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DO INCLUSIONS GROW OR APPEAR IN DIAMONDS?

CAN INCLUSIONS AND FLAWS SUDDENLY APPEAR IN A DIAMOND?

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Can Flaws and Inclusions Suddenly Appear In a Diamond?

A good portion of the public actually believes that flaws, imperfections and inclusions can grow and develop inside a diamond after they purchase it.

“It’s ALIVE!”

They believe that one day, they can look down at their diamond ring and flaws will suddenly appear in their diamond where there was none.

I hear this all the time:

It wasn’t there when I bought it!

It’s magic!

Magically a black carbon spot appeared out of nowhere, making it not only eye-visible, but making it stand out horribly in their ‘perfect’ diamond like a huge dark scar. That inclusion seems to scream “look at me. I’m growing bigger everyday” (insert evil laugh).

But here’s the truth:

No, diamonds cannot develop inclusions.

No, inclusions don’t magically grow.

Flaws don’t get bigger, change, transform, shrink, move, shift, darken or suddenly appear…

Whew!

They are exactly what they are. Inanimate objects.

The inclusions or flaws that you’re seeing inside your pretty little diamond have always been there.

Believe it or not.

Those flaws have actually been trapped inside the stone for over a billion years. They were crystallized inside the diamond the day the diamond was born. It was created by nature with its own unique characteristics. It has its own freckles and moles and identifying birthmarks.

It’s mother nature’s fingerprint.

They can never grow, shrink, darken or appear… ever!

Get my point? Flaws are unchanging. Period. They will look like they do today for the next billion years (and that’s a long time…)

The only time a flaw can suddenly “appear”, is if you actually crack or break your diamond (cracks and fractures are considered flaws). Otherwise, forget it.

So why do you see them now?

Yes, that’s the big question: “Why do you suddenly see the inclusions NOW?

What makes these flaws seem to grow out of nowhere and appear like a sore thumb?

Well a couple of things can cause this strange phenomenon: dirt and observation.

Let’s take a closer look…

Dirt:

Once your diamond becomes dirty with hand lotions, perfumes, dust, fingerprints, oils, debris and soaps, the diamond gets dull. The dirt actually stops light from penetrating your stone and makes the flaws and imperfections inside it stand out and become more noticeable (it has no bright flashing lights to mask the flaws).

A dirty diamond makes visible inclusions more visible.

Observation:

When you view diamonds in the jewelry store you have to remember that they are perfectly clean. That, and the fact that they shine and sparkle like a disco-ball.

Brilliance and fire dance around the diamond making it look like a million bucks.

When you look at diamonds in the jewelry store, most people are more concerned about the style of the ring. They look at all the mountings and see how they look on their hands. They try them on, they find the style they love and they are happy as a clam.

Customers will listen to the salesperson explain about color and clarity, but most people just hear “Yada Yada Yada“. People smile, nod their heads and look back down at the diamond like they were hypnotized. All they see is a beautiful bright diamond and they can’t wait to get it home.

But, once they do buy it and get it out of the store… That’s when people tend to inspect it more with a more critical eye. They start to observe every little detail. A scratch in the gold. A rough prong. A flaw in the stone… Under this scrutiny is when inclusions seem to suddenly appear.

So you see, it’s not that the flaws suddenly transformed out of nowhere, it’s just that you didn’t notice them before. They were there, you just didn’t see them. That’s the truth. Like it or not.

The excitement of a new diamond ring (and proposal) can often hide a lot of flaws.

Microscope first:

So before you buy that diamond… slow down.

Microscope or loupe it first.

Compare quality and the 4C’s. And don’t buy a diamond based solely upon price either, that’s a great way to end up with a crappy diamond (eye-visible flaws).

Here’s a hint:

If you buy an SI1 clarity diamond (or higher), you will never see any inclusions with the bare eye!!! No matter how dirty or dull your diamond gets, you can never see flaws in an SI1 stone …Unless you microscope it under 10x magnification (or have a bionic eye).

This sudden appearance of flaws is usually only found in diamonds that are I clarity (I1, I2 or I3 – and sometimes SI2 as well – These are the eye-visible clarities).

So, when your diamond gets dull and dirty (everything does), take it into a jeweler and let them clean it and steam it (or get your own ultrasonic cleaner or steam cleaner). That will make your diamond look brand new again in just a couple of minutes.

And once your diamond gets clean again…

Voila!

Those flaws will simply “seem” to disappear again.

Invisible once more.

Cheers! :)

Recommended Jewelry Supplies:

Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaner Jewelry Steam Cleaner Complete Jewelry Cleaner Kit Diamond Dazzle Stick
Gold Silver Jewelry Polishing Cloths Jewelry Making Supplies Kit Gold Acid Test Kit Watch Tool Repair Kit
Ring Adjusters EMT Emergency Ring Cutter 10x Jewelers Loupe Jewelers Microscope

Recommended Jewelry Supplies:

Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaner Jewelry Steam Cleaner
Complete Jewelry Cleaner Kit Diamond Dazzle Stick
Gold Silver Jewelry Polishing Cloths Jewelry Making Supplies Kit
Gold Acid Test Kit Watch Tool Repair Kit
Ring Adjusters EMT Emergency Ring Cutter
10x Jewelers Loupe Jewelers Microscope

9 Comments on DO INCLUSIONS GROW OR APPEAR IN DIAMONDS?

  1. I can assure you an inclusion appeared in my diamond. I have a 2.2 carat stone with certified clarity and no inclusions visible by the naked eye. My fiance looked for this diamond for two years to find the perfect stone. It is NOT dirt. I did NOT just notice it, and it was certified of the best clarity.

