What causes milkiness in a diamond?

[peonygirl]

My friend has a gorgeous three-stone ring, but I''ve always been struck by how milky it is; it literally looks like watered-down skim milk. What would cause something like this? Blue florescence?

 

[ecf8503]

Possibly fluoresence - do you know if it is a fluorescent diamond?

It may just be a poor clarity and / or poor cut...

 

[tareyton]

I have scene CZ that looks milky. Are you sure it is real?

 

[peonygirl]

I think it''s a real diamond ring... she told me it''s actually a family heirloom from her grandmother.

 

[lumpkin]

Could it be that it is extremely dirty? Or perhaps it has a big cloud? I have a very strong blue flourescent diamond and it is not milky, but I have heard that sometimes flourescent diamonds can be milky. But watered down skim milk...sounds like it needs a good cleaning, perhaps. Are all three diamonds milky? If so it's I'll bet it's either fake or needs to be cleaned.

 

[strmrdr]

inclusions or dirt.
florescence would only be an issue in sunlight and very few other lighting envirements.
Diamonds love greese and it or soap scum can build up can cause that look.
A professional cleaning and inspection is called for.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Milky can be because of clouds of very small inclusions like in Kasmir sapphires.

But it is likely her old ring has been retipped by a jewelelr with dirty flux or bad habits and the stone has been burned on the outside.
If so it can be repolished with about .01ct weight loss.

Or it is a CZ that is worn.

 

[Lorelei]

I was reading on another site a long time ago about someone who asked to see a ladies' diamond and it was very opaque as described. Apparently she proudly stated that it was a very rare " milk" diamond!!

Blimey! Maybe I'm missing out?

 

[oldminer]

In the commercial environment, milky diamonds are just not in demand. People want to maximize the bling effect and to have a rock that is noticed and causes compliments. In my position, I wanted something different, so I found an Ideal Cut round that defies its excellent parameters by being a moderately cloudy and strongly blue fuorescent stone. No matter how much you clean it, it is always a muted but still brilliant stone. On a day with a blue sky and strong sunlight it clouds further and actually people see a violet cast to the diamond from the fluorescence and the sky color mixing together.

It makes a great man's ring, but few women would want to explain their engagement diamond to their family and friends. I just say it was a unique diamond that appealed to me. I like the unusual look of it and it demonstrates that you cannot simply calculate the beauty of a diamond by parameters, and that it must be personally examined or its light performance must be physically measured. The truth is that I have owned it long before I got involved with measuring light, but simply found this diamond appealing to my taste for the unusual when it comes to a diamond. There was no other reason when I decided to make it mine.

There are fancy gray diamonds which are nearly or totally whitish, milky from semi-translucent to opaque. They are sought after by collectors, but you won't see them in any commercially available jewelry. While we see some opaque black diamonds in the market, we see virtually no white, opaque diamonds. It is a matter more of style, fashion and lack of demand for them. No doubt, the rough is hidden away somewhere waiting for the right fashion moment.

 

[Lorelei]

Thanks Dave, I have learned something today! I would love to see a picture of it too! Does it look somewhat opalescent?

 

[oldminer]

It is faintly opalescent, not at all obvious. It photographs like a dirty diamond with a medium culet. Nothing spectacular. As I said, it is a subdued stone, not the sparkly, totally alive type stones most folks would really want.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 10/28/2005 9:37:18 AM
Author: Lorelei

I would love to see a picture of it too!

Me too!
In the meantime, there are a couple of pictures of '(hazy) white diamonds' on THIS THREAD. The translucent tones are even called and graded 'fancy white' - the words stand for a translucent, hazy white. But a low clarity grade (there is an SI2 on that thread) covers the transparent end of translucent. I do not know where the cut is made. Also, I have not seen opaque white ones cut but would love to.

Does it look somewhat opalescent?

Yeah, some do but it is a subtle effect. Allot less than the 'rainbow moonstone' with which I heard them compared. Not all hazy white diamonds show that effect to any extent. You may find cute specimens like that and described as 'opalescent diamonds' to the collectors that may like to hear that

I don't think there is a technical explanation, but I'd bet on strain added to that already hazy crystal. The fact that these fancy things are also difficult to cut seems to support this.

For a girl too shy to show up with large diamonds around,

these 'fancy white' are perfect. And surprisingly cheap!... for diamonds, that is.



PS: I bet Strm would have them called 'industrial grade' and grounded to dust. Now, perhaps many of the opaque whites are already, but that's a pity. Large diamond crystals of any kind are rare and those with few inclusions and even structure that could be faceted rarer still. Since the hard, large ones are also thought after for industrial applications and not feasible artificially, I can't imagine any being shattered liberally.

 

[valeria101]

 

[Lorelei]

Valeria, thanks for posting that! I haver only just found it, very interesting and that would make a great unusual piece of jewellery! I notice it isn''t clarity graded, do they not clarity grade these due to the type of diamond being very cloudy or included to get that effect?

 

[Shiny42805]

Date: 10/28/2005 3:05:05 PM
Author: valeria101

Ana, thanks for the example.....but I couldn''t keep a straight face at ALL when I saw that! What exactly is that piece? a pendant? A penis pendant, perhaps?

lol

 

[MissAva]

Date: 11/4/2005 7:13:34 AM
Author: Shiny42805

Date: 10/28/2005 3:05:05 PM
Author: valeria101

Ana, thanks for the example.....but I couldn''t keep a straight face at ALL when I saw that! What exactly is that piece? a pendant? A penis pendant, perhaps?

lol

ROTFL

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 11/4/2005 7:13:34 AM
Author: Shiny42805

Date: 10/28/2005 3:05:05 PM
Author: valeria101

Ana, thanks for the example.....but I couldn''t keep a straight face at ALL when I saw that! What exactly is that piece? a pendant? A penis pendant, perhaps?

lol

Why didn''t I think of that??????

Too funny Shiny! Ahem, the setting ASIDE it is a very interesting stone!

 

[princessv]

When someone says that a diamond looks ''watery'' is that the same as milkiness?

 

[valeria101]

Date: 11/4/2005 12:28:50 PM
Author: princessv
When someone says that a diamond looks ''watery'' is that the same as milkiness?

This is the first time I hear it!

Maybe, but it could also reffer to drastic lack of brilliance - a stone that lookes transparent, see through and dead like a drop of water.

In that sene, rose cuts could be called ''watery''.


Just that 0.2 worth...

 

[valeria101]

Date: 11/4/2005 6:35:14 AM
Author: Lorelei

I notice it isn't clarity graded, do they not clarity grade these due to the type of diamond being very cloudy or included to get that effect?

That is a 'color origin report' - clarity can be left out on those regardless of what it may be. But in this case, I really have no idea if it could have received a clarity grade anywya - the thing looks opaque in the picture.



PS:

Shiny42805! naughtly girl... no, it didn't occur to me either. Yiks!

 

[JohnQuixote]

Date: 11/4/2005 12:28:50 PM
Author: princessv
When someone says that a diamond looks ''watery'' is that the same as milkiness?

Watery or glassy is used to describe a poorly cut round diamond that has a ''fisheye'' effect: A pavilion that is shallow and displays the girdle''s reflection in the diamond''s table.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 11/4/2005 3:26:58 PM
Author: JohnQuixote

Watery or glassy is used to describe a poorly cut round diamond

This is it, like John says.

... it''s something about cut, and the effect can be quit severe.

Perhaps this old mine below has an excuse, a modern brilliant looking like that is quite another story

Just IMO, of course.

 

[princessv]

Not very appealing to the eye at all.

Thanks for the great visuals!