The Private Reserve
Ideal Cut Diamonds
In-Stock & Available:
Diamond Inventory

Ideal Cut Classifications
AGS Ideal 0 Cut
AGS-000/Triple 0 defined
Eighternity Diamonds
GIA Excellent / Ideal
Hearts & Arrows Ideals
Just Plain "Ideal"
The Ideal Differences

Fancy Shape Desc.
Asscher Cut Diamonds
Cushion Cut Diamonds
Princess Cut Diamonds

Private Reserve Terms:
Glossary of Terms
Inventory Introduction
No Sales Tax!    0.00%

Engagement Rings:
Overview of Styles
Tiffany Solitaires
Gold Solitaires
Platinum Solitaires
Knife Edge Solitaires
Cathedral Solitaires
Comfort Fit Solitaires
Half Round Bands
3 Stone Rings (DeBeers)
3 Stone Rings (Fancy)

Designer Collection:
Designs by Tacori
Designs by D. Vatche
Designs by Viachi

Diamond Grading
The Expanded 4C^s
1. Cut = Light Return
2. Color
3. Clarity
4. Carat Weight
Clarity Characteristics
Degrees of Magnification
Diamond Grading Tools
Evaluating A Diamond
Fast Track to Brilliance
FireScope™
Fluorescence
Grading for Real People
Holloway Cut Advisor
Polish
Proportions
Proportions Analysis
Sarin DiaMension
Symmetry
SymmetriScope™
The 60/60 Farce
Tolkowsky Range

Buyer Beware!
Chipped Diamonds
"Empty House Listers"
Re-Cut Diamonds
Secret Stuff
Treated Diamonds
When is "Ideal" not?

Diamond Price Tools
Paid Report Access
A word about pricing...
What is the "Rap Trap"?
What is Ho-Ho-Wholesale
What is a Site Sale?

Independent Laboratories
The GIA vs. the AGS

Important Stuff
100% Satisfaction Guarantee
0.00% Sales Tax!  Oh yea!
FAQ's or Fiction
Find an Appraiser
Kimberly Diamond Act
Ordering Information
Platinum Tips & Care
Privacy Policy
Ring Size Conversion
Shipping Information
Terms & Conditions
Time Zone 101
Trade-in Policy
What Do I Do Next?

Who Are These Nuts?
About Us
Ask A Fellow Netite
Contact Us
General Information
The Benefits of NiceIce
N.Y.D. Magazine says...
Services Offered
Visit Our Store!

Investigate Us
Jewelers Vigilance (JVC)
The Public Eye
Epinions.com

Interesting Stuff
Canadian Diamonds
Diavik Mine Canada
$295M DeBeers Settlement
Blood Diamond Movie
Sierra Leone Diamonds

The Legal Stuff
Copyright Notice
Terms & Conditions

Trade Affiliations:

Jewelers Vigilance

Jewelers of America

Manufacturing Jewelers
& Suppliers of America

Friends, Competitors
& Shopping Favorites!

Exchange Links w/Us!

*

*

"Hey look Ma!  That diamond is radio active!"

Might not be what you want to hear when you present your engagement ring to your fiancé over dinner in a dark restaurant with fancy lighting, or walking through a neighborhood aquarium, or poster shop... Nevertheless, the phenomena of "fluorescence" in a diamond is a pretty cool thing if you understand what it is and it  actually enhances the beauty of many diamonds.  Most of the diamonds that we personally wear exhibit the property of medium to strong blue fluorescence because we like a little fluorescence in our diamonds...  Many of the independent GIA Graduate Gemologists we know also wear diamonds that exhibit blue fluorescence of various degrees.  Viewing the diamond from a side profile in bright sunlight, a diamond with medium to strong blue fluorescence will often exhibit a light lavender blue hue that is quite pretty although it is not so obvious that somebody would notice it if they weren't looking for it specifically.  The diamond pictured above is not radio active... It simply has strong blue fluorescence that becomes apparent when the diamond is exposed to ultra violet light, such as the black light of your youth.  Photo courtesy of the GIA Gem Trade Laboratory.

This is a page from our original site, please click here to visit our current site!

Many of the diamonds that people purchase in our store exhibit medium to strong blue fluorescence.  While some people are slightly uncomfortable with the concept of fluorescence when they first hear of it, many people find it quite attractive when they actually see it in person.  People often tell us during their appointment at our store that they did not want fluorescence in their diamond, but that they would then buy a fluorescent diamond after seeing the phenomena for themselves during the color grading portion of our presentation. We do not inventory very many diamonds with fluorescence in our Private Reserve because we find that people buying a diamond on-line hesitate to purchase a fluorescent diamond because people tend to be afraid of what they can not see...  Rest assured that we will not purchase a diamond for our inventory that we feel has a level of fluorescence that is interfering with the brilliance and beauty of the stone... After all, we do have a reputation to maintain and we don't want anything sitting in our inventory that we are not proud to sell...

