A Look at Irradiated Diamonds

One of the ways to cut down on the price of a fancy colored diamond is by going with the option of an irradiated stone. In this way, you can markedly bring down the price of, say, the 1.5 ct diamond ring you were considering buying.

Things you Should Know about Irradiated Diamonds

• An irradiated diamond is very sensitive to high temperatures. If you expose it to extreme heat, the color of the stone can change. This is why color treatment does not come with a full guarantee.
• Irradiated diamonds are not created in a lab. They are simply natural mined diamonds, which have been treated to add color.
• These diamonds do carry color, but this does not change their original refractive index. That means the light reflecting properties remain the same.
• Irradiated diamonds come in many colors, including Canary Yellow, Blue Green, and Pink.
• The irradiation process is permanent, because of which GIA grades these stones and adds a laser inscription that lets future buyers know the stone is irradiated.
• Technically, all diamonds are “irradiated”, having undergone exposure to radioactivity at least once in the millions of years it took them to form.