Diamond fluorescence – good or bad? This might be a question you’re asking yourself if you’re in the market to buy a piece of diamond jewelry. A diamond’s fluorescence can affect many important elements, including its price, market value, and appearance. It is almost certainly a quality that you’ll want to consider when buying a diamond. Understanding and knowing how a certain diamond’s fluorescence will affect your purchasing experience can help ensure you’re getting a fair price, that the diamond has good value, and that it will hold its value for years to come.
What is Diamond Fluorescence?
Genuine, high-quality diamonds are an expensive investment, but they can prove quite valuable even years from now if you maintain their health with good, consistent care. However, fluorescent properties can significantly affect this investment, and its longevity.
You will know if a diamond has fluorescence if it emits a blue glow while under a UV light (commonly referred to as a black light). Fluorescence is caused by trace elements that are found in naturally formed diamonds during the crystallization process.
About one-third of all gem-quality diamonds have fluorescence, yet only about 1% of diamonds are visually affected. In order to determine whether or not a diamond is fluorescent, it will have to undergo the black light diamond test.
Once a diamond is exposed to black light, it will be measured on the diamond fluorescence scale. There are five levels in this scale:
- None
A diamond with no fluorescence will not emit a blue glow under the black light diamond test. Diamonds with zero fluorescence are considered to be the most valuable, desired, and expensive.
- Faint
Underneath a black light, diamonds with Faint fluorescence emit a very soft blue glow. The amount of trace minerals in these diamonds is so minimal that it will not affect the quality or value of the diamond. Diamonds that rank Faint and None of the fluorescence scale are considered to be of the same quality.
- Medium
Medium fluorescent diamonds emit a light blue glow underneath black light. The blue color that these diamonds emit can complement low-grade diamonds that appear to be a bit yellow, making them more valuable than they would be without fluorescence.
- Strong
Diamonds with Strong fluorescence emit a deep, blue glow underneath black light. The value of low-grade diamonds with Strong fluorescence can be improved with Strong fluorescence, as it will balance the yellow tint, but it can decrease the value of premium diamonds, as they may appear cloudy.
- Very Strong
Diamonds with Very Strong fluorescence emit a bright blue glow underneath black light. Very Strong fluorescence will make most diamonds appear cloudy and significantly decrease their price, value, and desirability.
How Important Is Fluorescence In A Diamond?
Whether fluorescence in a diamond is good or bad will be up to you, or the one you are buying the diamond for. Some individuals find “Very Strong” fluorescence a novelty quality, which could make that gift extremely valuable to them, even though the market might not agree.
In addition, you will have to take your budget into consideration. If buying a genuine diamond is of utmost importance to you, but you would like to avoid spending a fortune, a lower-grade, fluorescent diamond could be perfectly suited for you.
On the other hand, you may want to avoid diamonds that glow under black light if you know the person wearing them would find that unappealing. As we all know, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
When it comes to finding the perfect diamond, we can tailor our customer’s orders to their exact specifications. We have many customers that want us to take out all of the fluorescence, and some customers that prefer us to take out just the strong fluorescence.
Grunberger Diamonds Can Help You Find the Perfect Diamond
Grunberger Diamonds is a leading diamond manufacturer and supplier ready to provide ultimate quality and precision to business owners in the jewelry industry.
Please visit our Homepage for further information on getting started and contact us to receive a quote.