Fluorescence in Diamonds

When selecting Nikki's engagement ring, I immediately realized I had no idea what I was looking for when it came to diamonds. But after some online reading, I was quickly up to speed. I began searching locally, but fell in love with a setting design from a San Francisco-based company, Brilliant Earth. And let me say, I can't say enough about their customer service and products. The sales process was smooth, and we even had the ring appraised after we got it, by a local dealer and they were very impressed with the quality, prior to us giving them any information about what we paid or where we purchased it. But I digress! The ring setting was the easy part. I still had to figure out the most important part, the diamond.

The industry often talks about the "4 C's" (Cut, Carat, Color, and Clarity). While I don't know how common it is, BE included a GIA (Gemological Institute of America) report which gives a thorough description and certification of each stone you purchase. I carefully selected the diamond using the information I had read describing the 4 C's. We received the ring, I proposed, she loved it (she didn't actually see the real ring but that's another story) and all was well! Later, when she began really looking at the ring, and all the materials we had received with it, such as the GIA report, she noticed another specification that we had not seen elsewhere.

Fluorescence. The GIA report indicated this stone had some fluorescence to it. Well, immediately Nikki and I got curious and we rooted around her old stuff to find her blacklight. What a surprise!

We loved it! The diamond literally glowed. We had to know more. GIA claims that fluorescence can possibly affect the color appearance of the diamond (UV light), but in our case, the stone appears bright and white in strong lighting. So in our minds, it's a bonus!  Evidently, some dealers in the industry made attempts to use fluorescence as a marketing tool but that did not last. Ironically, others in the industry made claims fluorescence can lower the value of the stone. We say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The rock beams in the sun, sparkles like crazy everywhere else, and now we know it glows in the dark (OK, with a blacklight). We love it! Fluorescence, who knew?!

Don't be surprised though, if when you speak with a dealer and ask for a stone with strong fluorescence, they look at you funny. There seems to be a wide range of opinions on the subject of this characteristic. 

Sources

http://www.gia.edu/gia-faq-about-gemstones-ultraviolet-fluorescence