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Americium-241 (7.35)

Americium-241 (7.35)In recent years, green diamonds have turned up that have been exposed to americium-241 (an artificial radioactive element) for color treatment. These are detectable using a Geiger counter.

Radioactive Residue (7.34)

Radioactive Residue (7.34)All three of these irradiation methods do not leave any detectable radioactive residue in the stone after treatment. This was not always true. Shortly after Marie Curie discovered...

Van de Graff Generator Method (7.33)

Van de Graff Generator Method (7.33)Depending on the original stone color, the Van de Graff generator method is capable of producing bluish hues. The common cape (yellow) diamonds used in...

Nuclear Reactor Method (7.32)

Nuclear Reactor Method (7.32)The nuclear reactor method obtains a more consistent color throughout the diamond. The major advantage of this method is its capacity. Instead of irradiating a few stones...

The Cyclotron (7.31)

The Cyclotron (7.31)The cyclotron was the first of the irradiation methods to emerge in the early 1940s. In a cyclotron, ionized particles are accelerated to a high energy level by...

Irradiated Diamonds (7.30)

Irradiated Diamonds (7.30)Irradiated diamonds are stones that have been artificially treated to enhance or change a color. These treatments are commonly used on diamonds that have an undesirable tint to...