What is a diamond "cavity"?

[hlmr]

Hello experts:

My friend is big diamond shopping and I am living vicariously through her! lol

She recently saw a 3.05 RB with an EGL pre-cert (not sure what a pre-cert is either) that was a D SI3, and an independent lab described the stone as an Il and the inclusion on the girdle was described as a "cavity". She said that except for this inclusion, the stone was clean and beautiful to the eye, but she is worried about the nature (stability) of the inclusion.

What does a "cavity" imply?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Heather

 

[belle]

a ''cavity'' in a diamond is just like any other cavity..it''s basically a hole.

 

[hlmr]

Thanks so much for your reply belle.

Do all holes in diamonds need to be filled as they do with teeth?

 

[Kaleigh]

Having a cavity on the girdle would make me pass on a diamond, no question.

 

[hlmr]

Thanks for answering kaleigh.

 

[belle]

a diamond cavity is like a tooth cavity in that it is a hole, but that's about where the similarities end. tooth cavities must be filled, or those sugar bugs will just keep making the hole bigger. with a diamond cavity, the damage is done.

 

[Capitol Bill]

Diamond cavities can occur if the person wearing the diamond is too sweet!

Bill

 

[Regular Guy]

Date: 10/18/2005 8:52:54 AM
Author: Capitol Bill
Diamond cavities can occur if the person wearing the diamond is too sweet!

Bill

 

[pyramid]

Date: 10/18/2005 8:52:54 AM
Author: Capitol Bill
Diamond cavities can occur if the person wearing the diamond is too sweet!

Bill

 

[oldminer]

Blemishes and inclusions are all relative. A cavity may be tiny, small, medium or large. Located within the confines of the girdle, it can affect the durability, appearance, and/or roundness, but it might not do anything at all to any factor. Likely as not, the diamond would weigh under 3.00cts if a cutter wished to remove it, or it would already have been fixed. Some cavities open further if a repair is attempted.

A cavity is not a stumbling block in every case. One must look at the overall situation on a stone by stone basis. Grading by generalities is a very dangerous way to make judgments.

 

[valeria101]

Ditto, of course ...

Is the cavity the only thing that makes the grade? For SI3 that would be a rift, relatively. If not, then well, it may just large enough to feel it when you pass the tip of a fingernail over. No problem. If it is on the pavilion somewhere, all for the better.

Just my 0.2

 

[RockDoc]

Generally a caivity in a diamond is a "void" where there was formerly another diamond crystal. In attempting to polish it out, the crystal fell out leaving the cavity shown in the diamond plot on the repot.

In that the stone would have gone below 3.00 to cut it out and still maintin the roundness, it was left in hoping that it wouldn''t be an issue for the buyer.

Most likely a diamond professional would consider the approximate finished weight of the stone with the caity polished out, and value it as such "corrected" weight.

Some times crystals have accompanying strain and tension around them. This as David writes might be a problem as the cutter polished away the material, thus making it smaller if the cavity "opened" or spread.

Hope this helps clarify a little about what has already been written.

Rockdoc

 

[hlmr]

Thanks so much David, Ana and RockDoc for your educated and informative replies.

Heather