What is laser drilling?

• A. The use of a laser beam to reach a diamond's dark inclusions and disguise or eliminate them.
• B. The process of polishing a diamond with a laser.
• C. The method of creating new inclusions to enhance color.
• D. A treatment that removes surface blemishes only.

Answer: (A)

Laser drilling is an internal clarity enhancement. A very fine laser beam is used to bore a tiny tunnel from the diamond’s surface down to a dark internal inclusion. The goal is to reach the inclusion so it can be bleached or chemically altered, making the inclusion less visible or invisible and thus improving the diamond’s apparent clarity. This is not about polishing the surface, creating new inclusions, or removing only surface blemishes. The process is followed by lightening treatments to minimize the appearance of the inclusion, and it can leave telltale signs such as a drill trace, which may be detectable under magnification.