The most common process used for color-enhancing a diamond consists of 2 steps: Irradiation and Annealment. Together they enable a nearly colorless stone to obtain a beautiful variety of colors.

What It Does? Irradiation activates the diamond’s color center – a network of atoms and subatomic particles that work in a way that gives each diamond a particular color. Natural color in a diamond comes from the presence of trace impurities in the stone or structural irregularities at its atomic level. Irradiation promotes changes in the stone’s atomic structure in the laboratory – with the same result: the diamond gains color.

How It’s Done? Currently the safest way to irradiate diamonds is by using a Linear Accelerator - a sort of a ‘gun’ that fires a pulsed beam of electrons at the diamond, creating the color centers that induce color to appear in the stone. Subatomic particles are used to bombard the electrons of the gem, causing them to be 'knocked' loose, and captured by other atoms. The light-absorbing pattern of the gems is thereby changed and as a result, so is their color. This process is known as low-energy electron bombardment.

Exposure to electrons gives diamonds a greenish blue or blue color. In order to get the whole multitude of colors, irradiation must be followed by annealment. Here the diamonds are heated in an oxygen-free environment to high temperatures (450C/900F and up). The stones’ atomic structures rearrange and combine with imperfections already present in the diamond, resulting in a range of new colors. Annealment is a process that mimics nature, since natural heating in the right environment can alter a diamond’s color as well.

Colors Manufactured by Lotus Colors using Irradiation - All our colors other than Ice Pink are manufactured using Irradiation - Aqua Blue, Sky Blue, Ocean Blue, Royal Blue, Ice Green, Emerald Green, Forest Green, Canary Yellow, Golden Yellow, Rose Pink, Purplish Pink, Purple, Orangish Cognac & Reddish Cognac.

Irradiated Color enhanced Diamonds, like all diamonds, are legendary for their hardness and durability, resistant to general wear and tear, and not subject to change over time. Therefore, they require no special attention in daily use, until and unless they’re subjected to temperatures above 450C (900F). Generally, the only time this happens is at the jeweler’s bench, usually during the resizing of the ring.