Another Respected Jewelry Critic Praises Etienne Perret's Colored Diamond Jewelry Designs

Recently I came across a post on a great jewelry blog called Color-n-Ice, by Diana Jarrett, which featured one of Etienne's most stunning Colored diamond jewelry designs earlier this year. Color-n-Ice is a fun jewelry resource and we were happy to see the author taking interest in one of Etienne Perret's more stunning Colored Diamond pieces.

Etienne's Golden Philippine saltwater Pearl necklace complemented with a gorgeous Green Colored Diamond pave interchangeable clasp is a truly breathtaking sight. No surprise it has turned many heads in the Fine Jewelry World!

Here's a copy of her post. Please follow the links to check out the Color-n-Ice blog directly!

Some Times Beauty is Only Skin Deep

All naturally colored diamonds are rare. In an ideal scenario, diamonds are formed from a single element, that being pure carbon-rendering them exquisitely colorless. Their tint can come from a variety of trace elements that intrude into the molecular structure of the mineral. But color can also result from mechanisms not fully understood. How are color-change diamonds created exactly--or pink, for that matter? The jury is still out on that mysterious transpiration.

When it comes to natural green diamonds, scientists tell us, it is the result of that diamonds' close encounter with naturally occurring subterranean radiation. Therefore with the very few green diamonds that make up the global harvest annually, many will have their green tint most present on the skin of the crystal--the very outer surface.

Green diamonds are scrutinized thoroughly in order for the cutter to best determine how to approach polishing this rarity and to conserve as much green as possible on the finished stone.

Few people have the privilege of seeing a fancy color green diamond, outside of a handful in museums around the world. The most famous green diamond that the public can view is the 41 carat Dresden Green Diamond displayed in a German museum.

Fortunately, diamond lovers can treat themselves to enhanced green diamonds which pack a punch on any jewelry item featuring them. Couture designer Etienne Perret knows just how to show off these verdant beauties with his luxurious enhanced green diamond pave clasp paired artfully to some yummy golden pearls.

Posted by seayoo@myway.com

Spotting Color Enhanced Diamonds...Even Your Browns Should be Tested!

It seems that while every cautious jeweler is double checking to make sure that the pink, yellow and even more rare colored diamonds are natural and untreated, many overlook the champagne and cognac colored stones, assuming that they are untreated.

Sometimes it's a shock to find out that even a lesser valued, brown colored diamond might not be natural. But it's not a surprise considering how popular champagne and cognac diamonds have recently become for men's rings and fashion designs!

If you're going to buy brown diamonds, we highly recommend that you insist on diamond grading for the larger stones to avoid the disappointment of being had by unscrupulous diamond dealers.

On the other hand, it is often the best bet to ensure the highest quality of color at more affordable prices by simply choosing to go with color enhanced natural diamonds--even your brilliant browns! By working with trusted and open jewelry designers like Etienne Perret you can decide what's best for you and quite often that's color enhanced.

Take a look at this beautiful brown-orange diamond that GIA testing revealed to be treated by irradiation and annealment, much to the disappointment of an unsuspecting buyer. The article mentions that Sally Chan and Paul Johnson GIA Laboratory, New York used the DiamondVision as one tool in determining the treatment of this stone. Below I have reprinted their GIA article:

                     DiamondView Indicates Treatment 

                            in Brown-Orange Diamond

The GIA Laboratory in New York recently examined a 1.49 ct pear-shaped brilliant that was color graded Fancy Deep brown-orange. Although the stone’s bodycolor appeared evenly distributed when viewed face-up, microscopic examination revealed that it was concentrated in the crown and penetrated only a shallow distance into the stone, with a sharp boundary that followed the girdle facets.

Such facet-associated color zoning would be expected for an artificially irradiated diamond. Infrared absorption spectroscopy revealed that the diamond was type IaB, which is consistent with the presence of banded brown graining. When exposed to long- and short-wave UV radiation, the stone fluoresced an intense chalky green that followed the graining. UV-visible absorption spectroscopy showed a strong absorption at 595 nm, which - along with the color zoning - indicated that this diamond had been artificially irradiated to induce the brown-orange color.

Of particular interest was the stone’s appearance in the DiamondView. The pavilion fluoresced a strong blue, while the crown facets fluoresced a strong green-yellow. These contrasting areas were separated by a clear, sharp boundary between the pavilion and the crown/girdle facets.

The combined gemological and spectroscopic features recorded for this diamond proved it had been irradiated and annealed, with the table and crown facets facing the high-energy beam. Although the DiamondView is commonly used to separate natural from synthetic diamonds, this example demonstrates its power to quickly alert the gemologist to the possibility that the stone is treated.

                                    Article By:  

- Sally Chan and Paul Johnson
GIA Laboratory, New York

So, if you want to know exactly where your colored diamonds came from and whether or not their color was enhanced, chose a reputable fine jewelry designer like Etienne Perret. View Etienne's colored diamond designs at Etienne's photo album