Nanocut Plasma-Etched Diamonds for Fire Enhancement

[serenitydiamonds]

GIA recent posted an article on a new type of cutting style called plasma etching that is being currently added to round brilliant diamonds. This method etches microscopic patterns on the surface of the facet, called diffraction gratings, to change the way the diamond reflects the light creating enhanced fire from the diamonds. These new etchings are usually located on a diamond’s pavilion. These new stones are being marketed as Nanocut plasma-etched diamonds.

GIA is considering these diamonds as modified round brilliants and will grade their color and clarity. However, a cut grade for the diamond will not be included.

I''ve attached an image (Courtesy of G&G) which shows how the new diamonds face up.

--Joshua

 

[kenny]

Interesting, breaking up white light into its components colors, by treating a surface instead of using proportions, angles and optics.

You can also see lots of cool colors on a DVD or on dichroic glass, which are both much cheaper than diamonds.

Maybe now they can save more rough, since proportions won't matter as much, unless this does not catch on.

I'm also very curious about the lighting set up used for that pic.

I'd love to read more about it.
I googled around a bit.
Got any links?

 

[denverappraiser]

I wonder what these look like when they’re dirty?

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

 

[stone-cold11]

Sounds like a gunk magnet...

 

[Liane]

That''s really interesting but I dunno if I like it. I expected to like anything that increases fire, but in that photo, at least, it looks to me like one of those old-school strontium titanate fakies from the ''50s. Wonder what it looks like in person.

 

[Abril]

Sounds like it has promise.

 

[serenitydiamonds]

Date: 12/7/2009 6:57:46 PM
Author: kenny
Interesting, breaking up white light into its components colors, by treating a surface instead of using proportions, angles and optics.


You can also see lots of cool colors on a DVD or on dichroic glass, which are both much cheaper than diamonds.


Maybe now they can save more rough, since proportions won''t matter as much, unless this does not catch on.


I''m also very curious about the lighting set up used for that pic.


I''d love to read more about it.

I googled around a bit.

Got any links?

Well you''ll still need good proportions for superior light return as this will not affect brilliance. There''s not much on it other than an article in Gem & Gemology, it''s a fairly new technique that has been perfected so there''s not much on it quite yet.

--Joshua

 

[serenitydiamonds]

Date: 12/7/2009 7:30:55 PM
Author: Stone-cold11
Sounds like a gunk magnet...

Diamonds are already a gunk magnet lol.....

 

[Michael_E]

Date: 12/7/2009 8:58:19 PM
Author: serenitydiamonds

Date: 12/7/2009 7:30:55 PM

Author: Stone-cold11

Sounds like a gunk magnet...

Diamonds are already a gunk magnet lol.....

Yep, and this will be the most direct reason that this idea will flop. A diffraction grating is a series of parallel groves cut into the surface of an object and in this case those grooves will be the first thing to plug up with gunk and make the stone look like it has a fuzzy 8 armed cross through it. The other problem is that gratings like this don''t reflect nearly as much light as a polished surface...it''s just built in light leakage, all the time. I think that this will be sold strictly on marketing hype and quickly fall from grace.

 

[serenitydiamonds]

Date: 12/7/2009 10:45:00 PM
Author: Michael_E

Date: 12/7/2009 8:58:19 PM

Author: serenitydiamonds

Date: 12/7/2009 7:30:55 PM


Author: Stone-cold11


Sounds like a gunk magnet...

Diamonds are already a gunk magnet lol.....

Yep, and this will be the most direct reason that this idea will flop. A diffraction grating is a series of parallel groves cut into the surface of an object and in this case those grooves will be the first thing to plug up with gunk and make the stone look like it has a fuzzy 8 armed cross through it. The other problem is that gratings like this don''t reflect nearly as much light as a polished surface...it''s just built in light leakage, all the time. I think that this will be sold strictly on marketing hype and quickly fall from grace.

One hopes anyway..... but I thought the same with fracture filling, lol.

--Joshua

 

[HopeDream]

Hmm interesting!

I think they use the same technique on toothpaste packaging and shampoo lables to achieve a rainbowy effect.

It would be interesting to see a video of such a stone, and how it performs under varying degrees of cleanliness.

It does kind of cheapen the diamond for me though, because it reminds me so much of product packaging.