    • Hi Suzanne. Your diamond may have an inclusion now, but it did not grow. It can’t. Which means a couple of things: 1) Either the stone you have now, is not the stone you purchased (it was switched), 2) The diamond was struck, creating a fracture or feather to rip through the stone becoming visible, or 3) You didn’t see it because it was originally covered up by a prong or the mounting (it may have shifted or rotated in the head). I know you may feel like it may have grew, but inclusions can’t grow in a stone that was made billions of years ago. It’s impossible. What clarity is your stone? And when was the last time you actually viewed it under magnification prior to you noticing the flaw? -Richard

  2. This same thing happened to me. I had the Perfect diamond, but after a couple of months of wearing my ring, I notice a black streak in it, which I know was not there before. I took it back to the store and the man working says the diamond has always had that carbon in it, it can’t magically appear all of a sudden. I know logically this has to be true, because I know the diamond was formed millions of years ago. However, I also know that spot was NOT there before. So what gives? Long story short, I end up getting a different ring (for free, same style) from the store but it had to be sized. So when I go to pick it up, this time a woman is working and she tells me, yes the carbon has always been there, but as women when we use hand lotion or get powder on our hands, it makes the carbon stick out. So I think the jewelry stores are cleaning these diamonds, polishing them up so these flaws can’t be seen (you know they have that lighting that makes all the diamonds blinding to look at), selling them to people and then letting them walk out 4 grand in the hole knowing that there is a huge flaw in the diamond that will show up sooner or later but by then it’s too late to get a refund. Shameful if you ask me.

    • Hi Jamie. I’m happy you found out what caused your inclusion to show up: Dirt. Lotions. Perfumes. Anything that blocks light from entering the stone and bouncing back out will highlight any flaws in the stone. This is not a gimmick that jewelers do. The diamond you bought did have those inclusions already in them. The only way to get a better looking stone is to either find one where the flaws are more split up and don’t show as much, or purchase a higher quality. It has nothing to do with jewelers pulling the wool over your eyes. Any diamond, of any quality will look worse when it’s dirty. The solution is simple: keep your diamond clean. Jewelers don’t polish diamonds. A diamond cutter does. All jewelers do is clean the stone in an ultrasonic cleaner, just like anyone could, to remove the debris stuck to the stone and that stone will look brand new again. It’s not shameful. It’s fact. It’s because flaws stand out when the diamond is dirty. That’s all. -Richard

  3. Hi! Is it possible for a twinning wisp get bigger due to impact? I dropped my ring and I think the twinning wisp extended and got larger. Is that possible? Or has it always been there and I just didn’t notice? The inclusion plot on the gia report doesn’t show it in that location but shows one that’s above it (i know about this one at the time of purchase) so I was wondering if it spread to an area not plotted on the inclusion plot or it’s one of the twinning wisp that’s in the comments section that states “additional twinning wisps, clouds and pinpoints are not shown”. Please help!! Thanks!!!

    • Hi Jessica. You can crack a diamond if you hit it hard enough. And the diamond could crack further in an included area (weak spot). But generally the crack, chip or breakage would extend to the surface of the stone. Very unlikely that any damage would appear inside the protected stone, and only look like a larger wisp. If the diamond cracks, it’s pretty noticeable and will look more like broken ice, versus another inclusion. So I would probably say that the inclusion is showing up more now because the diamond needs cleaned, or you’re just getting better at viewing the flaws and where they are inside your stone. You can always send your diamond back to GIA and get it double checked, to make sure that the clarity and plot are still the same. Check out their Submit a Gem page here! :) -Richard

  4. Hi Richard! The really weird thing though, is I actually only noticed this inclusion after cleaning the diamond because I dropped it while I was cleaning it.. silly I know.. the “new” wisp that I’m seeing extends to the girldle but it’s a very fine line, like a hair line, doesn’t look like crushed ice at all.. hence, i was just wondering if the wisp simply extended to the girdle right next to a feather on the girdle. This is seriously making me panic and I feel so clumsy to have dropped it

  5. Sorry! Forgot to add that it’s very subtle and you can only see if you really scrutinize it and when the light hits the facet at a very precise point lol. So it’s not obvious by any means.. I think I am just freaking out and it’s probably nothing.. but I’m not sure…

    • Hi Jessica. If it extends to the girdle, as you say, then it could have fractured the stone more from that wisp. But, it could also be you just missed it (maybe the stone was turned so the flaw fell under a prong)? I would see if you can find a certified GIA diamontologist (check with local gem appraisers) that can double check the stone. But still, it may be wise to send it back to GIA (who will remove the stone to check every aspect of it), and verify that it’s either in the exact same condition during grading, or if it has changed due to recent impact. -Richard

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