Purity

What is purity?

The purity of the stone is one of the “4Cs”, making it possible to estimate the value of a diamond: the more the diamond is said to be “pure”, that is to say without inclusion, the more expensive it is. Indeed, natural diamonds are formed by the crystallization of carbon more than 150 kilometers from the earth's surface, where the heat and pressure are extreme enough to stabilize the carbon atoms. However, this natural process is long because the atoms are added one after the other and imperfections can occur during this "growth" of the diamond crystal (uncut raw form). These imperfections are called inclusions and can be present inside as well as on the surface of the stone.

What is a synthetic diamond?

A synthetic diamond differs from a natural diamond because it is created in the laboratory. Although this diamond is man-made, it has the same characteristics as a diamond from a rock.

At Bäumer Vendôme, our jewelry is only made of natural diamonds.

How to assess the clarity of a diamond?

International standards exist to measure the degree of purity of a diamond. Each step is determined by the size and position of the inclusions and the criteria are always judged against observation by the table and the crown.

The GIA (Gemological Institute of America, international authority
of diamond certification) is:

Can the clarity of a diamond be improved or modified?

There are two techniques to improve a diamond's clarity: laser drilling and fracture filling. These two treatments must be noted on the diamond's gemological certificate or at least verbally if the crystal has no certification.

The first treatment is laser drilling, which involves drilling a hole in the diamond with a laser to reach one or more significant inclusions inside the diamond; the laser affects or even disintegrates the troublesome inclusion, which is then dissolved by inserting acids into the small tunnel created. The cavity resulting from the technique is then filled with a colorless material.

The second treatment is fracture filling. Also known as "YEHUDA treatment," after its inventor Mr. ZVI YEHUDA. It was introduced into the diamond trade in the late 1980s and involves filling emerging fractures that reach the surface with a substance that has a refractive index close to that of a diamond. This reduces the visibility of the fractures.

However, this treatment is not permanent and can be altered by the following external factors (non-exhaustive list):

• Sunlight, which can darken the filling.
• Reheating the diamond, for example to repair a setting, as the filling can melt.
• Repeated impacts, which can crack the filling substance.
• Acid cleaning, which can dissolve the filling.
• Ultrasonic cleaning, which can break it.

Furthermore, it is extremely inadvisable to heat a fracture-filled stone because the filling material reacts strongly to heat and swells under it; it can then either come out of the fracture or cause the stone to burst.

What are the types of inclusions?

There are several types of inclusions:

• Gaseous or liquid inclusions, which are often undetectable with a magnifying glass.
• Solid inclusions. These are the presence of other more or less microscopic crystals within the diamond. These trapped materials can sometimes provide an idea of the diamond's origin.
• Other inclusions are either natural or due to the stone's cut. These include fractures, chips, or depressions in the diamond. These inclusions can be closed (inside the stone) or open (when they reach the surface of the stone).

Our creations with diamonds

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