According to the ABC News show "The Lookout" which aired the 10th of July 2013, two of the three 47th St. Diamond District Retail Jewelers they bought diamonds from undercover, did not properly disclose that the diamonds they sold were fracture-filled to enhance clarity.
As a jewelry appraiser of many diamond engagement rings, I have also witnessed many times appraisal clients coming to me not knowing that their cherished new purchase is not the natural diamond it is supposed to be and that the only reason they "got a great deal" was because they were victims of "bait and switch" where their purchase was for a treated diamond that can sell up to 70% less than natural diamond.
Close-up of a clarity enhanced diamond showing drill holes and filling material.
Clarity enhancement is a process where a natural diamond of very poor clarity can be improved by removing dark and/or large inclusions which leave "holes" which would be easily visible. To make these holes nearly invisible, they are filled with a material which is optically similiar to diamond. Care should be taken when repairing a ring with a clarity enhanced diamond. A natural diamond can withstand a jeweler's blowtorch where a cllarity enhanced diamond may shatter due to the expansion of the filler material when exposed to high heat.
According to the ABC News show "The Lookout" which aired the 10th of July 2013, two of the three 47th St. Diamond District Retail Jewelers they bought diamonds from undercover,...
