Help! How can a diamonds color change???

[Eternal]

Greetings all,
I joined this group because I''m interested in everything jewelry and always have questions so this seemed like a good place to poke around.
I recently had an odd experience with a diamond and was unable to find any info through google.
I had a small (.35 pts) white diamond, not gia, about G in color, included, (I3 according to my own standards) but with nothing milky or white visible inside. All the inclusions are clear so the stone still had tons of fire and brilliance. Very white and prismatic.
I took it in to have it cleaned and redipped (Rhodium)and something shocking happened. My clear, bright, white diamond, came back much darker, but not brown or yellow, its a grey color now!!!
Not milky or frosty, still clear but some of the fire and brilliance are missing. I know its the same stone because the inclusions are distinctive enough to tell, especially with a loop.
I have never seen or heard of anything like this.
I always have pieces dipped and cleaned, steamed, etc, and I am just completely perplexed.
Has anyone here ever heard of anything like this? Any idea how such a thing could happen and if there is anything at all I can do about it?
I selected this stone for its brilliance and fire and I''m a little distraught over this whole thing.
Would love to hear your thoughts.
Thank you in advance to any who respond.
Best wishes,
~Eternal

 

[tyty333]

Could it possibly be color treated?

Read under Coatings and other Color Tricks.

http://jewelry.about.com/cs/diamondtreatment1/a/color_treatment.htm

 

[Circe]

That sounds ... really odd. Did they do anything *other* than rhodium-treat it? Polish it before dipping it, maybe? If so, some of the polishing compound may have sullied the stone. An acid bath would fix that. Alternately, if it was fracture filled and the compound inside was heated, that might cause a color change - but you say it was *just* dipped? I am stumped.

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

Sounds like something got on the diamond. I would take it back to the jeweler for a thorough cleaning.

lisa

 

[exoticisabella]

It sounds like some of the rhodium got stuck on the diamond (hence the color). Try having it cleaned again first and see what happens

 

[Karl_K]

95% chance it is polishing compound on the pavilion of the diamond.
Have it re-cleaned.

 

[denverappraiser]

Date: 12/9/2009 11:34:35 AM
Author: Karl_K
95% chance it is polishing compound on the pavilion of the diamond.

Have it re-cleaned.

Ditto Karl.

They polish the ring prior to rhodium plating and a little bit of uncleaned polishing compound on the back of the stone will have this effect. A good cleaning and a polite apology should take care of it.

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

 

[Rockdiamond]

I agree with Karl and Neil. Sounds like gunk under the stone.
I don''t believe it''s possible for rhodium to stick to the diamond as the process uses electrical current to plate the metal.

Neil, can you confirm that part?

 

[Eternal]

Hello all,
Thank you for your responses.
This is not gunk or anything external on the stone or under it.
It is more like the difference between a grey tinted sunglass lens, and a clear one.
If I can, I will try to post some before and after pictures.
I took pictures of the ring before I bought it when it was a white stone.
The stone has been cleaned since and it is clearly grey in color now. Not cloudy, still sparkles, but not as much as it did when it was white.
I talked with a gemologist who said that you can destroy a diamond like this through a process he called "quenching".
He said that if you heat a stone too much, and then dip it in a cold solution without waiting for it to cool, you can "Quench" the diamond, which is in essence sealing in the "burned" color.
The jewelor has never heard of anything like this, neither had I.
The stone is not certified, and is not very big or even expensive compared to most diamonds, and I got it at a pretty good discount. I could not however replace it for what I paid for it.
I asked him to see if he could find me a replacement stone but I am very picky about diamonds.
I dont care how perfect they are according to the four Cs, because I''m not buying a large expensive stone.
I just care about cut, fire, and brilliance and an included stone can have that as long as it isn''t milky with black spots.
Anyway, I am going to keep with my research on this, but I wish I could show you the stone.
This is not anything external.
The gemologist said there is nothing I can do to return the stone to its original color.
It almost looks like a silver stone now.
I''ll try to get a picture if I can.
Thanks again for all your help.
If anyone knows where I can find a little heart shaped stone, perhaps between .35 and .50 pts, something with a good cut, fire and brilliance, but at a discounted price, do please let me know.
This tiny little ring was so perfect...now the diamond is darker than the gold, it''s grey

If anyone has heard of this burning/quenching thing, if there is anything at all that might be done about it, please let me know, although I doubt it would be affordable if there was a way.
Thanks again.
~Eternal

 

[tyty333]

I''m sorry about your stone. I hope you can find out what happened to it. Please do post pictures...I would like to see the before
and afters.

 

[Circe]

Quenching is permanent, but I''ve never heard of it happening with a diamond ... it''s usually a risk with softer stones. How very odd ... definitely, do post before-and-after shots. This is definitely piquing my interest!

 

[Eternal]

I posted some pictures on this thread entitled: "Quenching?"

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/quenching.131475/