The value and quality of a diamond lie in the stone’s brilliance and reflectivity. The brightest diamonds are naturally the most valuable stones. So, what happens when there is fluorescence? Does it leave you with a good or a bad quality diamond?
We’ll answer these questions in this article, but first, what is fluorescence in diamonds?
Diamond fluorescence is one of the important qualities in diamonds that determines their brilliance. It represents the glow of an object when exposed to visible light.
Many things in nature emit a natural fluorescence that is seen under UV, for example, the flying squirrel’s pinkish glow or the puffin with a blue glow of the beak under UV.
The same applies to diamonds that emit a bluish light or fluorescence under UV light. But not all diamonds emit a blue color, others emit orange light, and others emit yellow light.
Diamond fluorescence results from the submicroscopic structures within the diamond crystals, and it results from nitrogen atoms aligned in special rays in the carbon lattice.
And so, fluorescence is one of the identifying characteristics of diamonds and not a functional feature, so it’s neither good nor bad.
In the absence of light, there is no fluorescence, and though some deem the quality to fluoresce as good or bad to some extent, up to 35% of mined diamonds have a degree of fluorescence ranging from faint to very strong.
What is faint fluorescence in a diamond?
As mentioned above, fluorescence can be good or bad. This is the case because it can either improve the color qualities of the diamond or, in other cases, make the diamonds appear very hazy.
According to the GIA, diamonds don’t look cloudy when diamonds have a faint or a hazy fluorescence. In some cases, that faint fluorescence would give the diamonds more of white color.
However, in the case of hazy fluorescence, the diamond looks less transparent, and light isn’t reflected as well on such diamonds, which also means that you will end up with diamonds that are not that clear and not as beautiful as a diamond is expected to be.
Diamond fluorescence faint vs. none
While faint diamond fluorescence will not significantly affect the diamonds’ color, a faint fluorescence is different from a diamond with no fluorescence completely.
Diamond with a none and faint fluorescence have a minimal impact on the gemstone’s color. Such diamonds’ value isn’t affected by slight fluorescence or its complete absence.
However, the fluorescence of diamonds can affect the color and the overall reflectivity of the diamonds. In diamonds with a strong blue or a very strong fluorescence, the diamonds you end up looking cloudy or hazy – that said, even the deep blue fluorescence from diamonds will not be detectable by a buyer under the naked eye.
This also impacts medium blue fluorescence on the higher color grade diamonds – Grade G or better. But the diamonds in the D, E, or F color grades with fluorescence do not get any benefits from fluorescence. These diamonds are also considered to be much less valuable and less desirable.
All the diamonds that fall in the colorless color range, DEF, do not benefit from the fluorescence effects, but heavily fluorescence diamonds hold very little value.
Is faint fluorescence in a diamond bad?
The faint fluorescence is not entirely a bad thing, significantly because fluorescence can either detract from or enhance the natural beauty of diamonds.
With a faint blue fluorescence, the color of lower-color diamonds improves because the blue will cancel out the faint yellow color, leaving you with more of a colorless diamond.
Faint fluorescence is also not detectable to an observer in real life. The diamond grading labs do not consider the faintness a significant element, especially for top-graded diamonds. For value or budget shoppers, this may be bad because the diamonds are quite expensive.
Will faint Fluorescence Damage Your Engagement Ring?
Generally, fluorescence, especially faint fluorescence, shouldn’t have any damaging effects on your engagement ring. But keep in mind that the fluorescent diamonds that fall in the colorless to the near-colorless range of D to J appear slightly blue under UV and often look hazy.
The blue will also counteract the color of the diamond, often the yellowish color. The faint fluorescence will not, therefore, damage the ring.
That said, you should pay attention to the color grade of the diamonds and the clarity. For the diamonds on the strong and the solid color and clarity grades, and also the SI1 – SI2, you should check the rings keenly because the strong fluorescence and the other color interactions often create a cloudy or milky appearance.
Faint fluorescence diamonds, however, will not look milky or cloudy. So, if you’re searching for diamonds that fall in the D-F color range, you should buy the diamonds with no fluorescence or maybe a minimal degree of fluorescence.
Remember that even that faint fluorescence will add some blue to the white stone, and that may not be what you want, especially if you don’t mind buying the most expensive diamonds. The good news is that the stone will look okay and clean to the naked eye.
The other notable advantage of the faint fluorescence, also called near colorless diamonds, is that the faint blue will bump the diamonds to the next high color grade, resulting in a near colorless diamond.
So, you can always buy diamonds with faint fluorescence, which will not damage the engagement ring. These diamonds are also unchanged in terms of their brilliance and value.
Conclusion
In general, fluorescence (strong) in diamonds is deemed as a negative characteristic, especially when the value of the diamond is in question, which is why the null and faint fluorescence diamonds are preferred and valued higher than the diamonds with medium and blue solid fluorescence whose effects alter the color of the diamonds.
But in terms of optics, faint fluorescence is not bad.
Tiger is a fashion&jewelry lover. He is also a fashion jewelry manufacturer that help thousands of small business to grow and also do business with some big fashion jewelry brands. He is a truly metal expert and he will share some information you are looking for.