The Personal Gemologist: Fluorescence
Filed under: Rings, Budget Advice, Engagement, The Personal Gemologist
Meg spent two years working in the jewelry industry as a store manager for a retail and wholesale jeweler in Virginia. During that time, she studied under two Graduate Gemologists and went through diamond and gemology certification programs through the Gemological Institute of America while working closely with wholesale vendors, bench jewelers, appraisers, trade show specialists, and others within the industry. Every other Tuesday, look for more from Meg on diamonds, gemstones, and jewelry.You've done your diamond homework and you've been shopping. You know the four C's and you know exactly what she wants: a 1.00ct VS2 D Round Brilliant Ideal Cut, Certified by the GIA. You've seen three diamonds with the exact same specs at various jewelers. They all look the same to you. So how do you decide? You buy the cheapest one, right?
Not so fast...
Are you sure you've considered ALL the characteristics of each diamond? Are they really all the same? The answer is probably not, and a lot of jewelers won't even be able to tell you the difference. But check each certificate carefully.
A good certificate will mention a diamond's fluorescence. It will say something like "Fluorescence: None" or "Very Light" or any description up to "Very Strong." This is a measurement of a diamond's reaction to concentrated UV light. The test is done in a lab and most people will own their diamonds for decades without ever knowing it even has such a characteristic -- unless they have one of those diamonds with particularly strong fluorescence.
Most diamonds, as well as plenty of other gemstones, will have some fluorescence. In most cases, the fluorescence is light, and the diamond may put off a dim glow, usually blue, under concentrated UV light. The diamond bracelet in the picture was photographed under such a light, and though the diamonds look uniform to the naked eye, throw them under UV light and you can easily see the range of fluorescence.
To see a stone's fluorescence, you generally need this concentrated UV light in a lab setting, but strongly fluorescing diamonds could react visibly to regular sunlight. They're never put to this test on the shelves of a jewelry store, but once the noon sun hits your diamond, you may wonder why it looks so cloudy all of a sudden, even a little blue. It's because the trace elements in that particular stone cause it to have a strong reaction to UV light, including sunlight. So before you just put down the cash for the cheapest diamond, make sure you also look at its fluorescence rating. Anything with greater than "Medium" fluorescence may occasionally demonstrate reactions that are visible to the naked eye. Anything from "Medium" on down, you'll never know the difference, unless you light your home exclusively with UV lamps.
A good certificate will mention a diamond's fluorescence. It will say something like "Fluorescence: None" or "Very Light" or any description up to "Very Strong." This is a measurement of a diamond's reaction to concentrated UV light. The test is done in a lab and most people will own their diamonds for decades without ever knowing it even has such a characteristic -- unless they have one of those diamonds with particularly strong fluorescence.
Most diamonds, as well as plenty of other gemstones, will have some fluorescence. In most cases, the fluorescence is light, and the diamond may put off a dim glow, usually blue, under concentrated UV light. The diamond bracelet in the picture was photographed under such a light, and though the diamonds look uniform to the naked eye, throw them under UV light and you can easily see the range of fluorescence.
To see a stone's fluorescence, you generally need this concentrated UV light in a lab setting, but strongly fluorescing diamonds could react visibly to regular sunlight. They're never put to this test on the shelves of a jewelry store, but once the noon sun hits your diamond, you may wonder why it looks so cloudy all of a sudden, even a little blue. It's because the trace elements in that particular stone cause it to have a strong reaction to UV light, including sunlight. So before you just put down the cash for the cheapest diamond, make sure you also look at its fluorescence rating. Anything with greater than "Medium" fluorescence may occasionally demonstrate reactions that are visible to the naked eye. Anything from "Medium" on down, you'll never know the difference, unless you light your home exclusively with UV lamps.
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