Laser Drilled diamond, Before / After

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

This is a clients diamond that we have just had laser drilled (with Dave Atlas''s kind help).

The top row are before and the bottom are after drilling and etching the black inclusion with acids.

The 1 1/3rd ct stone has improved enormously. It was passed down so they could not ''dispose of it''. wonderful technology.

 

[monarch64]

Wow! That is so cool, thanks for posting those pics Gary. i would be thrilled if I were the owner of that diamond and didn't lose something so valuable sentimentally or otherwise.

ETA: i don't know much about laser technology as it relates to diamonds, is the process very expensive or could the average person afford to have such a thing done? Just curious.

 

[Lorelei]

Thanks for sharing that Garry!

 

[Skippy123]

Wow, that is a big difference and pretty cool; thanks for sharing!

 

[NYCsparkle]

WOW!!! thats pretty cool technology and the clients will be able to create a sentimental piece with the diamond.

 

[oldminer]

Many retailers refuse to carry or to sell laser drilled diamonds. It is a category with potential for making bad looking diamonds look a lot better. The problem has been non-disclosure and the repercussions when a trusting customer finds out they have been sold a stone that once looked worse than at present. There are so many ways to cheat and so few ways to be really honest.

A diamond with a big black spot can often be drilled or acid soaked to improve its appearance. It does nothing to change durability and is a rather inexpensive thing to do. Of course, sine many retailers won''t carry drilled diamonds, the re-sale value is limited more because so many won''t consider buying one. Its all the same to me. I don''t drill them myself and only report the findings to people who want to know. Oftentimes just so-so diamonds can really look pretty nice with this extra enhancement procedure.

 

[chrono]

Garry and Dave,
Do you have any real pictures (magnified) of the stone? I''d like to see how much the real stone improved visually. This reminds me of another PS poster''s inherited diamond that was improved recently with colloboration with Wink. The improvement was nothing short of amazing.

 

[kcoursolle]

What a difference!

 

[iheartscience]

It really is a huge difference! I would also love to see a photograph of the stone before and after if possible!

 

[WinkHPD]

Date: 7/5/2007 3:36:23 PM
Author: thing2of2
It really is a huge difference! I would also love to see a photograph of the stone before and after if possible!

Here is a picture of the stone referred to above, shown with my client''s permission.

 

[WinkHPD]

.

 

[poshpepper]

WOW! What a difference!

So what does the owner have to do different (cleaning/care wise) now that this treatment was applied?

 

[WinkHPD]

The above shot is the perspective view and this is the side view.

As you can see, the drilling made an incredible difference in both the clarity and the apparent body color of the diamond.

Wink

 

[Dee*Jay]

That''s amazing!

 

[WinkHPD]

Date: 7/5/2007 3:56:01 PM
Author: poshpepper
WOW! What a difference!

LOL! I love your avatar!

Wink

 

[snlee]

Wow, what a difference! It''s a great option for a diamond valuable sentimentally.

 

[FireGoddess]

That is nothing short of a phenomenal difference in the appearance of that stone!

 

[luckystar112]

Wow...that is a huge difference!

I was told that laser drilled diamonds lose durabilty, and are technically all I1''s after the procedure. But if they are just as strong, why aren''t more people exploring the option of buying a lower clarity diamond and getting it fixed? Is it just a pride thing?

Honestly, I didn''t think we were even allowed to mention clarity enhanced diamonds on here.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Date: 7/5/2007 9:27:58 AM
Author: Chrono
Garry and Dave,
Do you have any real pictures (magnified) of the stone? I''d like to see how much the real stone improved visually. This reminds me of another PS poster''s inherited diamond that was improved recently with colloboration with Wink. The improvement was nothing short of amazing.

Chrono the other photo''s do not have the same controlled lighting and are unfair comparisons as the stone is a very shallow trasitional old cut and has large dark zones in normal lighting.
Winks photo''s are better i think than my others

 

[Gypsy]

That''s MIRACULOUS! Seriously. What a difference!

 

[Diamond*Dana]

Wow! That is very cool, thanks for sharing!

 

[WinkHPD]

Date: 7/5/2007 4:33:04 PM
Author: luckystar112
Wow...that is a huge difference!


I was told that laser drilled diamonds lose durabilty, and are technically all I1''s after the procedure. But if they are just as strong, why aren''t more people exploring the option of buying a lower clarity diamond and getting it fixed? Is it just a pride thing?


Honestly, I didn''t think we were even allowed to mention clarity enhanced diamonds on here.

I think someone is telling you stories, I seriously doubt that the laser treated diamonds loose any structural integrity, although it might be possible with some few stones that huge inclusions are removed from.

However, if the stone was an I1 prior to lasering, it is will still be an I1, they are correct that no actual increase in the clarity is achieved, although there may be huge apparent visual change. Most of us in the trade will assume that the diamond was I1 or worse prior to lasering, else why do it?

I reported my post to the administrator to be sure that I was not violating any rules and he assures me that since the information was requested that I was not. I believe that all things having to do with natural diamonds and gems are permitted for discussion, although we definitely do not discuss synthetics and simulants.

As to why more people do not do it? I think it is a matter of most people not knowing of the process and that many who do somehow equate it with BAD JUJU.

For my client, and for Garry''s, obviously it allowed them to have a much more beautiful treasure that had been passed from generation to generation. I was pleased and proud to have been able to help my client just as Garry was to help his. So long as full disclosure is made BEFORE the sale, I believe that this is a valid process for improving the visual appearance of a gem. In the case of these stones, there was no sale, and our clients came to us wanting to know what could be done. As you can clearly see, for some stones the answer is A LOT.

