Diamond Fluorescence ~ Diamond Inhouse Blogs

Does your Diamond contain Fluorescence?

Diamond fluorescence is the term many people didn’t know about. As, experts, have different opinions about fluorescence like it will give a negative effect on your diamond or it will be affecting the diamond’s appearance, etc.

So, let’s understand the fluorescence effect in detail.

1. What is the meaning of the term fluorescence?

“Fluorescence basically is the effect of a diamond to give off light when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light.” In simple terms it makes the diamond look dull and milky in normal light. Some of the diamond shows blue or violet-blue light when exposed to Ultraviolet light and some do not. Under normal lighting conditions, this effect is not visible. A diamond that glows under UV light is known as ‘Fluorescent’.

2. Do laboratories certified diamonds receive a fluorescence grade?

Yes, The Laboratories like GIA, IGI, etc. will indicate if a diamond has fluorescence and provides a fluorescence grading in the certificate.

GRADING SCALE FOR DIAMOND FLUORESCENCE

3. What is the grading scale for diamond fluorescence?

There are usually five grades for fluorescence:

None

Faint
Medium
Strong
Very Strong
Generally, these kinds of grades are been followed by many laboratories.

4. What causes diamond fluorescence?

The diamond comes in connection with a certain trace amount of an element that makes a diamond glow under UV light. As the odds of having these compound elements in a diamond can be high which diamond has absorbed over billions of years.

There are three elements that can be absorbed by the diamond and will cause fluorescence to occur:

Aluminum
Boron
Nitrogen

5. Does diamond fluorescence affect any of the 4C or diamond polish or symmetry?

Diamond fluorescence can affect a diamond’s color, like when diamonds are viewed under a UV light, they tend to show as a blue color, but not any of the other 4Cs, polish, or symmetry.

6. How does diamond fluorescence affect color?

When diamonds are viewed under a UV light source, they tend to fluoresce as blue or violet-blue. The diamond’s fluorescence can be a beneficial to a diamond that has a yellow shade, as the blue fluorescence will cancel out some of the yellow, making it appear less yellowish, but the diamond will have the dull, murky appearance when compared to a non-fluorescent diamond.

In addition, diamonds with yellow or white fluorescence will make the appearance of the diamond to have a hazy or milky feature in it.

7. Does fluorescence affect certain diamond shapes more?

Fluorescence may affect all shape equally i.e. round, princess, oval, etc.

8. How does diamond fluorescence affect the price?

A fluorescence grade of None to Very Strong can lower a diamond’s price. As the color grades from D to H diamonds, fluorescence can negatively impact the value of the stone by 3% to 15% and on the other hand, colored diamonds with a color grade that is from I to K, fluorescence would increase the value by 1% to 3%.

9. Is diamond Fluorescence good for buying?

As, if the fluorescence in the particular diamond is from none to faint can be bought, but when it shows strong or very strong fluorescence than the diamond is considered to appear cloudy, reducing its transparency for which you can ask for professional or expert advice.