Question about Diamond "Cracking"

[vinnie98]

Not certain if this is the appropriate forum or not. I apologize in advance if it isn't.

I purchased a stone last fall and had it set in a beautiful platinum Barkev solitaire setting. It is a 1.72ct top light brown stone and it was incredibly gorgeous! It looked whitish outdoors and under my kitchen LED lights but it turned an awesome creamy brown in my bathroom lights and under cloudy conditions. I haven't had the opportunity to wear it much -- just Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentines Day, Mother's Day and one or two other times.

I decided I wanted to make a graduated 5-stone and I found the perfect .70ct K, faint brown stones for the larger sides and .40ct stones for the smaller sides. Now that I've received all of the stones, I pulled out my ring to see how well they match and it looks a little "off". It's still sparkling but it seems like I can see the color in ALL conditions now where it was previously white SOMEtimes. I cleaned the stone and louped it and it looks like I have damage at two of the prongs. For lack of a better term, it looks like it's "cracking" at two of the prongs but on the inside of the stone, not the outside. Is that possible? Can a ring be set too tightly? And if so, would it affect the look of the ENTIRE stone? I haven't banged it or anything, nor do I sleep in it. Is this some type of "time-released" damage? I don't recall noticing damage at the prongs in the past.

I hesitate to post this here because it just isn't a PScope quality stone but I do love it so much. It wasn't an engagement ring, more of a "fun" ring and I'm positively sick over this. What could have gone wrong?

 

[Lorelei]

Not certain if this is the appropriate forum or not. I apologize in advance if it isn't.

I purchased a stone last fall and had it set in a beautiful platinum Barkev solitaire setting. It is a 1.72ct top light brown stone and it was incredibly gorgeous! It looked whitish outdoors and under my kitchen LED lights but it turned an awesome creamy brown in my bathroom lights and under cloudy conditions. I haven't had the opportunity to wear it much -- just Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentines Day, Mother's Day and one or two other times.

I decided I wanted to make a graduated 5-stone and I found the perfect .70ct K, faint brown stones for the larger sides and .40ct stones for the smaller sides. Now that I've received all of the stones, I pulled out my ring to see how well they match and it looks a little "off". It's still sparkling but it seems like I can see the color in ALL conditions now where it was previously white SOMEtimes. I cleaned the stone and louped it and it looks like I have damage at two of the prongs. For lack of a better term, it looks like it's "cracking" at two of the prongs but on the inside of the stone, not the outside. Is that possible? Can a ring be set too tightly? And if so, would it affect the look of the ENTIRE stone? I haven't banged it or anything, nor do I sleep in it. Is this some type of "time-released" damage? I don't recall noticing damage at the prongs in the past.

I hesitate to post this here because it just isn't a PScope quality stone but I do love it so much. It wasn't an engagement ring, more of a "fun" ring and I'm positively sick over this. What could have gone wrong?

Hi Vinnie!

Firstly, I would like to reassure you and any others that might be reading that ANY diamond is worthy of discussion here! We want everyone to feel comfortable posting any concerns they have regarding the condition of a diamond they own or one they are considering to buy, so I am very glad you did post in the end, so we can make this clear.

Just a thought, is the ' cracking' you see by the prongs running halfway around the side of the diamond? If so that's quite normal, it's called girdle reflection, I just wanted to check in case that's what you are noticing?

Click on this link to see images of girdle reflection, my apologies if you already know this but not everyone does.

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/defect-in-my-stone.102888/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/defect-in-my-stone.102888/[/URL]

With your diamond, if the above doesn't apply, let's try to address firstly that you can see some differences inside the stone and under the prongs. It's possible of course that an internal inclusion expanded during setting, but not very common as I understand it. Just to check, have these diamonds been clarity or colour enhanced or treated in any way? I just wanted to ask in case. My thoughts are only speculation of course as the best thing to do is to take the ring to an expert appraiser to check these issues out for you, also what is the clarity grade of the diamond please?

If what you are noticing isn't girdle reflection, are you absolutely sure that the marks you see are inside the stone? Are they located on the side of the stone by the prongs or on the top facets by the prong tips? It's possible that there could be some metal residue from the setting process that's actually on the surface but if you are sure the marks are internal, that's probably not the case. Also possible if you check the grading report ( if the stone has one) that inclusions might be plotted in these areas or they could be things like twinning wisps or graining that aren't plotted and you have only just noticed them according to the viewing conditions.

