How Do I Clean Rough Diamonds????

[Black Diamond]

I have rough diamonds, but can''t get them clean enough to market. I picked up the stones in Africa
and in U.S. I took them to several "experts " and cutters who told me that I had to clean them before they would
definitely say they were the real mcCoys. I thought diamond testers did the trick.

Anyway the only help they would give me was to use Hydrochloric Acid and Sulfuric Acid. I did, and now have stones that are burnt black with a hard dirt crust that I can''t seem to remove. I bought a tumbler and grit, but that method doesn''t work. What do you recommend that I do for fast removal of the skin. I have a lot, so individual
cleaning is slow, even though it still doesn''t work even on the large stones. Please help!!!

Brian Thomas

PS: This will be home based cleaning....

 

[denverappraiser]

Hi Brian,

I would specifically recommend against mixing cocktails of various acids as a ‘home based’ sort of solution but that’s basically what the pro’s do.

Recognizing genuine diamonds isn’t all that difficult but they vary a lot and some diamonds ARE black. Why are you confident that what you’re seeing is a skin that can be removed rather than just industrial grade diamonds?

There’s a pretty good chance that you got 'skinned' in Africa on the purchase with idea that this was some sort of business venture where you could import them into the US, sell them to cutters or jewelers and make a buck or two but since you apparently didn’t have expert assistance then, it may be too late now. Even so, a professional should be able to assist you in calculating your losses, setting prices and finding potential buyers for whatever it is that you have. Where are you? What have you got for documentation?

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

 

[Indira-London]

That is good advice from Neil.
Many consumers do not realise that the majority of diamonds mined are industrial quality and only a small fraction are fit for jewellery.
I am afraid that most novices who buy rough diamonds get a lot less than they bargained for.
I am hoping for your sake that you have the Kimberley certificates to make it easier for you to sell the diamonds to professionals.

 

[Ali]

Trading internationally in rough diamonds without a Kimberley Process certificate is illegal.
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