Moonlight and diamonds?

Date: 8/1/2008 3:15:14 PM
Author: zebramoray
Hari..


That's expensive fish bait!!!! I would get off the dock before gettin er done..

Date: 8/1/2008 7:12:41 PM
Author: surfgirl
Whether or not it glows in the moonlight, I would not propose on a dock at night! You will be nervous no doubt (and possibly have ye ole sweaty hands), and you dont want to fumble and drop the ring into the water at night do you? If you're doing that, why not do it somewhere like in a forest or field clearing so you can be on terra firma, just in case...

Date: 8/1/2008 2:59:26 PM
Author:HariSeldon

Hey all,

Now that I have my ring all picked out, my attention has been redirected to the proposal scenario. I'm planning on asking her at her parent's lakehouse at night when we're looking for shooting stars on the dock. So my question is this... what effect does moonlight have on a diamond? I doubt it will sparkle much but will it still glow with just moonlighting? That concern popped in my mind today while lurking on the board and I havent seen it addressed anywere so I thought it was worth of discussion!

Hari

Date: 8/2/2008 12:07:42 PM
Author: John Pollard


Hi Hari. The answer depends on where the moon is positioned, how bright it is, whether it's a cloudless night and what other light sources there are.


With a bright moon you can get subtle, needle-like flashes seen mainly across and under the surface of the diamond. If it's high in the sky you'll see more of these since diamonds are cut presuming that our world is lit from above. If there are clouds in the sky and the moon is bright enough to illuminate them this soft diffused light can illuminate more of the body of the diamond. If the moon is too low the performance is reduced as there won't be enough high-angle light and there may be obstruction/shadow caused by your heads or objects between you and the horizon.


Bear in mind that your pupils are dilated when the environment is dark. This lessens the chance that your pupil will 'clip' the dispersed light from the diamond as it recombines, meaning that most flashes you see will either be white or take on the color of your surroundings - and if there is an orange or yellow moon this may not be the effect you want. Alternately, if you have a boathouse with Christmas-style lights on nearby it could create a lot of rainbow twinkles. If possible, go to 'your spot' the night before and test the waters (not literally).


To that end, having proposed myself, I'll vouch for Surfgirl's comments. If you're dead-set on a dock, maybe take a large blanket to spread so there is no chance anything will fall between the cracks. In fact, unless it seems contrived, maybe a whole picnic, complete with big blanket, some sort of basket and...a half-dozen candles...which could make a beautiful stage, complete with moon and your own guaranteed lighting.

Date: 8/4/2008 10:33:47 AM
Author: Lord Summerisle
a little cautionary tale ;)

Devin Smith spent months orchestrating a romantic proposal on the river pier, only to watch his girlfriend’s perfect engagement ring fall 40 feet into the Tennessee River. Lucky for them, the story doesn’t end there. Amanda Hale explains, “It was just like a regular date. We were gonna go to the movies, then out to eat. It was just regular. I didn’t think one thing about it.” That regular date is now the story of a lifetime for Devin Smith and Amanda Hale. Two weeks ago, the couple came to Ross’ Landing. It’s where Devin planned to propose. It was just one of those moments. It happened in slow motion,” said Devin. “I went to open the ring box. It (the ring) hopped out of the box, bounced off the pier and into the river.” Amanda explained, “He went on ahead and proposed. He said, your ring may be in the bottom of the Tennessee River, but our love is forever. Will you marry me?” Amanda said yes, but like any bride-to-be, she wanted to display the proof on her finger. That night. Devin’s mother had a dream… a sign pointing them in the right direction. “I just dreamed that we found the ring, and that it was on rocks, and actually I didn’t remember this until yesterday, but there was water running over the ring,” explained Kim Smith. That’s where John from “Choo-Choo Divers” comes in. The next day, he dove 12 feet into the swift, Tennessee River in search of the missing ring. John Scruggs said, “If a ring could wink, it winked at me. I was six feet away, and it was bright and brilliant. Just as shiny as could be.” …”Within thirty seconds of going down, he swam back up,” explained Devin. “He asked who had the dream? My dad pointed to my mom and said she did. Then John said, well dreams come true and held up the ring!” The ring is now permanently placed on Amanda’s finger. She believes it’s a symbol their love can survive it all. Amanda explains, “To me it just shows that we are meant to be together, because who would think that you could find a ring, almost 14 feet below in the water!?!?”