With the colour, possibly the new stones on comparison are throwing you off a bit colourwise as they are smaller, the original stone might look a bit different in comparison. Like with sheets of white paper, some look incredibly white on their own, place then next to other sheets that are whiter and the original sheet might look less crisp. But maybe the stone needs a professional cleaning to bring it back to how it was, I wouldn't have thought even if there was damage inside the stone that it would change the body colour of the diamond, but I could be wrong of course. Another thought is, have you checked to make sure nothing is stuck on the stone or inside the prongs etc that is discolouring the ring by reflecting?

I would take it to a professional and get their opinion, also check the grading report if applicable to see if anything is noted there.

I hope the above thoughts help a bit, if you could post the clarity grade of the diamond too please, that might help plus what is said on the grading report for clarity if applicable. I know how you feel but I am sure all will be fine.

 

[Sunstorm]

Welcome, I also wanted to say never feel badly about asking and that your stone is not worthy of a discussion, all diamonds are worthy of discussion here and this is a very welcoming forum with nice, helpful people. I too suggest to you that before you speculate and worry yourself too much, take your stone to a professional. Many times dirt will look like inclusions or damage, stones worn for years can accumulate dirt especially around the prongs and they may look like inclusions or damage. I too think and hope this is the more likely scenario here. Cracking could occur if inclusions affect the integrity of the stone and expand but I too think normally if the stone was set well and carefully this is not as likely to occur. Treatment as Lorelei suggested is another possibility but we have no way of knowing, hopefully you know and it was stated on your receipt. Take it to a professional, an appraiser for example and let us know.

 

[Lorelei]

Thanks for the advice OVi, I was hoping you would pop in!

 

[vinnie98]

Thanks guys. I do not have any reliable stats on the stone, no cert...it was an Ohhhhhhh SHINY purchase I made on one of the boards. I have one of those ollyscope things and I will try to take a pic of it. It definitely isn't a girdle reflection, it is a jagged imperfection and I can see it with my naked eyes about a ruler's length away from my face (and my eyes are olddddd). It is an enhanced stone and I remember being bowled over by how CLEAR it was on the inside. It just had two "wisps" in the stone that were maybe hot pink but they were in the dead center, nothing on the edges. I can kinda still see a little wispy pink but maybe not as much? I am almost 110% positive there were no cracks by the prongs, certainly not ones I could see with my eyes. Maybe it's lost some of its "enhancement"? I'm trying to find out more about what type of enhancement it was and who did it. Sometimes they are "lifetime guaranteed" and maybe they will give me a re-up.

 

[Sunstorm]

Hi Lorelei, nice to talk to you!) I always enjoy that. Just had some busy days, missed so much forum activity. Next couple of days will be better.

OP, I think it is possible that it is a problem with the enhancement, you probably do want to have it checked out by a professional to ensure that it can be safely reset. I still hope and think that most likely it is not cracked; most likely you are seeing an inclusion but if it is an inclusion that would make the stone more vulnerable to damage then best to exercise additional care. Do you know what type of enhancement was done on your stone?

 

[vinnie98]

I think I figured out what I did. I have that sinking feeling....and that usually means yeah, I did something bad. Off to do a little research and I'll be back in a bit.

But to confirm, if a stone is enhanced, that means somewhere on this stone, the surface is broken -- even if just a teeny weeny bit. Right? I mean, you can't get IN there to fix it unless you break the surface somewhere.

 

[vinnie98]

At any rate, I guess those .70ct side stones will make some really FANTASTIC earrings!!

 

[Lorelei]

I think I figured out what I did. I have that sinking feeling....and that usually means yeah, I did something bad. Off to do a little research and I'll be back in a bit.

But to confirm, if a stone is enhanced, that means somewhere on this stone, the surface is broken -- even if just a teeny weeny bit. Right? I mean, you can't get IN there to fix it unless you break the surface somewhere.

