Most of us who are not familiar with the technical terms that get involved when purchasing a precious stone are easily intimidated or flustered when asked to choose. One such situation is when you are asked if you would like a stone that has enhanced clarity or a normal one. What does this mean? Very simply it means that some stones have their clarity increased by external means while others remain as they are. There is much controversy about whether the enhanced stones are better than others and most dealers will not take the time to explain the details in length. So here are a few details to help you understand better. Visit https://gaddiamonds.com/compendium/anatomy-of-a-diamond/
Advantages of enhanced clarity
If you are stumped on whether or not you should make an investment to buy diamond rings which are clarity enhanced, here are some advantages of them. They are 99% authentic. They have been obtained in the same manner as other stones which are not enhanced. You might be paying less for a great looking stone because even a precious stone belonging to a lower grade can be worked on and made to look really attractive. The other advantage is that not many people can differentiate between the two kinds of precious stone, so you know that you will not run into anybody while dining who picks up this difference. The light will always pass through the stone instead of reflecting off of it and taking away its life and sparkle.
Disadvantages of enhanced clarity
Some of the drawbacks of enhanced clarity in precious stones are also worth knowing about. If you are about to buy vintage and antique diamonds and there is a piece in there with enhanced clarity, remember that this effect will wear off with time. It is intended to be long term, of course, but still is temporary. It also depends on how well you look after the piece. Heat and cleaning products can greatly take away the clarity. A glass like material is added to the stone to give it the clarity and this will add a little bit of weight to the piece, which can sometimes be noticed. It can only be cleaned with soap and water which means that if you are taking the piece for repairs, you need to alert the dealers to the fact that this piece has enhanced clarity, or risk losing the brightness it had. Your stone will not be graded by any reputable laboratory, simply for the fact that the effect is temporary and is prone to wear and tear. The technique of enhancing clarity will render your stone a bit tenderer than it is in origin because it alters the “core strength” of it.
How can you tell the difference?
Hold up the rock to the light and twist it a bit until you begin to see a little bit of a pinkish sparkle. If you do see this, the stone has been enhanced. The sparkle to see comes from the glass-like substance used for enhancement. No matter what colour the actual rock is, the glass-like substance will have all those colours and still emit the pinkish sparkle.
So, what’s the best purchase?
An unaltered stone is what the experts say, will make the best purchase. There are several reasons for this. It will not require you to adhere to such stringent maintenance measures, which most find hard to keep up with. It will also cost you extra to get the stone re-enhanced. The other, most interesting fact is that it is said to put customers under psychological strain because they keep checking to see if the clarity enhancement has worn off. So if you do intend to purchase one, a genuine, unchanged stone would be the best choice. Besides, there is something unique about a pure precious stone, don’t you think?