Does a lower color show up as looking more chrome or mirror-like?

[gulliverseyes]

I notice some diamonds look more chrome than others, is it the color grade making the difference?

 

[Sparkalicious]

Gulliverseyes,

I think that it is likely the cut that factors into the "mirror-like" appearance of a diamond more so than color.
Lower color diamonds have more of a "warm" color or tone to them that differs from what could be described as the "icy white" color of higher color graded diamonds.

** eta - Here is a link to the PS tutorial on Table Size ... I think that it might more thoroughly address your inquiry. In short, it is saying that the larger the table of the diamond, the less "fire" or the less "ability for the diamond to break light into rainbow colors", thus the diamond may tend have more of a glass like appearance as opposed to a fiery appearance.

Is this what you were asking or am I way off?

 

[Diamond*Dana]

Is it maybe reflecting the surrounding color...maybe a grey or black shirt?

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I''m not sure what you mean, but it would not be because of the diamond color being lower.

 

[Allison D.]

By ''chrome'', do you mean steelish/silverish in appearance?

I seem to recall it being something about the tone of the rough, but it''s been years since anyone mentioned that. If you''re interested, though, I can find out more for you.

 

[Allison D.]

Hot off the press research.....

That appearance does come from the body color of the diamond, which will fall in the hues in the greenish or brownish hue range and those show steelish.

In the yellow range, it shows yellow instead.

Hope that helps.

 

[Sparkalicious]

Hmm .. interesting. Thanks Alj ... Nice work!

 

[gulliverseyes]

Great info ... thanks!

When I was looking at two loose diamonds, one did appear as being more chrome than another. The chrome one was a lower color, that''s why I asked if it was color.

Now, a different diamond, looked white in a gold setting, but now looks a little chrome is a platinum setting. I was thinking that it might be reflections, but I haven''t seen this ring in good light as of yet, so it might just be poor lighting.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 2/8/2008 7:50:25 AM
Author: gulliverseyes
Great info ... thanks!

When I was looking at two loose diamonds, one did appear as being more chrome than another. The chrome one was a lower color, that''s why I asked if it was color.

Now, a different diamond, looked white in a gold setting, but now looks a little chrome is a platinum setting. I was thinking that it might be reflections, but I haven''t seen this ring in good light as of yet, so it might just be poor lighting.

Yep, good stuff from Alj! I remember a discussion about this a few years ago, where a diamond may have a silvery or grey tint to the body colour, can be beneficial in some circumstances!

 

[Ellen]

Interesting Alj, maybe it's cut AND color? Because like Spark, I too immediately thought of cut. I've noticed this in my own stone, and I went in search of and found this thread, which I remembered reading. Many note that a well cut stone will have a silverish appearance in some lighting, much like the bezeled edge of a mirror. And Patty notes Mara remarked on this phenomenon when she upgraded her first stone to a more ideal cut one.

 

[Catmom]

I was at my jewelers awhile ago and we were playing around with his HOF diamonds and jewelry. I tried on a very large HOF solitaire ring that was selling for $60,000+. This stone was absolutely gray. We couldn''t believe the tone of this stone. The arrows were good so it wasn''t the cut. It was just a stainless steel colored stone.

 

[rheanna]

I recently bought a hof stone (or my fiance did!) and I think I know what you mean by the chrome look. I noticed that the hof stones had a much more mirror like look to them than similar quality stones like polar ice and polar bear. The polar bear stone I saw seemed very clear and when i looked down into it i could see the top lines of the diamond. Whereas with the hof, it appeared to have much more depth and I guess a sort of deepness to it. It was also much more sparkly and fiery and I much preffered it, but this is probably personal preferance. It was still very white, just a totally different kind of white than the other stones.

 

[surfgirl]

Date: 2/7/2008 9:55:36 PM
Author:gulliverseyes
I notice some diamonds look more chrome than others, is it the color grade making the difference?

