This is a short tale about gems and people. If you think about it for a moment, with very few exceptions, and then mostly as a fashion statement, the gems dear to the hearts of jewelry lovers have usually been subjected to appearance “enhancements”. Most commonly, we cut them to enhance the effect of light shown upon them; but other enhancements are possible.
Take, for example, the 1.03 carat round, brilliant cut diamond we took in trade a few years ago. When the client asked if we’d be interested in taking it in trade we examined it closely - at least we thought we did. We judged it to be quite rare in color and just about perfect to the naked eye with one major characteristic (you would call it a “flaw”) that was very easy to see under 10X magnification. As this characteristic did not affect the diamond’s appearance when it was viewed without magnification, we judged it to be an “SI2”; but its cut was inferior to our standards for diamonds. It was only 6.1mm in diameter as compared to the 6.45mm to 6.5mm diameter of a well cut carat; this meant that though it weighed a little over a carat, it did not look its weight. It had the physical appearance of a somewhat lackluster diamond weighing about 0.85 carat - a diamond we would not offer to our clients. So we told the client, quite baldly, that were we to take it in trade we’d have to have his diamond re-cut; and since, after re-cutting, it would weigh no more than 0.85 carats we could only offer him the value of the re-cut gem in trade. Looking at the obvious difference between his diamond and one of our hand selected gems, he found our offer reasonable. The sale was made, and we shipped the diamond off to be re-cut to “Ideal” proportions. Five weeks later it was back, now a 0.83 carat beauty; but a little surprise accompanied it.
The cutter included his notion of the diamond’s rarity in the papers he returned with the diamond; and though they coincided with ours, we were surprised with his observation that the diamond had been “clarity enhanced” through laser drilling - presumably to remove a dark inclusion. The drill hole had to be that “characteristic” we’d observed when we took it in trade, but as we never buy clarity enhanced diamonds, it hadn’t occurred to us to check that “characteristic” very closely. We put it under the microscope, and sure enough, the straight lines characteristic of laser drilling (but uncharacteristic of a natural “characteristic”) were there. Ulp!
As a matter of policy, we would have to disclose this enhancement to any prospective buyer; and ethically, we had to make sure that it really was an “SI2” in clarity, regardless of the enhancement. So we packed it up and sent it off to the Gemological Institute of America’s gem laboratory for analysis and waited. Four weeks later it was returned and we breathed a sigh of relief. The lab confirmed that it had been laser drilled, but it also confirmed that it was an “SI2”. We presumed our client to have been innocent of the enhancement as he would have known of it only if the firm or individual who had sold it to him had disclosed it - which brings us to my point. Diamonds and other gems may have their appearance enhanced through means beyond cutting - such as surface treatments (sort of like “painting”) and fracture filling (to hide cracks).
All gem enhancements are undertaken to improve appearances; indeed some of the best known gems, sapphires, rubies and emeralds, are almost always clarity or color enhanced; but the enhancements are not all the same. The best color enhancements of sapphires and rubies, for instance, are quite permanent while lesser enhancements of color amount to little more than a ‘paint job’. Emeralds, are rarely color enhanced but are most usually clarity enhanced; and the durability of emerald clarity enhancements vary widely. Given the often subtle nature of clarity and color enhancements, then, it is prudent for the consumer to presume that he is an innocent when it comes to gem buying, certainly, we do. As a matter of course, therefore, we reveal any and all gem enhancements. This has led more than one buyer to re-evaluate his desire for a particular gem; but since we understand that the purchase of a gem is usually fraught with emotional content, we feel the risk of loosing a sale for the sake of maintaining our client’s trust is well worth it.
Like most gifts, a gift of jewelry has emotional content; but unlike most of the socks, games and technology we buy, its value to the person who receives it often grows over time. So it behooves you to shop carefully. Our word is our bond and our prices for incomparable quality are very fair. Take a look at us on line, hurstsberwynjewelers.com, then phone us at 708.788.0880 for an appointment to select a gift that will last a lifetime. We’re Hursts’ Berwyn Jewelers; and our greatest pleasure is helping you fulfill your dreams.
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