Black in the Diamond

[akim1220]

I found this image of a diamond, still looking for the specs. But is the black "sunrays" in the center of the stone supposed to be that way?

diamond

 

[stone-cold11]

You mean those that looks like arrows?

 

[akim1220]

Yup

 

[yssie]

''tis funny. So many people on here go nuts for those arrows, and chase them vociferously, and every now and then there''s someone who just doesn''t want them.

Yes, they''re supposed to be there. Do a search for H&A.

 

[akim1220]

Thanks, I am aware of the H&A but still a BIG newbie. Just wanted to know if they were supposed to be black. Thanks again.

 

[Lynn B]

They are not usually *black*. It varies greatly depending on the lighting environment. (See photos below for a few examples.)
Usually they are silvery, and the light really plays off of them.
Personally, I LOVE seeing the arrows in my stone.

 

[stone-cold11]

They are suppose to be black if you are close enough to it to cast a shadow on the stone, otherwise they look just sparkly.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 11/17/2009 4:23:57 PM
Author: Lynn B
They are not usually *black*. It varies greatly depending on the lighting environment.
Usually they are silvery, and the light really plays off of them.
I LOVE seeing the arrows in my stone.

Ditto, in reality they rarely look like that, definitely more silvery.

 

[yssie]

We were all newbies too, and for the most part I still am

The diamond won''t look like that all the time - in fact, in real day-to-day wear, seeing the arrows black and outlined like that is a rare event. Vendors who focus on H&A branded cut quality showcase their diamonds with perfect arrows and hearts images because those are the hallmarks of perfect optical symmetry; most diamonds, though, with decent symmetry will have some sort of arrow formation. If you look at Tiffany or cartier ads, for example, the RB diamonds almost never show arrows - they''re more interested in showcasing the splintery contrast/scintillation, but I''d guess the vast majority of those diamonds could be reoriented to show arrows too, though they may not be as precisely aligned as in H&A branded stones.