting that this will depend on the appraiser''s abilities, training, equipment & commitment.

I agree with you, BUT...

If the appraiser can''t catch a CE (fracture filled) Diamond...., it does sound an alarm!!!
As far as tools..., all the appraiser needs is a "loupe" and "flo. light"... (that is not asking too much..., is it?)

 

[denverappraiser]

DG,

I beg to differ. Detecting enhancement that makes an SI2 look sort of like an SI1 in a 5 pointer can be darned difficult, even more so if we're talking making SI1's look like VS2's. Mounted stones in a dirty tennis bracelet where only 10% of the stones have been filled would be a very easy thing to miss. They aren't all as easy to spot as the ones that GIA brings to the shows.

Ideally, I agree that every stone should be inspected and individually graded, plotted etc. but the fees that customers are willing to pay wouldn’t justify the work required to do this on a 2ct total weight piece with 40 stones. It’s entirely reasonable that people don’t want to pay for a 3 hour inspection on a $1000 piece but the tradeoff is a less thorough inspection.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[diagem]

Date: 8/1/2007 12:02:43 PM
Author: denverappraiser
DG,

Neil..., please don''t take the following personally..., its definitely not about you.
Sorry..., but there are no excuses.
The consumer banks ($$$) on the appraisers opinion/report.

I beg to differ. Detecting enhancement that makes an SI2 look sort of like an SI1 in a 5 pointer can be darned difficult, even more so if we''re talking making SI1''s look like VS2''s. Mounted stones in a dirty tennis bracelet where only 10% of the stones have been filled would be a very easy thing to miss. They aren''t all as easy to spot as the ones that GIA brings to the shows.

Its not about the grades!!! Its about identifying enhanced Diamonds..., more than that, its about identifying fractured filled Diamonds.
Its the easiest treatment in Diamonds to identify..., An appraiser which is properly educated on the symptoms will easily identify at least 1 out of 4 (potential) CE Diamonds in a 40 piece bracelet.

Ideally, I agree that every stone should be inspected and individually graded, plotted etc. but the fees that customers are willing to pay wouldn’t justify the work required to do this on a 2ct total weight piece with 40 stones. It’s entirely reasonable that people don’t want to pay for a 3 hour inspection on a $1000 piece but the tradeoff is a less thorough inspection.

Neil..., I guarantee you I will identify treated Diamonds in a bracelet which is produced with 10% of CE Diamonds in a matter of 5 -10 minutes!!!

There are factories that manufacture a bracelet in less than three hours...

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[denverappraiser]

Manufacturing a tennis bracelet is far easier than a doing a full workup on 40 mounted stones. Take it from a guy who has done both. The budget would be prohibitive and the compromise is that the appraisers simply don’t do a thorough report. They don’t take individual photos, they don’t do individual plots, they don’t insist that the stones be pulled and reset, Sarined, etc. Most tennis bracelets, cluster rings and similar ‘total weight’ type goods are graded using an average and/or range of grades for the stones rather than providing individual grades for each stone. This is the way they are sold as well and it’s not unreasonable for all but the most legal type purposes but it’s not the standard the PS type customers apply to their primary diamonds.

The reason that the grades are important is that CE is much more difficult to spot with higher grade stones. What people are accustomed to seeing are I-1 and I-2’s that have been gussied up to look sort of like SI2’s and get sold as SI1’s. Most are in fairly large sizes, over a quarter carat, and I agree that they’re cake to spot. Higher grades and very small sizes are much more difficult. Have you ever even seen high grade CE melee? Are you sure? A single filled feather under a prong or a bit of filled bearding on a VS looking 5 pointer can be spotted with sufficient time and if you’re looking for it but I disagree that a loupe a fluorescent lamp and few seconds is sufficient to do it. Most appraisals involve an inspection of, perhaps, 5 minutes for the entire piece and many devote far less. This is part of how they do the job so cheaply. I don’t see much of this kind of work because I’m not anywhere near the cheapest appraiser in my town but I do understand their problem. A $500 item doesn’t usually justify a $200 appraisal and a $25 fee doesn’t support either a thorough inspection or a researched report.

