Would the Mona Lisa be as captivating without her smile or does Beethoven's ninth symphony sound as majestic when it is played on a kazoo? With these questions in mind, it must be asked why would you purchase a fracture-filled diamond.

The increasing number of fracture-filled diamonds that are being offered by many jewelry retailers has raised similar questions for the jewelry consumer when ever they are preparing to purchase a diamond. Fracture-filling, which is also known as a clarity enhancement or less kindly, diamond retreading, is a legitimate process by which disfigured diamonds are being made to appear whole. During the fracture filling process, the blemishes and fractures within a damaged diamond are filled with a glass-like paste which shares the same optical properties and color as the host diamond.

When this process is finished, all the imperfections of the fractured-filled diamond are invisible to an untrained eye, and the visual appearance of the diamond has been greatly improved. In fact, the presence of the fracture-filling paste often can only be detected using gemological instruments. If fully disclosed to the consumer, then the fracture filling is an acceptable treatment for damaged gemstones such as a diamond.

However, problems do arise when the value of a fracture-filled diamond is misrepresented or the impermanence of the fracture-filling paste is not fully disclosed to the consumer. You need to remember that fracture-filled diamonds are actually repaired diamonds, and as a result should cost significantly less than untreated diamonds with the same weight, color, and clarity.

You should protect yourself against treated or misrepresented diamonds by always observing the two important rules. First, when you are purchasing a diamond or precious colored gemstone, be sure to obtain an independent gemological appraisal to assure that the gemstone's quality and value have been accurately represented. Next, be sure to require the seller to state in writing whether the diamond has been fracture-filled or otherwise treated, because any such treatments should be fully described and their limitations disclosed.

This process was invented in 1982 as an attempt to improve the apparent clarity of a damaged diamonds by filling fractures and fissures with an invisible glass-like paste. Since fractured-filled diamonds are becoming increasingly prevalent in the market place, it is important for the jewelry consumer to keep several facts in mind when shopping for a diamond.

At wholesale, fracture-filled diamonds sell for approximately fifty percent of the cost of a similar untreated diamond. Unfortunately, there are disreputable retailers who have and will misrepresent fractured-filled stones as more valuable untreated diamonds.

At other times, honest, but uninformed jewelers, have unknowingly sold treated diamonds that have been supplied by their wholesalers. In either case, the consumer has been sold a gemstone of lesser value and quality at an inflated cost.

Prior to purchasing any costly gemstone, it is important to have all stones independently examined and appraised. Diamonds are forever, but unfortunately, the current fracture filling processes may be less permanent. Tests by independent gemological laboratories have shown that the fracture-filling material may breakdown during normal jewelry repairs and cleaning, while other tests have shown that some fracture fillers will discolor and become cloudy after several years of exposure to sunlight.

When a treated diamond is purchased, it is critical that any limitations or special care be fully disclosed by the seller, and the manufacturer should fully guarantee, in writing, the fracture-filling process. The best protection for the jewelry consumer is education and the advice of an independent expert.