Genuine Enhanced Colored Diamonds - Enhanced Fancy Colored Diamonds from AfricaGems.com
In the fancy colors, especially in the "fancy" to "vivid" color grades, the yellow, blue, red, green, blue and orange colors in diamonds are exceptionally rare. Compared to their natural fancy colored diamond cousins, Enhanced or treated diamonds are extremely affordable and make beautiful diamond jewelry .
Color Treatment of Diamonds
Color enhancement of diamonds in done in two ways. The most common way is by radiation. Low levels of radiation are applied to natural diamonds that are off in color. The low levels or radiation are completely safe and the diamonds are tested to ensure that no trace levels of radiation remain. The other method is to subject natural off colored diamonds to intense pressure and temperature, called the HTHP process. This process also changes the molecular structure of the diamonds so that intense, vivid colors are the result. AfricaGems.com color enhanced diamonds are from both radiation and HTHP processes.
Enhancing Diamonds with Radiation - The History of Using Radiation to Treat Diamonds
The technique of using radiation to affect a diamond's color was first discovered by Sir William Crookes in 1904 when he conducted experiments using radium salts. However, his experiments created diamonds that were radioactive and unwearable. Subsequently there were safe ways of using the irradiation method in which high-energy particles enter the diamond and change the lattice structure in a way that an element other than carbon adds a vivid color to the diamond. While this treatment is generally used to treat diamonds, there are diamonds that were naturally exposed to radiation during their formation and they acquire unique colors; the most notable is the vivid bright green Dresden Diamond.
Shop for the Best Enhanced Color Treated Diamonds - How Does HTHP Work?
Our treated colored diamonds are enhanced using the HTHP process which stands for High Temperature High Pressure. In this treatment diamonds are exposed to temperatures of 2,000° C and pressures of 70,000 atmospheres. Diamonds naturally form under conditions of high pressure and high temperature deep below the earth's surface. The idea of HTHP treatment is to simulate the natural conditions of diamond formation in order to produce a higher quality diamond. A diamond that would otherwise be considered off-colored can take on a more vivid shade of that color through HTHP. For example, reintroducing a diamond with traces of nitrogen (which causes yellow coloration) to its natural growth environment will cause the nitrogen to disperse into smaller particles which will result in a brighter and more even color of yellow. For other types of diamonds that have undesirable colors due to lattice defects the HTHP process enables the diamond to another chance to improve and repair itself so that the color is uniform and beautiful.
The History of HTHP - The Story of How Treated Colored Diamonds Evolved
At first, HTHP was only used to remove impurities and defects in diamonds to make them colorless. The HTHP method for colored diamonds was invented in 1999 by an industrial diamond manufacture in Utah called Novatek, they then formed a new company called NovaDiamond to market their newfound color treatment procedure. Through applying high levels of heat and pressure, they found out that they could diamonds to be colorless, yellow, green, blue, yellowish green or yellow.
Learn More About Treated Diamonds
All About Diamond Enhancement - Wikipedia Article
Shop Stunning Diamond Rings
Shop Lovely Diamond Pendants
Shop Magnificent Diamond Earrings
17 of 17 Items
17 of 17 Items