Diamond treatment

摘要

A method of reducing the color of diamond of type 1b including the steps of exposing the diamond to irradiation capable of causing atomic displacements in the diamond, for example the irradiation may be electron bombardment of energy greater than 300 KeV, followed by heat treating the irradiated diamond at a temperature in the range 1600 DEG C. to 2200 DEG C. under a pressure at which the diamond is crystallographically stable at the temperature used.