Wink

 

[CaptAubrey]

In truth, the trade''s historical approach to laser drilling has not been distinguished by either logic or consistency.

Lasers are now routinely used for the shaping of rough--quite often to remove unwanted inclusions. No one thinks this process requires disclosure. So:

Laser + removal of external inclusion = no treatment, no disclosure
Laser + removal of internal inclusion = treatment, mandatory disclosure

One difference is that laser-drilled diamonds are then acid boiled in order to bleach the inclusion. But... virtually all diamonds are acid boiled after faceting to clean them. And if there happens to be a dark inclusion that reaches the surface because it was exposed during faceting, or because it connects to a surface-reaching feather, the acid boiling will bleach that inclusion or remove it entirely (leaving behind a pit). So:

Acid boiling + surface-reaching inclusion as a result of faceting = bleached inclusion = no treatment, no disclosure
Acid boiling + surface-reaching inclusion as a result of laser drilling = bleached inclusion = treatment, mandatory disclosure.

The reality is that we''re where we currently are not because of any logical progression but because, during the 1980s, certain elements in the media turned laser drilling into a "gotcha issue" to feed into consumer fears that all jewelers are crooks at heart. It wasn''t being disclosed largely because when the process was developed, the manufacturers using it saw it, rightly IMO, as just a technological advance in the manufacturing process.

I agree it needs to be disclosed now because, well, consumers have come to see it as something that needs to be disclosed.

Most jewelers avoid selling laser drilled diamonds because of this history. Even if they price them fairly and do their best to disclose and explain the process in a neutral fashion, they''re still running the risk that their customer will later mention the laser drilling to someone who has learned just enough about diamonds to be dangerous to themself and others. This person will then exclaim, "It''s laser drilled?! That means you got a crappy diamond!" and proceed to convince the customer that he or she got ripped off. Happy Customer becomes Angry Customer Demanding a Refund, or worse, Angry Customer Telling All Their Friends They Were Scammed. Is there any wonder most just prefer to avoid the entire issue?

Hopefully threads like this one will help people see that there is nothing evil or dishonest about laser drilling. It''s just a process that can be very beneficial in some cases.

 

[Carats]

Is a diamond dealer legally responsible for disclosing the truth about the diamonds treatment history?? Do they have to do this in writing?

 

[door knob solitaire]

Oh Captain my captain...I see why you are the head of the ship...that was some informative post!

Thanks.

DKS

 

[WinkHPD]

Date: 7/5/2007 9:06:16 PM
Author: Carats
Is a diamond dealer legally responsible for disclosing the truth about the diamonds treatment history?? Do they have to do this in writing?

Yes, that is now the case. Initially it was the retailers demanding disclosure from their vendors and finally the diamond dealers group went along with it and it is now required in writing.

Formally it was considered a permanent change in the diamond, just like polishing and was considered not necessary to disclose, but the retailers who knew enough to know a drilled diamond when they saw it insisted that it be disclosed and now it is. It was resisted for many years.

Wink

 

[rainbowtrout]

Out of curiosity, how would one price such a diamond (assuming full disclosure?) I wonder what it would take in price difference to get a skittish customer to buy it?

On the other hand, perhaps the procedure itself is a bit expensive?

 

[WinkHPD]

The procedure is relatively inexpensive. The stones are usually priced as I1''s of the appropriate color. While the procedure does not increase the clarity it does dramatically increase the beauty, and thus the saleability of the diamond. And as you have seen in the above pictures, it will sometimes have a positive effect on the apparent body color of the diamond, which can raise the price over the starting value.

Of course laser drilled stones are still "untouchable" for online sales, but for the in-house client who is on a budget and buying beauty rather than paper they are sometimes an acceptable option.

Wink

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Date: 7/6/2007 6:54:28 AM
Author: rainbowtrout
Out of curiosity, how would one price such a diamond (assuming full disclosure?) I wonder what it would take in price difference to get a skittish customer to buy it?

On the other hand, perhaps the procedure itself is a bit expensive?

A guess type answer would be that a laser drilled and acid etched diamond might be sold for about 1/2 way between its pre and new clarity grade. But in some large parcels a chain type operation, and their clients,might never know that 1 in 100 are such stones.

What we have not yet mentioned, and Capitain would do a more eloquent story, is that the next level was the vacuum infiling of the surface and driled cavities with lead (crystal high refractive index) glass. These are called fracture filled, or enhanced.

The next generation are cross focuesed lasers (2 or more like cancer radiotherapy treatments) that zap and change the chistry of internal inclusions to make dark inclusions light by selective temperature contorl.

But wait - there can be even more???????????????

 

[diagem]

Date: 7/6/2007 8:59:42 AM
Author: Garry H (Cut Nut)

Date: 7/6/2007 6:54:28 AM
Author: rainbowtrout
Out of curiosity, how would one price such a diamond (assuming full disclosure?) I wonder what it would take in price difference to get a skittish customer to buy it?

On the other hand, perhaps the procedure itself is a bit expensive?

A guess type answer would be that a laser drilled and acid etched diamond might be sold for about 1/2 way between its pre and new clarity grade. But in some large parcels a chain type operation, and their clients,might never know that 1 in 100 are such stones.

What we have not yet mentioned, and Capitain would do a more eloquent story, is that the next level was the vacuum infiling of the surface and driled cavities with lead (crystal high refractive index) glass. These are called fracture filled, or enhanced.

The next generation are cross focuesed lasers (2 or more like cancer radiotherapy treatments) that zap and change the chistry of internal inclusions to make dark inclusions light by selective temperature contorl.

But wait - there can be even more???????????????

Garry et al..., what about "KM"???