Updated 2 March 2021

Here’s a horrifying scenario: you buy yourself a gorgeous diamond that matches your birth month (for those lucky souls who can claim diamonds as your April birthstone), then wear it day and night. 

A few years in, you send your jewelry in for repairs, but when you get it back, your gut tells you that you received a whole different diamond. The shine seems off, or the shape doesn't look like your bestie. 

You’re not entirely certain, and you can't prove anything!

These tiny stones are super valuable. So there's an all too real fear of a switcharoo with a lesser-quallity diamond happening when you have it fixed. Egad, right?

The good news is – laser inscription on a diamond’s girdle have become a popular trend for security enhancement. 

They're an added layer of reassurance for you when you send your jewelry off for adjustments and mintenance, they're also a way for you to have a better grasp of a diamond's origin, which is always something we're fully in support of. 

Which is why we now have Australian and Canadian diamonds that are laser-inscribed, because that's how we roll. They're available as ready-made jewelry like this Pear Diamond and Spinel Ring Set in Eco Gold, or you can browse though our custom diamond collection in ethical gold to find your favorite laser inscribed diamond.

But we're getting ahead of ourselves! Let's get into why laser inscribed diamonds are a thing.

We think this is a big step forward in keeping your stones secure. But keep in mind this ID isn't a hi-tech tracking solution with servers and live updates (it ain't your iPhone!) In other words, if it’s stolen or switched after you bought it as a ring, tracking and recovering your diamond ring will still be a challenge. 

Unless… someone found it, saw the serial code, and made an attempt to search for the owner. In which case, you could probably recover it. After thanking that kind-hearted stranger. And maybe you'll get a life long friendship out of this scenario.

Also, if someone really wanted your precious jewel, altering or removing the serial code could be done quite easily. (Sorry to burst your bubble.)

Though it’s not entirely foolproof, purchasing a laser-inscribed diamond means you can tell your repair-person about the inscription, so that they can be more careful to not damage your diamond by accident. 

When you receive your diamond back, make sure to look for the inscription to ensure it's yours.

The same thing can be done when you purchase your stone. Before leaving the shop, read the inscription and make sure it’s the same code with the one on your certification.

Some jewelers have lamented the idea of inscribing letters and numbers on the diamond, assuming it lessens the value of the rock and its aesthetic qualities. 

But laser inscription is sophisticated af. It's done at a shallow depth, so the rock doesn't lose any clarity, brilliance, and color in the process. 

It won't affect the way a dimond refracts light, so you really don't have to worry about a diamond loosing its shine and sparkle. 

The process itself is also unlikely to damage or shatter the diamond. The result of the inscription isn't visible to the naked eye. You can only see it under intense magnification, and even then it's tiny! 

So you'll need a jeweler's loupe to see it (you know, those cool looking magnifying glass that fits around the eyes).

Now that you know what a laser inscribed diamond is, and you have a rough idea of how it looks on a diamond, you might find yourself asking, 'should I get a laser-inscribed diamond?' the answer isn't 100% straightforward.

Like we mentioned before, it does make tracking and identification of your diamond a lot easier, but it's by no means fool-proof. Inscription can be polished out or created on another stone. The latter is more unlikely as the laser itself is pretty expensive. So it is a useful added security measure!

Jewelers tasked with repairing diamond jewelry with laser inscrition will also probably slow clap you, for doing your due-dilligence. They'll also feel safer knowing that they won't be accused of switching a diamond out.

So what's the con? Laser inscription may bump your price tag up a bit since the process itself is expensive. But laser inscription technology like all tech is an ever evolving thing. It's becoming more and more afforadable.