Diamond Color Aroused by Light
Fluorescence, the effect ultraviolet (UV) light has on a diamond, is important to consider when evaluating a stone. UV light is present virtually everywhere but is strongest outside on sunny days and inside under fluorescent lighting. When UV light strikes a diamond that has fluorescent properties, the stone emits a glow (usually blue) ranging from very faint to quite strong. The same mineral properties that lend color to a diamond, namely boron and nitrogen, are the source of fluorescence.
Fluorescence and Your Diamond Purchase
Fluorescence can enhance or detract from the beauty of a diamond. It can improve a lower-color diamond (J-K color rated), as fluorescent blue helps cancel out faint yellow, resulting in a colorless appearance. However, fluorescence in a very high-color diamond (D-F color rated) can have the opposite effect.
In a small number of diamonds, the presence of strong fluorescence creates an appearance that is described as hazy, milky, oily, or cloudy. For this reason, strong fluorescent diamonds can be valued lower that similar diamonds with fluorescent ratings of "none," "faint," or "medium."
Rating Diamond Fluorescence
Every laboratory certificate rates diamond fluorescence according to the following scale:
- None, nil, negligible = no fluorescence, no
influence on color
- Faint, slight = weak fluorescence, not a
significant influence on color (barely perceptible)
- Medium = average fluorescence, small influence
- Strong, Very Strong = strong influence, substantial color influence
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