What do you think happened? It depends on the enhancement, if a filler was used then those can be redone, some ammonia based cleaners can remove the enhancement, in which case, it can be restored...Some stones are drilled, lasered, bleached, there are various methods, all involve access inside the stone to the best of my knowledge. Just rereading your post above, I am wondering if the pink effect you mention inside the stone that is now more faint is indeed the flash effect from the enhancement? If I remember rightly, some companies that perform this treatment can redo it as they offer a lifetime guarantee but check in your particular case.

Just adding this page concerning clarity enhancement methods in case it might be useful. Please keep us posted, it might not be irrevocable.

http://www.goodoldgold.com/4Cs/Clarity/ClarityEnhancedDiamonds/

 

[vinnie98]

I live in an area with really hard water. My drinking glasses, car, and even jewelry are all subject to hard water spots. I have a BGD 5-stone and an eternity band that really get dull after a few weeks of regular wear. I wear those daily. Every month or so, when I can stand it no longer, I put them in a little dish of vinegar for about 30 minutes, brush them off and they're glistening like new. The last time I did this was Mother's Day and I had on my solitaire that day BUT I was tired and I fell asleep so they were in there overnight. I woke up, rinsed them with bottled water and put the solitaire back in the box and tucked it away. It looked good because it was still a little wet. My BGD rings are perfectly fine.

My theory is that if there are little holes in the ring somewhere and I imagine there MUST be holes to get any type of enhancement INTO the stone...maybe the vinegar did something not cool to it? Like I said, I can still see some wispy pink/purple but I seem to remember there being MORE of it. Now I feel like a doofus. I hope I haven't ruined it. I'm off to call the jeweler who set it for me.

Here is a link of my pretty girl before I spoiled it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVUeRwLFEPc

I hope they can fix her. I do soooooooo love this ring. I'm a SPARKLE KILLA!!

 

[Lorelei]

Oh it's just gorgeous!!!!!

Vinegar is an acid after all so maybe it is possible that leaving the ring in the vinegar overnight did alter the enhancement....Maybe a few minutes soak wouldn't do it but a few hours might have affected it but I can't see why it can't be fixed and she will be as good as new again! I am glad we were able to get to the bottom of this by the look of it, sorry it happened but I think you will be fine!

Please let us know what your jeweller says, I don't think you have ruined it. Maybe OVi might have some more info for you ( good to see you OVi!) or one of the other experts but I see no reason why the enhancement can't be restored!

 

[arkieb1]

The first thing I was going to ask was it clarity enhanced the second thing was did you soak it in anything or heat it up to a high temperature and soak it in anything. The third thing was did you bump it hard against something.

I'd guess that it was fracture filled with some type of filler/resin and it has been badly done, if you have soaked it or indeed soaked it and heated it then it is possible to get this to leach out of the stone, giving it a bath in any type of acid is a surefire way to cause a chemical reaction..... Many clarity enhance stones that have not been treated properly end up looking like frozen spit over time anyway, the reason is that with normal wear and tear, heat and chemicals your hands come in contact with all help reverse a badly done fracture filling process. You can buy clarity enhanced stones that will not do this but it depends on the type of treatment and who did it. Stones that have been done cheaply in places like India and Asia tend to be the first to end up looking bad after a period of time. Ones done in more reliable labs tend to be fine.

There are places in the US that do clarity enhancement if you google them, one of them might be able to either fix it for you or indeed tell you cost-wise if it is worth fixing. Some of the large places in the US that sell clarity enhanced stones also give a lifetime warranty, so it might be worth digging out any paperwork that came with it to see if that is the case and you might be able to get them to replace the stone or fix it for you, or you might be entitled if you have not owned it that long to get a refund.

These might be worth reading;

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/clarity-enhanced-diamond-i-want-one-but-should-i.191750/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/clarity-enhanced-diamond-i-want-one-but-should-i.191750/[/URL]

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/pics-what-happened-to-my-clarity-enhanced-diamond.168193/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/pics-what-happened-to-my-clarity-enhanced-diamond.168193/[/URL]

 

[glitzandglamour]

Vinnie, you mentioned hot pink "wisp's" in the center. A single neon color (very often hot pink) is indicative of fracture filling, which would be a clarity enhancement. It's used to fill large feathers to make them less visible, and overtime can break down and leave the inclusion once again more visible. It sounds to me like that may be what's happening. If that is the case, I believe you can send the stone in to be refilled. Might be something to look into if it turns out that is the case!

