Almost all natural diamonds have natural “flaws” in them which are often referred to as inclusions.  Some diamonds with inclusions are able to be enhanced via fracture filling or laser drilling to either remove the visible inclusions or to make them less visible.  The best way to explain the impact of the enhancement on the value is that it is minimal, if any.  For example, let’s assume a diamond with a value of $3,000 has an eye-visible inclusion that can be made invisible or less visible to the naked eye through clarity enhancement.  The value of that diamond is still $3,000 after enhancement with the only difference being that it is more visually appealing. 

The second part of the value discussion is in regards to resale value.  There are two main reasons for selling a diamond from a wedding ring and we’ll discuss the happier of the two which is when you’re ready to upgrade.  From my experience of buying and selling jewelry I’ve found you’re usually pretty lucky if you’re able to get 25%-40% of what you originally paid in a retail store, when reselling in the secondary market.  Every diamond has unique characteristics which determine the value; however, on average clarity enhanced diamonds sell for 40-80% less than the non-enhanced similar looking diamond and ultimately someone will be looking for a big beautiful diamond for way less than what they would have to pay in a retail store.  That, combined with a significant increase in the popularity of clarity enhanced diamonds in the past 15 years, makes it much more likely you will be able to recoup a higher portion of what you pay if you decide to upgrade later.