Diamond Fluorescence

[smartroh]

Diamond fluorescence is your diamond's reaction to ultraviolet light.But it is still not confirmed whether fluorescence helps or hurts. Some unscrupulous jewelers pull a mind trick, showing you how "perfect" your diamond is as it turns blue under UV! UV lighting is not how we view normally diamonds, so it's a waste of time. These stones might look whiter in fluorescent lighting than they really are. A little bit of blue fluorescence is acceptable, but only in diamonds on the yellow side. Experts claim fluorescence makes a clear diamond appear cloudy in sunlight. You don't want a diamond engagement ring with fluorescence if your diamond is clear. The GIA cert indicates if there's diamond fluorescence. Loose diamonds with higher diamond fluorescence sell for less price than diamonds with no fluorescence. In a test done by GIA, they claimed "experts could not agree on the effects of fluorescence from one loose diamond to the next diamond. Most felt that strongly blue fluorescent diamonds were perceived to have a better color appearance when viewed from table-up. There was no trend when the loose diamonds were viewed table-down. Most experts saw no relationship between fluorescence and transparency."

[bdex services]

mmmmmmmmmmmm...... parts of this are true. Fact is Fluorescence is the result of the element boron being present when the diamond is solidifying. under ultraviolet light, the boron fluoresces.... depending on how much boron is present, stones will fluoresce differently.

In the wholesale arena, strictly graded diamonds with light or faint fluorescence will rarely be discounted b/c the effect is so minimal.

diamonds that have colors in the I, J, and K realm will often face up whiter than they are if they also contain blue fluorescence.  Diamonds colored between D and H with medium to very strong fluorescence will always be discounted in the wholesale arena.

in normal light most fluorescence in diamonds is difficult to notice unless an expert points it out to you. many many people have diamonds with high degrees of fluorescence without knowing it. the reason being, they were told to shop based on the "4C's"... not the 4C's and 1F. 

Bottom line, buy a diamond that meets your budget and taste expectations... but make sure that you get the appropriate discount for characteristics like fluorescence.  the pro's that work with the bostondiamondexchange.com network can be a very powerful resource in helping you understand more clearly the esoteric components of gem value.  email them or call them.