Treated colored stone loses color

[Teaphile]

Can a treated pink diamond lose its color?

The stone is EGL certified, reportedly treated with a high pressure process to create the pink color, from a jeweler with whom the retailer had an 8 year relationship. The stone was not substituted - same inclusions and identifier on the girdle. But poof! the pink color is gone.

I searched within this forum for this question and saw only one poster who noticed that her pink diamonds were "fading". The only suggestion was that there might be buildup on the stones.

The retail jeweler has confirmed that the color is no more, gone, nada.

It''s a stumper.

Any thoughts out there?

 

[FireGoddess]

That is quite odd. Do you have any before and after photos?

 

[twodoor2]

Some pink and other colored diamonds are coated with a substance to increase the vividness of the color. They even do this to white diamonds to make them look like a fancy color. It is an unscrupulous treatment and often the purpose is to decieve. The coating can come off when treated with acid or other substances, but I never heard of a treated pink diamond losing its color. I think, but I am not sure, that most treated diamonds, and when I mean treated, the treatment is irradiation. In that case, the color turns black, blue, yellow, or reddish, green but not pink.

 

[Kaleigh]

I''d post this over in Rocky Talky, hopefully one of the appraisers will see it, and have an answer for you. I am sorry this happened, and really am interested to know why. If you can take a pic, that would help too.

 

[Teaphile]

It''s'' not my stone so I don''t have before and after pics. My friends are the retailers and they are really distressed by the thought that something unscrupulous happened with this supplier.

I was thinking of bizarre ideas, like "Did the owner wear it during an MRI or x-ray?"

I''ll try the Rocky Talk section also.

Thank you!

 

[LdyNghtWng]

Recently there is a diamond process that involves some sort of surface treatment to make it pink, not irradiation. This can fade; usually the manufacturers guarantee it and agree to redo the process if it fades. That''s about all I know!

 

[Richard M.]

Date: 7/8/2007 1:15:16 PM
Author: LdyNghtWng
Recently there is a diamond process that involves some sort of surface treatment to make it pink, not irradiation. This can fade; usually the manufacturers guarantee it and agree to redo the process if it fades. That''s about all I know!

A lot of these new treated diamonds ("Serenity Coated") are appearing on the market. They are coated to appear pink, yellow, orange, green, blue, purple-pink and possibly red. The coating can be damaged by normal setting, metal polishing or retipping procedures and especially rhodium plating. The coating scratches quite easily. This is not a permanent treatment and it should be disclosed by sellers to conform with Federal Trade Commission regulations.

Richard M.