Irradiation
ir·ra·di·a·tion | i-ˌrā-dē-ˈā-shən
noun
Treatment performed on gemstones or pearls to enhance color
Radiation plays an important role in the formation of a number of different types of gemstones. Some of the strongest colored stones, including almost all types of colored diamonds, look as they do because they have been irradiated. Natural radiation helps create blue, green, and pink diamonds without lab intervention, but irradiation can be used artificially to treat diamonds and give them similar colors as the incredibly rare naturally irradiated diamonds listed above. Irradiated diamonds do not fade with time, they are not necessarily lab-created themselves, and there is no lingering effect from the radiation.