According to the Gemological Institute of America approximately 50% of gem diamonds fluoresce enough for it to be seen under special lighting conditions, such as exposure to ultra violet (UV) light.  Fewer than 10% of all gem quality diamonds fluoresce strongly enough to make a noticeable difference between the diamonds color when viewed under incandescent light (low in ultraviolet) and in sunlight or fluorescent light (high in ultraviolet).

Strong blue fluorescence in a diamond of D - H color MIGHT cause the diamond to appear foggy or oily, but such cases are extremely rare... In fact, it is estimated that fewer than 2% of all the diamonds in the market have levels of fluorescence high enough to detract from the brilliance of the stone.  The owner of such a diamond may experience frustration or despair in trying to keep the diamond clean looking.  However, this is NOT always the case, most of the time strong blue fluorescence does not effect the diamond in a negative fashion and quite often it will enhance the appearance of a diamond... It's a Mother Nature thing... She can fool us, but remember, it's not nice to fool Mother Nature... It is important to be aware of fluorescence and then to view the diamond to determine whether it's effect on the diamond is negative, positive, or not at all.

A faint yellow diamond with strong blue fluorescence often appears to be near colorless or white.  We have seen diamonds graded as Q in color (very light yellow) that appeared to be white or bluish in daylight because they had strong blue fluorescence.  Such diamonds are sometimes referred to as "premier diamonds".

Fluorescent diamonds are nothing new.  In fact, in the old days diamond dealers used the term "blue-white" to refer to colorless (D,E,F) diamonds with strong blue fluorescence.  The term actually became sort of a status symbol amongst the public and to this day people will occasionally ask for a blue-white diamond. Rule 28 of the Federal Trade Commission's Trade Practice Rules for the Jewelry Industry addresses this issue:

Rule 28 Misuse of the term "Blue White":

"It is an unfair trade practice to use the term "blue-white," or any other term, expression, or representation of similar import, as descriptive of any diamond which under normal, north daylight or its equivalent, shows any color or any trace of any color other than blue or bluish."

In other words, only a diamond with blue fluorescence can be represented as blue-white.  However, smart jewelers have banned the term from their working vocabularies.

There are advantages to purchasing a yellowish diamond with strong blue fluorescence.  It can enable a price conscious consumer to purchase a larger "whiter looking" diamond without incurring the expense of buying a colorless or near colorless gem.  Prices for diamonds with fluorescence are generally lower than would be for a diamond of comparable quality that does not have fluorescence.

As you might imagine, fluorescence can be a jeweler's best friend or worst nightmare.  When considering a diamond, ask to view the diamond under ultra violet light.  The GIA DiamondLite is equipped with an ultra violet light source and every reputable jeweler has one.  If the diamond picks up a light neon blue cast under the ultra violet light, it probably has faint fluorescence that will have little effect on the diamonds appearance or color grade.  If it displays a strong neon blue color, it has strong blue fluorescence which will most likely effect it's color and may cause the diamond to appear oily or foggy.  Once again, the keyword here is "may" as in not always, might possibly, take a look and see...

Fluorescence can add to or detract from a diamonds appearance.  The thing to do is determine whether a diamond has it or not, and then decide if it effects the diamonds appearance or brilliance in a way that is acceptable to you.

On reputable diamond quality certificates, such as GIA, AGS, HRD, EGL-LA, CGL, etc. fluorescence is listed under color or comments. Descriptions of intensity include: inert (no active properties), faint, slight, medium, or strong blue. Although blue is the most common color of fluorescence, greenish blue, green, yellow, white, and pink, are also found.

It is important to note that each laboratory grades fluorescence based on a range of intensity which usually goes from None / Inert to Faint, Medium, Strong and Distinct.  The terms None / Inert as used by the GIA and AGS laboratories (the laboratories we prefer) refer to a level of fluorescence that can range from None as defined in the Webster's Dictionary to Extremely Faint, but not enough to warrant a rating of Faint...  So don't make the mistake of thinking that None is None / Absolutely None...  A diamond rated as having a fluorescence rating of None by the GIA or Inert by the AGS may exhibit a little fluorescence, but not enough to have any effect on the diamond in terms of visual performance.