Need Help...

[jadiedawn]

Hi, I need some info. My husband bought me a new ring for our 15th anniversary. It is beautiful and I love everything about it. HOWEVER, after a week suddenly a black line appeared. I thought it was mascara- went to wipe it off- it is inside. I can also see what appears to be a fracture line across the side of the diamond. I kept wondering if I had done something to cause this...like slam my hand against something or whatever(still shouldn''t cause something like that). Went to the Jewler they simply stated ,"it was a flaw, some are white , some are black." Wasn''t happy with this response and we are going back next week to speak with the manager. Before I do would like as much info as possible.

How is it possible that my husband never saw this flaw and I didn''t see it prior to this?....My appraisal states it is one round brilliant cut diamond, weight 1/2 ct, clarity I1, color I.........after reading more online about clarity shouldn''t my appraisal state if it is VS or S in front of the I1? Do flaws and inclusions suddenly appear? If it was a tiny dot or a tiny fracture line, I wouldn''t mind. It adds character, but this black line is from the outer edge all the way to the center and the fracture line is fairly long and both are very visible to the naked eye. The entire situation is weird to me, of course I don''t know much about diamonds...so any help would be appreciated.~ Thanks!

 

[JulieN]

Hi, jadiedawn. Welcome to PS. Your stone is graded I1. Visible flaws are, shall we say, the norm, or expected in I clarity stones. The I stands for "included." SI stands for "slightly included," and VS stands for "very slightly" (included.) VVS (very, very slightly,) IF (internally flawless,) and FL (flawless) are the rest of the grades.

The fracture line across the side of the diamond is probably a girdle reflection (nothing to worry about) or it could be an inclusion. Inclusions do not suddenly appear, you probably just didn't notice it due to...excitement?

HTH

 

[Lorelei]

Welcome.

Properly graded I1 diamonds CAN be eyeclean, but you need to choose carefully. The white inclusion could be a feather - which is a nicer term than fracture - but these are a type of inclusion. I very much doubt you have damaged the diamond, it HAS happened though ( read old stories here) and it could be a girdle reflection if it appears on the lower portion of the diamond all the way around, if not it is more likely a feather. Also has this diamond been clarity enhanced? Another theory is if it was enhanced and cleaned with a strong ammonia cleaner or worked on by a jeweller who didn''t know, the enhancement filling can bubble out and then the flaw it hides becomes visible - just a thought. If this is the case it can be redone easily. It is probably far more likely though that this happened.

Inclusions show up more in different lights. You were looking at the ring in a different light and at an angle which was just right for these inclusions to jump out at you and you first noticed them. Also who graded the diamond? Some grading labs are less strict than others so this would be useful to know.

 

[blodthecat]

It could just be that you didn''t notice this when you originally got the ring.

Once you have noticed an imperfection, you eyes will automatically focus on it.

Have you any pictures for us to look at?

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Yes, I1 is a lower clarity grade and usually means that there are visible inclusions. I doubt your husband looked at it long enough or closely enough to see them. In fact, I think it is also important to ask to see any potential stone under magnification before buying. Here is some very good information about clarity to read. If the inclusions bother you, I hope your store has a return policy so you can start over with the search for a better diamond.

http://www.goodoldgold.com/content.php?c=13

 

[Carlotta]

I have a stone with an I1 inclusion.......I never realized it until I looked at the stone with an idealscope!! And we looked at the stone with a microscope at the vendors.....It is a white feather - but a good sized one that crosses the stone....can''t be felt....
But, it just goes to show that it is best to have any stone looked at by a professional if there is any question.....you have to know how to look, and what you are looking for....some inclusions can only be seen if the stone is turned a certain way, etc.....

 

[jadiedawn]

Thank you all so much for your replies. We have taken everything you all have said into account and are returning to the jewler on Tues. They do have a return policy and are going to work with us. We have a better idea of what to ask/look for now. Thanks again.

 

[kcoursolle]

I''m glad you were able to return the piece. I would suggest reading the diamond tutorials on this site so that you will go to the jewelers armed and ready with education! This will help you know exactly what you are buying and also make the process easier. Also, remember that cut quality is the most important in making a diamond sparkle.

 

[Mara]

Date: 6/11/2006 2:44:32 PM
Author: kcoursolle
I''m glad you were able to return the piece. I would suggest reading the diamond tutorials on this site so that you will go to the jewelers armed and ready with education! This will help you know exactly what you are buying and also make the process easier. Also, remember that cut quality is the most important in making a diamond sparkle.

Ditto!!

Try to find something that is more eye clean, at least SI or so...inspect the stone with a 10x loupe at the store...and also read up on cut quality, because if your diamond sparkles like the dickens because all the facets are aligned just so, then it can actually hide alot of inclusions, which is great. But if the stone isn''t that sparkly due to cut quality, then you tend to notice more imperfections in it. I had a great SI2 stone that had a bunch of inclusions but I could only ever find a really tiny dark one because the stone was so blinding and sparkly. Good luck!