Post subject: OVED Clarity Enhanced/Fracture Filled Diamond
Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2006 2:53 pm
Gemology Online Veteran
Joined: Sun Dec 11, 2005 2:33 am Posts: 524 Location: East Coast
Here is a set of photomicrographs of an OVED Fracture Filled / Clarity Enhanced Diamond.
As you can in this 1st photomicrograph OVED is laser inscribing their diamonds on the kite facet along with the stone’s weight is also laser inscribed.
The laser inscription is almost totally invisible to the naked eye.
It appears to be that they are using a cold laser and are not using any coloring agent to fill in the laser inscription.
Here you can see vivid color flashes at low magnification and these color flashes are RED FLAGS for you to look closer!!!!!!!!!
These next Two (2) photomicrographs are the same except different lighting conditions and techniques were used.
Later
Take Care and Have Fun
_________________ High Sierra Gem Lab La Shawn Bauer, G, G, GG, ASG/AGA, CGL/AGA, CGL/IJO, CDG/IJO, RMV, CM/NAJA
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Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2005 10:56 am Posts: 6461 Location: The frozen north prairie :-/
Do you happen to know the depth of this inscription? If someone wanted to do away with it (although the flash effect is sooo obvious) how much weight do you think they'd lose from repolishing?
Joined: Sun Dec 11, 2005 2:33 am Posts: 524 Location: East Coast
Greetings Morning Dove
Good Question
I personally don't know the exact depth of the laser inscriptions but I can call and ask around and then report back to you.
But I would quess that the delpt is only a few to several microns deep.
As far as repolishing well most cutters that I know have a minium set up charge to repolish a diamond and to only repolish one facet well it can be done but I would also guess that most cutters and polishers would reject doing it in the first place.
However if someone would repolish that one facets you would loose next to nothing and in most cases it would be under 0.01ct. so it could be posible to repolish that one facet and the stone could still be the same weight.
But with the recent scandal and all I think everyone in the industry is on edge and so I don't know if you could find a good cutter who would be willing to remove the inscription not unless he knew you personally and even then who knows.
Later
Take Care and Have Fun
_________________ High Sierra Gem Lab La Shawn Bauer, G, G, GG, ASG/AGA, CGL/AGA, CGL/IJO, CDG/IJO, RMV, CM/NAJA
Coming Soon:
Bauer Gemological Products
From Simple Minds, comes Simple Answers & Even Simpler Solutions
Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2005 10:56 am Posts: 6461 Location: The frozen north prairie :-/
I was just curious, because I remember a discussion regarding the inscription of diamonds and whether it was really of much use for identification. Repolishing of the girdle was noted as a quick and easy way to "lose" the identity of a stolen stone. I believe the consensus was that a better way to identify diamonds was to have photographs of the diamond's individual "fingerprints" (inclusions) on file. You seem to be on the forefront with that .
Joined: Sun Dec 11, 2005 2:33 am Posts: 524 Location: East Coast
Greetings Morning Dove and the Rest of U'All LOL insert Kansas twang there. LOL hahahahahaha
I found out through a little research that most cold lasers engrave to a depth of 0.01mm that is 1/100th of a millimeter.
Any way I hope that answers your last question.
and yes by the way I think Digital Photomicrographs are just starting to enter the gemological section with the advent of better cheaper digital camera's and with new trinocular microscopes entering the market you will see that hand diamond plotting is on the way out.
I'm wondering who (Internationally Known Gemological Lab) will be the first to switch over and do digital photomicrographs and insert them into the diamond grading reports.
I think when they start doing that a lot of diamond dealers will ask for diamond plots on diamonds below SI-1 LOL Some of the diamonds I have seen that are graded as SI-2 should really be graded as I-1.
Only time will tell.
Later
_________________ High Sierra Gem Lab La Shawn Bauer, G, G, GG, ASG/AGA, CGL/AGA, CGL/IJO, CDG/IJO, RMV, CM/NAJA
Coming Soon:
Bauer Gemological Products
From Simple Minds, comes Simple Answers & Even Simpler Solutions
Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2005 10:56 am Posts: 6461 Location: The frozen north prairie :-/
Hmmm...do you really think so? It seems to me that the single plot is helpful in showing where the inclusions are in the stone and in relation to each other. Then, perhaps, the photos allow a more detailed look at exactly what those inclusions entail. Make sense?
Joined: Fri Jan 27, 2006 12:27 pm Posts: 764 Location: Western NY
I don't think the plots will ever really go away. The trouble with photomicrographs, even the best of them, is depth of field. If you have a cloud near the table and a feather on the pavilion, you're not going to be able to get them both in the same photo. Sure, multiple photos are possible, but (as Morning Dove observed) the pic isn't going to give you a good idea of the spacial relationships.
I don't think it would be fair to use photomicrographs for grading -- a enlarged pic makes you think an inclusion is more dramatic than it may really be. I bet retailers would be unhappy as well. I've spoken with some jewelers who don't even like to use microscopes because customers fixate on a magnified "flaw" and then refuse to buy, only to end up buying from someone else who didn't offer the microscope view.
All that being said, I think it would be great to have digital pics of inclusions as document is a great idea. I'm guessing it'll be an added featuer to certs rather than bumping out the good old plot. (i.e., feature being something labs can charge more $$ for)
As to repolishing just one facet -- I'm no diamond cutter, but don't you think even polishing a single facet deep enough to remove a 0.01mm inscription would skew the facet such that you'd be forced to recut the entire tier of facets? Of course, if you don't care about the cut, just hocking the stone I suppose it wouldn't matter.
LaShawn -- thanks for the great pics; wonderful little refresher on identifying these filled stones.
Thank you! I was just studying this and your photos really helped me to understand what I would actually see.
Beth
Off to check out the rest of the inclusion section!
_________________ Beth http://www.prettyrock.com http://www.prettyrock.com/2012facetingcompetition.htm Avon Breast Cancer Walk - Charlotte 2011 http://info.avonfoundation.org/goto/Beth
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