Become an educated expert in diamonds, jewelry, rings, precious metals like platinum and gold as well as gemstones and pearls. Make the best purchase possible with our comprehensive education pages.
Buying diamonds and jewelry can be an overwhelming experience, but that can always be changed. Understanding a piece’s quality and characteristics is straightforward and simple. You can learn here about diamond shapes, diamond cuts, diamond color, diamond calrity, and diamond carat weight.
Our education pages are designed to answer all your questions. It explains how those characteristics influence appearance, and which are more important than others. Once you're done, you'll know everything you need to find your perfect piece.
DIAMOND FLUORESCENCE
Is Diamond Fluorescence Bad?
Fluorescence can seem to be an intimidating subject when choosing a diamond, however armed with the correct knowledge it becomes clear that it's just another factor that needs to be taken into account and is ultimately owing to personal preference and budget. Some retailers will tell you that fluorescence is bad...is a negative, but many consumers actually prefer diamonds with fluorescence! The truth is that fluorescence rarely affects a diamond's sparkle and brilliance, and in warmer or lower colored diamonds, fluorescence makes them look whiter or more colorless. Diamonds with fluorescence should be graded case by case. You may not even notice fluorescence in your diamonds, unless you are at a nightclub with black lights...Have fun and enjoy the blue glow!
About a third of diamonds exhibit fluorescence, like the fluorescent minerals you have seen in natural history museums or the novelty shop toys under the black (UV) light. The effect is like a white shirt in a discotheque. Fluorescence can be faint to very strong, and the most common fluorescent color is blue. As blue is the complimentary color to yellow, the most common tinted color in diamonds, blue fluorescence can make yellowish diamonds look white or colorless.
Fluorescence in a diamond is caused by tiny boron particles ( in technical terms) which glow or emit a blue light(usually) when exposed to UV lighting. In most cases, fluorescence will not cause any noticeable effects to a diamond. However, they may actually make some lower colors (I, J, K, L, etc.) appear to be more colourless or white. Also, in a few rare cases, diamonds with a strong or very strong fluorescence may have an increased chance of appearing milky (oily or hazy).
the fluorescence of a diamond is measured on a scale from None (no fluorescence), Faint, Medium, Strong and Very Strong. The strength of fluorescence in a diamond is not directly correlated to the colour or clarity of the diamond, meaning that the colour and clarity have no influence on the whether the diamond will have fluorescence or not. Diamonds of different colours and clarities can have exactly the same level of fluorescence.
GIA grades Fluorescence with five levels:
1> None (no fluorescence)2> Faint
3> Medium
4> Strong
5> Very strong
The level of fluorescence has no direct correlation to the clarity and colour of a diamond. This means that two diamonds with exactly the same clarity and colour grades can have two different levels of fluorescence.
HOW FLUORESCENCE AFFECTS THE APPEARANCE OF A DIAMOND
Diamonds with fluorescence can offer greater value for money mainly due to misconceptions about the effects of the presence of fluorescence. If the diamond is not affected in daylight (oily or hazy) then it can be a good value choice.
Under ‘normal’ lighting conditions there is no visible difference to the naked eye if a diamond possesses either None or Faint fluorescence. Under UV lighting a diamond will emit a small blue glow if it possesses Faint or Medium fluorescence, however, there will still be no effect under normal lighting conditions. In some cases, diamonds that have been assessed to have Strong or Very Strong fluorescence can appear to make the diamond look milky or cloudy. This would have an impact on the beauty and sparkle of the diamond, which is why it is not as recommended as a diamond with lower strengths or no fluorescence at all. However, each case of fluorescence should be treated individually as sometimes the affects do not necessarily have a negative effect of the diamond. Diamonds of a lower colour (I, J, K, L for example) which possess fluorescence can appear to be ‘whiter’ and more colourless.
HOW FLUORESCENCE INFLUENCES DIAMONDS
There are split opinions of the positives and negatives of fluorescence in diamonds. Diamond experts give their opinions on the matter that It is important to consider the influence that fluorescence has on the price of diamonds pretty much amongst anything else. A diamond with faint or medium fluorescence may be priced cheaper, almost way cheaper, as technically they are regarded as not as ‘pure’ or as “flawless” as a diamond without fluorescence. However, in terms of value, if this has no visible affect on the appearance of the item then it may be a better choice in terms of value for money.
Since the 70's, fluorescent diamonds are currently under-valued, and can most of the time, bring more positives than negatives to a diamond. So, it’s important to be aware that the more fluorescence there is in a diamond, the bigger the chance the diamond will be milky. Nevertheless, even for strong fluorescent diamonds, that chance is still remote.