There are several other treatment issues beyond CE. HPHT, for example, is outside of the possibilities for most appraisers and it’s simply not cost effective to test every stone for it. They just assume that it hasn't been done unless there is credible evidence to the contrary.

I agree that the appraisers should be responsible for the accuracy of their reports and I’m not defending that the majority fall far short of their duties but they are NOT who the customers are relying on for disclosure issues. Appraisers are the double check system. The dealer making the sale is the primary source.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[whotheyare]

so you guys think there are 5 pointer diamonds out the that are treated somehow? i didnt know if itwas even possible on such small diamond, would it be easier or harder to have done the higher the clarity setting?

 

[diagem]

Date: 8/1/2007 6:37:01 PM
Author: denverappraiser

Neil..., I will try to put it short and to the point.

Manufacturing a tennis bracelet is far easier than a doing a full workup on 40 mounted stones. Take it from a guy who has done both. The budget would be prohibitive and the compromise is that the appraisers simply don’t do a thorough report. They don’t take individual photos, they don’t do individual plots, they don’t insist that the stones be pulled and reset, Sarined, etc. Most tennis bracelets, cluster rings and similar ‘total weight’ type goods are graded using an average and/or range of grades for the stones rather than providing individual grades for each stone. This is the way they are sold as well and it’s not unreasonable for all but the most legal type purposes but it’s not the standard the PS type customers apply to their primary diamonds.

Neil... re-read whotheyare''s post and title..., it is not about a "full workup"..., we are talking about identifying these type of Diamonds.

The reason that the grades are important is that CE is much more difficult to spot with higher grade stones. What people are accustomed to seeing are I-1 and I-2’s that have been gussied up to look sort of like SI2’s and get sold as SI1’s. Most are in fairly large sizes, over a quarter carat, and I agree that they’re cake to spot. Higher grades and very small sizes are much more difficult. Have you ever even seen high grade CE melee? Are you sure? A single filled feather under a prong or a bit of filled bearding on a VS looking 5 pointer can be spotted with sufficient time and if you’re looking for it but I disagree that a loupe a fluorescent lamp and few seconds is sufficient to do it. Most appraisals involve an inspection of, perhaps, 5 minutes for the entire piece and many devote far less. This is part of how they do the job so cheaply. I don’t see much of this kind of work because I’m not anywhere near the cheapest appraiser in my town but I do understand their problem. A $500 item doesn’t usually justify a $200 appraisal and a $25 fee doesn’t support either a thorough inspection or a researched report.

You are cornering yourself..., Its much, MUCH easier to spot fracture fillers in higher grade Diamonds vs lower grades!!
It is naturally more difficult to ID in smaller goods vs. large goods..., but its not "much" more difficult!!!
Neil, yes I have long and extensive experience on this subject called CE Diamonds.

There are several other treatment issues beyond CE. HPHT, for example, is outside of the possibilities for most appraisers and it’s simply not cost effective to test every stone for it. They just assume that it hasn''t been done unless there is credible evidence to the contrary.

True..., but not on the subject of CE Diamonds!!
And when it comes to ''HPHT'' as Garry correctly commented above: "With fancy color enhanced diamonds it is fairly easy for experienced tradies to tell if there are a lot of set stones because the colors are often to good to be true."
With HPHT white goods..., its a whole different ballgame... I would agree with you its "outside of the possibilities" of the average appraiser.


I agree that the appraisers should be responsible for the accuracy of their reports and I’m not defending that the majority fall far short of their duties but they are NOT who the customers are relying on for disclosure issues. Appraisers are the double check system. The dealer making the sale is the primary source.

There are two sides to this coin..., I think and understand differently...

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[diagem]

Date: 8/1/2007 9:56:59 PM
Author: whotheyare
so you guys think there are 5 pointer diamonds out the that are treated somehow? i didnt know if itwas even possible on such small diamond, would it be easier or harder to have done the higher the clarity setting?

Yes..., all size/weight Diamonds can be treated just as bigger can, as long as the Diamond material matches the criteria needed for that specific treatment!