A Cracked Diamond is Rare Usually, what appears to be a crack in a diamond turns out to be one of the following instead: An inclusion (natural flaw in the diamond) which was there all along. An optical illusion from debris or dirt which has stuck to the diamond.
Many believe that the transparent line that runs straight through the diamond, which is visible only at some angles, is a big crack. Fortunately, this is probably not the case. The “crack” is a reflection from the diamond's girdle and is a so-called girdle reflection.
It's easy to think that diamonds are invincible, after all, they rank as the hardest substance known to man on the Moh's scale. Unfortunately, diamonds are not without their vulnerabilities. So, yes, diamonds can break.
Chips typically occur when the girdle (edge) or point of a diamond strikes something hard. Bathroom and kitchen countertops, as well as jewelry items with diamonds worn next to each other, are common causes of chips.
As the diamond's surface becomes dirtier, the stone will begin to look dull and lifeless. In turn, some of the inclusions that were previously masked by the stone's brilliance and scintillation will now become more obvious.
Yes, a diamond can break – including a lab-grown diamond. Just like how diamond cutters are used to shape and sculpt a rough diamond, it can break if enough force is applied.
Fair/Poor Grade Diamond Examples
Fair and Poor cut diamonds usually have steep crowns and steep pavilion angles which gives them a really dark looking appearance. This makes them look extremely small for their carat weight. Because of their abysmal proportions, their brilliance and sparkle are horribly affected.
Diamonds are forever; while we are all so familiar with this romantic mantra, the truth is that a diamond can be chipped and damaged over time. Fortunately, because diamond is the hardest known natural substance, major damage is actually pretty rare.
They do NOT dull or stop sparkling, they just get dirty. Diamonds are magnets for all kinds of materials which will stick to them and make them lose their sparkle. Finger prints are a prime example. The oils on your fingers can stick to the diamond and make it lose some of its brilliance.
There are ways your jeweler can deal with a chipped diamond, such as re-cutting the stone or even placing the diamond in another piece of jewelry. It could also be the perfect opportunity to upgrade to a larger diamond or that new setting you've had your eyes on.
Cleavage. These are cracks in a diamond that occur in a straight line and are parallel to one of the diamond's crystallographic planes. Cleavages are usually caused by deep internal strain in a diamond and could also have been caused by a strong blow to the diamond.
Diamonds don't shatter when exposed to high heats.
Fake diamonds, on the other hand, cannot handle heat nearly as well because they are made of weaker materials. To test the authenticity of your diamond, heat it with a flame—like a lighter—for 30 to 45 seconds.
If you heat and cool a diamond quickly over and over again it can cause the diamond to shatter. It's also called frosting a diamond. It would have to be extremely hot, something like more than 1,200 degrees, so you are not likely to break your diamond from letting it sit in the sun or a hot room.
Recut/Polish the Diamond
If the crack/chip is not very big, you are in luck. The diamond can be repolished or recut so that the damaged area is removed or perhaps polished down and perhaps after only losing a little bit of weight, the diamond can look as good as new.
Diamond inclusions are tiny imperfections that occur naturally within a diamond as it forms deep inside the earth's crust. Inclusions in diamonds can look like tiny crystals, bubbles, chips, hazy spots, or even other minerals that become trapped inside the diamond.
In close quarters, accidents can happen, and scratches can result. They can also come about from diamonds rolling around with each other inside jewelry boxes, or from careless jewellers not storing diamonds in the correct manner.
In our helpful article we will clear up all those engagement ring musings, once and for all. In general it's perfectly safe to wear your engagement ring every day. However, if you are doing any kind of rough work such as cleaning or gardening, sports or the gym.
You see, diamonds are a magnet for grease/oil as their surfaces muck up easily. A dirty stone doesn't sparkle because light simply can't enter the diamond and causes it to appear dull.
Diamonds are exceptionally delicate, and thus, they require the utmost care. Harsh chemicals like acetone, chlorine, bleach and other abrasive substances like baking powder and toothpaste will damage your diamond beyond repair.
Minerals are assigned a number between 1 and 10 on the Mohs Hardness Scale to describe how resistant to scratching they are. Diamonds are given the highest number, a 10. There is nothing that can scratch a diamond except another diamond. A mineral like talc, on the other hand, is a 1 on the scale.
It is a common routine for diamonds to be sent to cutters for repolishing. Usually, the purpose of a repolishing job is to touch up a second-hand diamond or to repair a chipped diamond. The carat weight lost in such repair jobs is typically very small (0.02-0.10 carats) and depends on the nature of the damage.
Since I3 represents the worst clarity, it covers a multitude of sins. Two diamonds of I3 clarity can differ greatly. For this reason, some jewellery manufacturers invented grades—for example, I4, I5, I6, I7 etc. But the GIA clarity scale ends at I3 for the lowest possible diamond clarity.
The diamond industry has established four basic criteria for judging the quality and value of precious stones, commonly known as the “Four Cs:” cut, color, clarity, and carat. However, to ensure identical across-the-board diamond grading and appraisal, the GIA similarly created grading systems for each category.
I3 diamonds are the lowest clarity grade possible prior to industrial drill bit use. As the inclusions present in I1-I3 diamonds detract from the beauty of the gems, Do Amore does not sell them.