I took this question differently that the above posts. I was thinking you''re talking about when you take the stone in direct daylight it looks more "steely" and grayish? If so, that is how most diamonds look outside. If it looks the same under indoor lighting than I''m not sure what you''re seeing and maybe it''s what others are saying above...

 

[gulliverseyes]

/\ The place I saw the two diamonds next to each other was indoors with so-so lighting. I guess, seeing them side by side would discount the lighting. Not sure if the difference was cut or green/brown hue in the color or both ... both were GIA excellent.

 

[Shay37]

This thread is ironic to say the least. I was just discussing this very issue with Alj and KT last weekend over a cup of DD coffee. I was saying how this stone of mine has an almost pinkish undertone that I just love. The ones in the past have been more silvery. We were calling it the personality or undertone.

Glad to see that Alj aka Allison found the info on body color of the rough. It makes total sense to me. I can see it.

shay

 

[Lynn B]

This thread still has me scratching my head!

Ideal cut RBs *should* look silvery (is that what the OP means by "chrome"?) and shiny in certain lighting conditions. I ADORE that silvery-mirror-y look, I can''t understand who wouldn''t?! Flat, dull, milky white means a nasty diamond!

 

[Ellen]

Date: 2/8/2008 5:21:02 PM
Author: Lynn B
This thread still has me scratching my head!

Ideal cut RBs *should* look silvery (is that what the OP means by ''chrome''?) and shiny in certain lighting conditions. I ADORE that silvery-mirror-y look, I can''t understand who wouldn''t?! Flat, dull, milky white means a nasty diamond!

I know, and that''s what I thought the OP meant.

 

[Catmom]

I guess I''m not sure what the original poster meant and since I just played with a stainless steel looking diamond I took it to mean that.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 2/8/2008 7:19:41 PM
Author: Catmom
I guess I''m not sure what the original poster meant and since I just played with a stainless steel looking diamond I took it to mean that.

Oh reeeeeaaaallllly? And, were we really "playing" or shopping??

 

[surfgirl]

I''m still confused too. You know how just about any diamond looks greyish/chromish inside a Tiffany''s? It''s weird but even their own diamonds look that way once they''re on your hand out of the case...maybe that''s what the OP meant?

 

[Rhino]

Date: 2/8/2008 7:50:25 AM
Author: gulliverseyes
Great info ... thanks!

When I was looking at two loose diamonds, one did appear as being more chrome than another. The chrome one was a lower color, that''s why I asked if it was color.

Now, a different diamond, looked white in a gold setting, but now looks a little chrome is a platinum setting. I was thinking that it might be reflections, but I haven''t seen this ring in good light as of yet, so it might just be poor lighting.

Hi gullierver,

Based on your comments and assuming you were looking at diamonds in a jewelry store setting under typical strong jewelry store spot lighting it sounds like it may quite possibly be a function of the cutting that you were observing.

Diamonds that leak considerable light when observed in spot lighting take on a lighter appearance with less fire/sparkle while ideals cuts take on a darker body appearance with more fire/sparkle which I''ve heard the "chrome" like comments on before from consumers when observing in that setting.

My .02c

 

[Catmom]

Date: 2/8/2008 7:32:32 PM
Author: Ellen

Date: 2/8/2008 7:19:41 PM
Author: Catmom
I guess I''m not sure what the original poster meant and since I just played with a stainless steel looking diamond I took it to mean that.

Oh reeeeeaaaallllly? And, were we really ''playing'' or shopping??

Hee...hee....hee, aren''t they one and the same?

 

[Ellen]

Date: 2/8/2008 7:45:04 PM
Author: Catmom

Date: 2/8/2008 7:32:32 PM
Author: Ellen

Date: 2/8/2008 7:19:41 PM
Author: Catmom
I guess I''m not sure what the original poster meant and since I just played with a stainless steel looking diamond I took it to mean that.

Oh reeeeeaaaallllly? And, were we really ''playing'' or shopping??

Hee...hee....hee, aren''t they one and the same?

Not in MY book.

*runs off to buy a new book*

 

[Ellen]

Jon, thanks for throwing in yer pennies!

