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Fluorescence

Also known as the Fifth C, this diamond quality is often overestimated.

Diamond fluorescence is one of the most misunderstood concepts in terms of diamond quality. While negative perceptions exist, a majority of the time, fluorescence works in your favor and has no impact, and even a positive effect on the beauty of the diamond. In summary, fluorescence is an inherent quality in the diamond that will cause it to glow a particular color (usually blue) when exposed to UV light.

Reasons to Consider a Fluorescent Diamond

1. They appear whiter/more colorless. Diamonds that are "near colorless" (H-J for the most part) will have naturally have a shade of color in them and adding a degree of fluorescence can make the stone appear more colorless face up.  Because these diamonds have small hints of yellow, the bluish tint of fluorescence helps counteract it creating a more neutral effect when viewed faceup.  For this reason, you can have a "J" color diamond with fluorescence that will appear like a “G” or “H” color face-up.

2. In many cases diamonds with fluorescence are slightly less expensive simply because of misconceptions regarding its effect on a diamond’s appearance. This offers a nice amount of savings without sacrificing in the look category. In addition, diamonds with fluorescence and rarer which makes this pricing discount even harder to fathom.

3. "GIA studies show that for the overwhelming majority of diamonds, the strength of fluorescence has no widely noticeable effect on appearance." For a very small percentage of diamonds, a stone with fluorescence might appear hazy or milky but this is usually only true in one that is graded as "Very Strong" intensity. An overwhelming majority of diamonds with fluorescence do not appear hazy which would be the only drawback to be aware of. According to GIA less than 0.2% of diamonds emit a hazy, milky, or oily look to them because of fluorescence. Furthermore, “in the GIA Fluorescence Study, it was found that the average person could not make a distinction between a diamond with fluorescence and a diamond without."  This video shows a diamond (the middle stone) with strong fluorescence and as you can see it has no visible impact on the appearance of the diamond at all 

4. If you go for a diamond with some fluorescence, you can afford a stone with higher clarity. For example, a “J” color diamond with Strong Blue fluorescence will appear more colorless than a non-fluorescent one. Due to the lower price point you would be able to pass those savings along to achieve a higher clarity or larger carat weight.  This would be a good trade off to consider when budgeting for your center diamond and allows you to consider a wider range of options.

5. Fluorescent diamonds are something to strongly consider if you are interested in a colored metal setting.  Diamonds set in rose and yellow gold settings tend to take on the color of the gold metal they are held next to. Because of this, the diamond that is graded G may begin to look like an H because of the “color bleed”. We find that diamonds with some fluorescence look better in colored settings because it bolsters the look and “whiteness” of the diamond creating a starker contrast with the setting.

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