No Post Growth Treatment

Post-growth treatments refer to various processes applied to lab-grown diamonds after their initial synthesis to alter their properties, typically to enhance their color or clarity. These treatments are sometimes used to improve the marketability of lower-quality lab-grown diamonds.

• Spectroscopic Analysis: Techniques like FTIR (Fourier-Transform Infrared) spectroscopy and UV-Vis-NIR (Ultraviolet-Visible-Near Infrared) spectroscopy can reveal characteristic absorption patterns indicative of treatments.
• Photoluminescence: Used to detect specific defect centers that may be introduced or modified by treatments.
• Microscopic Examination: Can reveal tell-tale signs of treatments, such as specific inclusion patterns or surface features.
• DiamondView™ Imaging: Fluorescence patterns under short-wave UV light can indicate certain treatments.

• Stability: Some treatments, particularly certain color enhancements, may not be stable long-term.
• Value: Treated diamonds are generally less valuable than their untreated counterparts of similar apparent quality.
• Disclosure: Ethical practices require full disclosure of any treatments applied to a diamond.

Understanding these treatments is crucial for consumers and industry professionals alike, as they significantly impact a diamond's properties, value, and long-term stability.

• Both IGI and GIA, as leading gemological laboratories, employ advanced techniques to detect and disclose post-growth treatments in lab-grown diamonds.

International Gemological Institute (IGI)

IGI has been at the forefront of lab-grown diamond certification and has developed specific protocols for detecting treatments:

• Advanced Spectroscopy:
  Uses FTIR (Fourier-Transform Infrared) and UV-Vis-NIR (Ultraviolet-Visible-Near Infrared) spectroscopy to detect characteristic absorption patterns indicative of treatments.
  
• Photoluminescence Analysis:
  Employs laser excitation at various wavelengths to detect specific defect centers that may indicate treatments.
  
• DiamondView™ Imaging:
  Utilizes short-wave UV fluorescence imaging to reveal growth structures and potential treatment indicators.
  
• Microscopic Examination:
  Conducts detailed microscopic analysis to identify tell-tale signs of treatments, such as specific inclusion patterns or surface features.
• Disclosure on Certificates:
  IGI explicitly states on their certificates if a lab-grown diamond has undergone post-growth treatment.For untreated diamonds, certificates typically include the phrase "As Grown - No Post Growth Treatment".
  

Implications for Consumers

• Certificates from IGI or GIA provide a high degree of confidence in the disclosed characteristics of a lab-grown diamond.
• The explicit mention of "no post-growth treatment" on a certificate from either lab is a strong indicator of an untreated diamond.
• However, it's important to note that while these labs employ state-of-the-art technology, the field of diamond synthesis and treatment is constantly evolving. There's always a possibility, however small, that new treatment methods might temporarily elude detection.
• By relying on certifications from respected labs like IGI and GIA, consumers and retailers can make informed decisions about the quality and value of lab-grown diamonds, particularly in regard to post-growth treatments.

Post-growth treatments can significantly alter the atomic and molecular structure of lab-grown diamonds. Understanding these effects is crucial for assessing the quality, durability, and value of treated diamonds.

Diamond Structure Basics

Before discussing treatments, let's review the basics of diamond structure:

• Diamonds have a face-centered cubic crystal structure.
• Each carbon atom is covalently bonded to four other carbon atoms in a tetrahedral arrangement.
• This structure gives diamonds their exceptional hardness and thermal conductivity.

Effects of Common Post-Growth Treatments

1. High Pressure, High Temperature (HPHT) Annealing

Atomic Rearrangement: HPHT annealing can cause vacancies and interstitial atoms to move through the crystal lattice.

Defect Modification: This treatment can alter or eliminate certain defects, particularly those responsible for brown coloration.

Stress Induction: The extreme pressure and temperature can induce internal stress in the diamond structure.

Potential Weakening: In some cases, this stress can lead to subtle structural weaknesses, potentially affecting durability.

2. Irradiation

Atomic Displacement: High-energy particles can displace carbon atoms from their lattice positions.

Vacancy Creation: This process creates vacancies (missing atoms) in the crystal structure.

Color Center Formation: Vacancies can trap electrons, forming color centers that alter the diamond's optical properties.

Lattice Distortion: Significant irradiation can lead to overall distortion of the crystal lattice.

Long-Term Structural Implications

Stability Concerns:
Some treatments, particularly certain color enhancements, may not be stable over time.Changes in the diamond's structure could potentially reverse or alter under certain conditions.

Durability Issues:
Induced stress or lattice distortions might make treated diamonds more susceptible to chipping or fracturing.

Heat Sensitivity:
Some treated diamonds may be more sensitive to heat, which could affect their use in certain settings or repair processes.

Altered Physical Properties:
Treatments can sometimes affect a diamond's thermal conductivity or electrical properties, which might be relevant for certain industrial applications.

Au Naturel: Not Just for Organic Food Anymore

Our diamonds come straight from the lab, untouched by further human intervention. Shocking, we know. It's almost as if we believe in selling you the diamond we actually grew.

No Magic Color-Changing Tricks

Some companies play fairy godmother to their diamonds, magically transforming them after growth. Us? We prefer our science without the side of sorcery. Call us old-fashioned, but we think your diamond's color should be genuine from the start.

Strength That Doesn't Come from a Bottle

Post-growth treatments can sometimes weaken a diamond's structure. Our diamonds are tough from the get-go - no diamond gym membership required.

Transparency: Not Just a Gemological Term

When you buy one of our untreated diamonds, what you see is what you get. Revolutionary concept in the jewelry industry, we know. We don't need to hide behind a veil of mysterious "enhancements."

Value That Doesn't Wash Away

Some treated diamonds can lose their enhanced properties over time. Ours? They'll stay as perfect as the day they were "born." Because nothing says "eternal love" quite like a diamond that doesn't have an expiration date.

For Those Who Prefer Their Science Clean

Our lab-grown diamonds are a triumph of technology - pure, simple, and brilliant. We don't need to rely on a cocktail of post-growth processes to make them shine. They're overachievers right out of the lab.

If you're the type who appreciates authenticity, values transparency, and doesn't believe in diamond plastic surgery, our untreated lab-grown diamonds are for you. And if you still prefer diamonds that have been through more processes than a space shuttle launch, well... we hear there are plenty of other jewelers happy to oblige.