 

[tberube]

As for my 0.02...

This is an interesting question because sometimes I note my own diamond looking what I would think of as "silvery." Sometimes it looks like it is made of silver metal, like the surrounding ring. I think it''s kinda cool. It''s an ''I'' color EC that has a pretty good, but not perfect cut. Pretty large table, I''d say (got the diamond pre-PS). I''m not sure, but I think some would say it can take on a sort of "glass-like" appearance, but I sorta like that about step cuts, it looks clear and has a lot of visual depth (IMO).

I must note, though, that I notice that "silvery" look the most in lights that makes my diamond look the icy-whitest.

Interesting topic.

 

[Hera]

My stone has a silvery cast to it that my last stone did not have. I noticed it for the first time when I was getting my nails painted around Xmas time and the nail place painted on a snowflake in silver and my stone was a perfect match to the color. Would''ve never noticed it otherwise.

 

[gulliverseyes]

I think a lot of it is perspective...

Yes, when I had the two loose diamonds side by side in the same light, one did look more chrome than the other ... my girl noticed it as well. In this case, the chrome one either had a better cut or green/brown in it''s coloring, as mentioned in this post ... maybe both.

In the second matter mentioned by me, the (different) diamond looked more chrome when taken from an old gold setting and moved to a freshly buffed platinum setting. In this case, it looked very chrome after the change. Tonight, I looked at the diamond again and feel it''s the same as when in the gold setting. So, in this instance, I think changing from the old dull gold setting to the new buffed platinum setting made my eyes focus more on the shinny silverish bling coming from the whole ring. To me, it was all mirror ... just my perspective at the time.

Thanks for all the comments.

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 2/8/2008 7:44:12 PM
Author: Rhino

Hi gullierver,

Based on your comments and assuming you were looking at diamonds in a jewelry store setting under typical strong jewelry store spot lighting it sounds like it may quite possibly be a function of the cutting that you were observing.

Diamonds that leak considerable light when observed in spot lighting take on a lighter appearance with less fire/sparkle while ideals cuts take on a darker body appearance with more fire/sparkle which I''ve heard the ''chrome'' like comments on before from consumers when observing in that setting.

My .02c

When I first got my cushion, I remember thinking it looked a lot more chrome-y/steely. However, I have noticed it is because of what Jon is mentioning above...in certain lighting it takes on a darker, steelier appearance with more fire.

 

[door knob solitaire]

Drats. My mom has this incredible stone from the 50''s it is alive in everylight I can recall. White and clear almost like glass. I compared mine to hers and have been depressed ever since. I remember making the comment to my mom that my stone looked like aluminum foil, where as hers looked like ice or crystal.

So what Rhino is saying is that my cut was better than hers? That would explain why people came from the other side of the grocery store to see my stone, when she was right next to me. Cut is king...and cut is silver?

Would it be true to say- no matter the color the cut will convey more reflective silver appearance?

Gulliver, thanks for posting a question that I too wanted to learn the answer

...but couldn''t figure out how to

espress it.

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 2/8/2008 10:40:50 PM
Author: gulliverseyes
I think a lot of it is perspective...

Yes, when I had the two loose diamonds side by side in the same light, one did look more chrome than the other ... my girl noticed it as well. In this case, the chrome one either had a better cut or green/brown in it''s coloring, as mentioned in this post ... maybe both.

In the second matter mentioned by me, the (different) diamond looked more chrome when taken from an old gold setting and moved to a freshly buffed platinum setting. In this case, it looked very chrome after the change. Tonight, I looked at the diamond again and feel it''s the same as when in the gold setting. So, in this instance, I think changing from the old dull gold setting to the new buffed platinum setting made my eyes focus more on the shinny silverish bling coming from the whole ring. To me, it was all mirror ... just my perspective at the time.

Thanks for all the comments.

difference in contrast between the stone and ring explains that.
If a diamond has a bit of leakage a yellow gold setting can give it a bit of warmth.