Date: 8/2/2008 12:07:42 PM
Author: John Pollard


Hi Hari. The answer depends on where the moon is positioned, how bright it is, whether it's a cloudless night and what other light sources there are.

With a bright moon you can get subtle, needle-like flashes seen mainly across and under the surface of the diamond. If it's high in the sky you'll see more of these since diamonds are cut presuming that our world is lit from above. If there are clouds in the sky and the moon is bright enough to illuminate them this soft diffused light can illuminate more of the body of the diamond. If the moon is too low the performance is reduced as there won't be enough high-angle light and there may be obstruction/shadow caused by your heads or objects between you and the horizon.

Bear in mind that your pupils are dilated when the environment is dark. This lessens the chance that your pupil will 'clip' the dispersed light from the diamond as it recombines, meaning that most flashes you see will either be white or take on the color of your surroundings - and if there is an orange or yellow moon this may not be the effect you want. Alternately, if you have a boathouse with Christmas-style lights on nearby it could create a lot of rainbow twinkles. If possible, go to 'your spot' the night before and test the waters (not literally).

To that end, having proposed myself, I'll vouch for Surfgirl's comments. If you're dead-set on a dock, maybe take a large blanket to spread so there is no chance anything will fall between the cracks. In fact, unless it seems contrived, maybe a whole picnic, complete with big blanket, some sort of basket and...a half-dozen candles...which could make a beautiful stage, complete with moon and your own guaranteed lighting.

Date: 8/4/2008 11:51:00 AM
Author: HariSeldon


lol that would suck! maybe ill tie a sting to it and anchor it to my belt. lol

Date: 8/4/2008 5:55:39 AM
Author: HariSeldon

Thanks for the info John!

I am planning on having a blanket which is why I wasnt too worried about dropping the ring... its not fun star gazing with wooden planks sticking in your back >< The dock is really a boat house so i might take you up on your idea of the christmas lights.. altho that would cause your eyes to dilate and you wouldnt see many stars.

Date: 8/4/2008 5:55:39 AM
Author: HariSeldon

Does eye dilation really reduce your ability to see diamond scintillation? Seems to me you'd see it more since your eye is allowing more light to enter your cornea and hit the optic nerve.

Date: 8/4/2008 4:39:13 PM
Author: John Pollard
If you have ever looked at a well-cut diamond in bright sunlight you know that the inside of the diamond will appear dark but you'll see crazy colorful sparkle from it. This is because your pupils close to protect your eyes from the bright sunlight, but in doing so they are very effectively clipping dispersion, so you see color in abundance.

Date: 8/4/2008 5:55:39 AM
Author: HariSeldon




Thanks for the info John!

I am planning on having a blanket which is why I wasn't too worried about dropping the ring... its not fun star gazing with wooden planks sticking in your back >< The dock is really a boat house so i might take you up on your idea of the Christmas lights.. altho that would cause your eyes to dilate and you wouldnt see many stars.

Does eye dilation really reduce your ability to see diamond scintillation? Seems to me you'd see it more since your eye is allowing more light to enter your cornea and hit the optic nerve.

Date: 8/4/2008 4:32:52 PM
Author: John Pollard

1. We all know how dispersion works. Here is a basic prism graphic. Any Pink Floyd fans? (age showing)

Date: 8/4/2008 6:08:15 PM
Author: DiaGem



Love the Dark Side of The Moon..., but definitely not the best lighting to propose..., especially not near the water[s]....

Date: 8/4/2008 6:42:34 PM
Author: HariSeldon
John/Wink,

This might be a dumb question... will the color of a diamond have an impact? I know cut/optical symmetry determine light performance but will moonlight bring out the whiteness of say a D/E/F color diamond?

Date: 8/4/2008 6:42:34 PM
Author: HariSeldon
John/Wink,

This might be a dumb question... will the color of a diamond have an impact? I know cut/optical symmetry determine light performance but will moonlight bring out the whiteness of say a D/E/F color diamond?

Date: 8/4/2008 7:23:41 PM
Author: John Pollard
Not dumb at all. Actually, jstarfireb kicked this thread into physiology-mode. He's right...

Date: 8/4/2008 9:54:09 PM
Author: jstarfireb

Just to clarify, 'he's' actually a she!

I majored in neurobiology, and I never foresaw the opportunity to talk about diamonds and neurons in the same sentence, so of course I had to take it!