diamond brilliance?

[lostinny]

Hi, I''m a new member on this forum. I''ve been lurking for a bit, just reading other people''s questions and responses but now I''ve run into a question of my own as I''m finally ready to purchase a ring and would appreciate any advice you guys can give.

I''m currently deciding between 3 places. They all have their pros and cons but one of them has the best price and I thought the diamond there looked perfect (cushion brilliant (unmodified), VS1, I color). The only issue I had was that I didn''t get to see it under normal lighting conditions or in the sun, where I saw diamonds in the other 2 places, and wasn''t able to really discern how brilliant the diamond would appear. For me, while I appreciate a diamond''s qualities, I feel that what really matters most is how the diamond appears to the unaided eye in natural conditions. Because of that, I''m hesitant to commit to the diamond described earlier. This leaves me with a few questions:

- Will a diamond with an excellent cut and clarity be brilliant under normal lighting? (I just don''t want to assume)
- How much will cleaning the diamond affect the brilliance of the diamond? I''m just assuming the diamond will be steamed/cleaned or whatever they do once the purchse is made, perhaps greatly affecting its perceived brilliance.

I know this was a bit-long winded so I definitely appreciate any advice you guys have to offer. Thanks!

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 11/1/2009 10:49:57 AM
Author:lostinny
Hi, I'm a new member on this forum. I've been lurking for a bit, just reading other people's questions and responses but now I've run into a question of my own as I'm finally ready to purchase a ring and would appreciate any advice you guys can give.

I'm currently deciding between 3 places. They all have their pros and cons but one of them has the best price and I thought the diamond there looked perfect (cushion brilliant (unmodified), VS1, I color). The only issue I had was that I didn't get to see it under normal lighting conditions or in the sun, where I saw diamonds in the other 2 places, and wasn't able to really discern how brilliant the diamond would appear. For me, while I appreciate a diamond's qualities, I feel that what really matters most is how the diamond appears to the unaided eye in natural conditions. Because of that, I'm hesitant to commit to the diamond described earlier. This leaves me with a few questions:

- Will a diamond with an excellent cut and clarity be brilliant under normal lighting? (I just don't want to assume) This very much depends, if we are discussing cushions then the cut qualities of these can vary tremendously and you can't judge beauty by numbers, you can get a reasonable idea with a round diamond of the cut quality by the proportions but not with fancy shapes.
- How much will cleaning the diamond affect the brilliance of the diamond? I'm just assuming the diamond will be steamed/cleaned or whatever they do once the purchse is made, perhaps greatly affecting its perceived brilliance. Cleaning is crucial - diamonds are grease magnets so a daily cleaning at home isn't excessive, a dirty diamond will be dull and not sparkle much so in order to get the best from your stone, keep it clean.

I know this was a bit-long winded so I definitely appreciate any advice you guys have to offer. Thanks!

Welcome lostinny!

See above for my thoughts. but also can you ask if the store will let you view the diamond away from their bright lights? You have obviously developed a good understanding of how to look at a diamond and you are right, the store lights can be deceptive. You can try under a desk too although outside in daylight is preferable, if the store won't permit it see if you can look at the diamond while it is held under a desk or in dimmer lighting inside, if the stone appears to visibly shrink or ' dies' then thats a reasonable indicator that the diamond might do the same in normal wearing conditions.

 

[meredith07]

I agree. You should definitely request to see it in other types of lighting. I never realized how the lighting in the jewelry stores can make diamonds look more brilliant and even larger, until I saw my sister''s e-ring in the store (I had only ever seen it in normal lighting and even then it looked beautiful, but it blew me away in the store).

Most stores tend to be very accommodating, and will take the diamond out so you can view it in other settings.

Good Luck.

 

[lostinny]

Thank you for your quick and helpful responses. At one place, I saw the diamond outside and it really sparkled a lot. Would this diamond also appear brilliant under normal lighting conditions as well?

The other diamond I''m comparing it to is cut really well when viewed under a loupe but I''ve yet to see it under natural sunlight and am assuming it hasn''t been cleaned yet so that''s why I''m wondering whether it too will appear brilliant under normal lights. Any thoughts? Thanks again!

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 11/1/2009 2:06:51 PM
Author: lostinny
Thank you for your quick and helpful responses. At one place, I saw the diamond outside and it really sparkled a lot. Would this diamond also appear brilliant under normal lighting conditions as well?

The other diamond I''m comparing it to is cut really well when viewed under a loupe but I''ve yet to see it under natural sunlight and am assuming it hasn''t been cleaned yet so that''s why I''m wondering whether it too will appear brilliant under normal lights. Any thoughts? Thanks again!

The only way to know is give it a good test drive, if you buy the diamond make sure you have a good return policy and get it in writing in case it isn''t the one. Bear in mind diamonds do go into rest mode in some lights where they don''t do much, even top cut stones can do this, but they will come alive once the lighting is there!