Diamond Fluorescence isn’t a topic commonly talked about within the consumer market for diamond jewellery.
However, in the professional world it is a topic for debate.
Does it enhance or detract from the appearance of a stone? How does this affect the stones value?
Discover what fluorescence is, how it is measured and what it means when purchasing your special piece of jewellery.
So what exactly is diamond fluorescence?
To put it simply diamond fluorescence is like the glow in the dark paint you can buy for black light parties, or Ross’ glowing teeth in that one episode of friends.
Fluorescence in diamonds is only seen under external high energy light or radiation sources. Examples include; strong Ultraviolet (UV) light, lasers and x-rays. You can see diamond fluorescence in settings like nightclubs, tanning beds or in bright sunlight due to these UV rays. It can appear in a range of colours, however is most commonly seen in the blue spectrum. The intensity of this colour is often graded on a scale from 1 to 5. With 5 being a high level of fluorescence and 1 meaning the stone does not emit any light.
How common diamond fluorescence is
According to the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) a study of 26,000 diamonds determined only between 25 and 35 percent of diamonds emit fluorescence. This is due to varying degrees of structural differences in the diamonds atomic makeup. Synthetic diamonds alongside other stones commonly used to replace diamonds like cubic zirconia are also known to produce fluorescence.
Purchasing a diamond with Fluorescence:
Fluorescence can have both a positive and negative impact on a diamond depending on it’s values of; Cut, Clarity, Colour and Carat weight. These characteristics are also known as the 4 C’s. In some stones with reduced clarity and impure colour, strong blue fluorescence has been found to improve their overall appearance. In most cases for lower end diamonds there is little impact on their overall appearance. Some high quality larger stones may loose value through fluorescence decreasing their overall clarity.
At the end of the day, when purchasing a diamond jewellery piece beauty is determined by the eye of the beholder. To ensure you are happy ask to view the piece in various levels of light including bright sunlight. Many jewellery stores are low light environments, going outside allows you to see how the suns UV rays affect the diamonds overall appearance.
Now you understand the basic principles of diamond fluorescence you can go about your diamond purchase with more confidence, choosing the right stone for you and the environment you live and work in.
