Sundance Process
from dull to dazzling
Sundance Diamonds has perfected the processing of brown Type IIa diamonds into the colorless range. Sundance understands that colorless diamonds are the standard for the industry. These diamonds remain a rare commodity and the most significant portion of the industry. Now Sundance Diamonds has created a means to bring brown diamonds into the colorless range through HPHT processing.
Candidates for color improvement are termed as Type IIa, indicating that they have extremely low nitrogen content. It is this nitrogen that is commonly present in a diamond that often creates a yellow coloration that can be present in some diamonds. This same nitrogen is also responsible for creating natural and Sundance fancy intense yellow colors.
The brown diamond is generally believed to have a brown coloration due to some plastic deformation or stress in the diamond. The Sundance Process is able recreate some of the natural conditions found in the earth of high pressure and high temperature and subject the diamond to these conditions. This extreme condition allows the diamond to go to a more relaxed state-removing the stresses (brown coloration) from the diamond.
Type IIa diamonds however are quite rare in nature accounting for 3-5% of the run of the mine diamonds; although, some mines have a much higher percentage to Type IIa diamonds. In rough form, Type IIa diamonds exhibit certain traits that help them to be distinguished. Type IIa are often large crystals that are in a cleavage or long elongated crystals. These diamonds can also be identified by using ultraviolet light which passes through the diamond due to the lack of nitrogen.
Sundance Diamonds has worked with several laboratories in the identification of diamonds that have been Sundance Processed and we remain confident in their ability to detect HPHT processed diamonds.