Do some diamonds look more grey?

[HSP]

I have a round diamond set with 6 prongs with G color and excellent cut. I was comparing it with my friend who has a cushion of equal ct with an H color with 4 prongs and noticed how my diamond looks more clear grey/silverish and hers more opaque white. My ring is also set lower and prongs hug the diamond more than hers which are set higher. Could it be because more metal covers my diamond?

 

[Fly Girl]

Was your friend's diamond clean? Opaque white to me means her diamond needs a good cleaning.

 

[Catmom]

My jeweler once had a HOF 3 ct that was absolutely grey in tone compared to the other HOF diamonds.

 

[petrock<3]

It could be the metal, I know GOG has a video that shows how different stones look with different metal. I happened to be looking at some other videos today and came across it (it is boring here in Mexico- not anywhere near the beach)

http://vimeo.com/12089730

It could be the lighting too, I think, because don't well cut diamonds go a little grey in direct sun, or bright light? I think it is due to all of the sparkles bouncing back to the eye, your brain can't process it all. Please correct me if I am wrong, but I remember reading about this.

 

[athenaworth]

Yeah, there's some sort of weird visual phenomenon that causes really well cut diamonds to look grey in certain lights.

 

[Tanzigrrl]

There are also what they call "stele gray" diamonds. My .68 carat pear diamond is from Australia and it is a characteristic of the mines there. My diamond appears silvery-grey next to more "white" diamonds. I think it's a really cool effect.

 

[petrock<3]

There are also what they call "stele gray" diamonds. My .68 carat pear diamond is from Australia and it is a characteristic of the mines there. My diamond appears silvery-grey next to more "white" diamonds. I think it's a really cool effect.

I would love to see a pic of this!

 

[Tanzigrrl]

A Google search yielded this explanation (from http://www.diamondsourceva.com/Education/ColoredDiamonds/colored-diamonds-gray.asp):


Fancy Colored Gray Diamonds


Diamonds with Gray as the primary dominant color are unique. These diamonds are comparatively reasonably priced and have a perceived color resembling the color of the metal nickel, aluminum, or pewter.


Gray is a neutral color containing little or no saturation. The addition of small quantities of blue or green will produce a cool gray color, while the addition of brown or yellow will produce a warm gray color.

Common names for gray color diamonds include charcoal gray, steel, pigeon, slate, silver etc.

The gray diamond rough is mined in Australia, South Africa, India, Russia and Brazil.


Gray diamonds are colored by hydrogen, and more rarely boron (unknown how, since boron nearly always forms blue). The defect causes the stone to absorb all wavelengths of light equally. Gray color can tint nearly every other shade. Gray colors often appear very different when viewed under average natural daylight versus an artificial light source. Natural gray diamonds occur within a specific region of color tone. Their lightness extends from very light (smoke) gray, through dark (graphite) gray colors.


The secondary hues and color modifiers include black, green, blue, yellow, pink, purple, brown etc.

Enhanced gray colors are rarely made due to easy availability of natural gray diamonds.

 

[Tanzigrrl]

This is the best I can do - I laid it out on my flatbed scanner. Can't tell much about the color though - and it is quite subtle.

 

[partgypsy]

Most likely it is because of clarity issues, not color as you described it as "opaque". Hope your girlfriend doesn't see this post!
Also I would imagine a less well cut diamond would look more see-through, while a well cut diamond can see the almost metal/silvery facets.

Regarding color, yours is a G color and your friend has an H colored diamond, those are not fancy "colored" diamond.

However I've read here that diamonds in the e-z scale can have color based on yellow or brown. Maybe some have a gray modifier. So maybe her stone has a yellow or brown modifier while yours has a gray modifier. But probably more has to do with clarity/cut.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

I woould like to know what lighting you did the comparison in and if you can do it in several diferent types.

My bet is it was direct sunlight which is a no no

 

[Rockdiamond]

Right- never look at your diamonds in the sun....

Garry- isn't it fairly common that people will be in daylight ( sunlight) and be looking at their diamonds?
I would not recommend using direct sunlight to grade- but how a diamond looks in sunlight is certainly important, no?

Most likely it is because of clarity issues, not color as you described it as "opaque". Hope your girlfriend doesn't see this post!
Also I would imagine a less well cut diamond would look more see-through, while a well cut diamond can see the almost metal/silvery facets.

Regarding color, yours is a G color and your friend has an H colored diamond, those are not fancy "colored" diamond.

However I've read here that diamonds in the e-z scale can have color based on yellow or brown. Maybe some have a gray modifier. So maybe her stone has a yellow or brown modifier while yours has a gray modifier. But probably more has to do with clarity/cut.

Good point Gyspy- generally a gray hue is not all that desirable, but there are diamonds that have such a hue.
Many times it's related to carbon within the stone.
There's a category of stones called "Black Naats" ( pronounced knots) which is a commercial, inexpensive grouping of goods that has a grey hue, and lot's of carbon spots.
Unlikely that a stone graded H by GIA would have such a hue though...

You shouldn't be looking at those diamonds in sunlight, that's what it is