 

[vinnie98]

OVincze, Lorelei, arkieb, glitzandglamour

T H A N K YOU!

I feel so much better. Plus, looks like I got new studs in the process and I'm sure they'll be stunners. They are VS1 and VVS1 so even had this not happened, they're probably too clear to partner with that particular stone anyway.

 

[Sunstorm]

Hi guys,

I have been thinking about this and I too concluded that the stone had to be fracture filled. Yes there should be a tiny hole where they get into the inside of the stone and fracture filling can be undone although not easily so I was wondering what happened to it. Lorelei sent you a really good page on fracture filling and I guess like she suggested to you it is remotely possible that vinegar did alter the enhancement although I would not have thought so since it was not poured into an ultrasonic or heated up otherwise. Still, when in doubt I normally choose not to do any harsh method of cleaning on jewelry and gems but everyone can make mistakes. This is not even your fault as normally it would not be affected by some vinegar but for future reference we have a recent thread on cleaning diamonds so do check that out. I personally prefer dish soap and toothbrushes with hot water but again be careful with heat here. The filling can definitely be redone so do check with your jeweler and they can send it to a place where it can be repaired if the filler was damaged. Do not despair as it can be fixed and like you said you also got yourself a beautiful set of new stones you can make studs out of. It is a very pretty ring BTW.

 

[Lorelei]

OVincze, Lorelei, arkieb, glitzandglamour

T H A N K YOU!

I feel so much better. Plus, looks like I got new studs in the process and I'm sure they'll be stunners. They are VS1 and VVS1 so even had this not happened, they're probably too clear to partner with that particular stone anyway.

I am so glad you are feeling better! But as I mentioned above, it's quite possible the enhancement can be redone, all might not be lost with this stone? As G&G and I mentioned above, as you notice a pink flash effect in the diamond, this suggests this is a fracture filled stone and that the treatment is restorable.

But even if you decide not to complete the ring, you will have some fantastic studs!

'Morning OVi and Arkie!

 

[vinnie98]

OVincze, I DO have an ultrasonic and I have used it before although I am almost certain I didn't THIS particular time. It just doesn't seem to do anything better than the toothbrush IMO. My water really is very bad. I struggle with my drinking glasses and my car. The sprinklers leave water spots on the car that need to be compounded off or sometimes I wash the car with vinegar (which is what gave me the brilliant idea).

You guys are a treasure trove of knowledge! I've decided to leave that particular ring set as-is and see if I can have the stone corrected. I'll think I'll move forward with the 5-stone with a smaller center or .70s straight across if I can find 3 more like the 2 I have. I NEEEEDDDD studs but the pull of the finger bling is fierce.

 

[Lorelei]

OVincze, I DO have an ultrasonic and I have used it before although I am almost certain I didn't THIS particular time. It just doesn't seem to do anything better than the toothbrush IMO. My water really is very bad. I struggle with my drinking glasses and my car. The sprinklers leave water spots on the car that need to be compounded off or sometimes I wash the car with vinegar (which is what gave me the brilliant idea).

You guys are a treasure trove of knowledge! I've decided to leave that particular ring set as-is and see if I can have the stone corrected. I'll think I'll move forward with the 5-stone with a smaller center or .70s straight across if I can find 3 more like the 2 I have. I NEEEEDDDD studs but the pull of the finger bling is fierce.

Thanks Vinnie, I am so glad we were able to help you! The above sounds like a plan and then you can get another Finger Blinger so you have a little variety.... Let us know what your jeweller says about redoing the enhancement and if you need any more help with anything, don't hesitate to ask

 

[Sunstorm]

Hello everyone, hi Lorelei and Vinnie. I try to stay away from ultrasonics most the time because you know if you used a certain chemical in it that could definitely ruin the filling and it can ruin many types of stones or sometimes in antique pieces stones could come out of their settings. I like the good old toothbrush and dishsoap method, very safe and effective most the time. Well, even a hard toothbrush can scratch up silver or very high karat gold though so best to use a soft brush. I am pretty certain that you can get your stone fixed Vinnie and yes the fact that you are still seeing a pink/purple flash tells me there is still treatment there. The studs will be cool too if you so decide, I am sure, keep us posted please and don's despair.