How noticeable is strong blue fluorescense?

[mikemaz]

If there is no milkiness or oilieness... for those people who have or have seen strong blue fluorescent diamonds... how noticeable is it really?

If I was at the office or at home... is it very noticeable?

If you are outside and it is sunny... is it very noticeable or do you really have to look at the stone to notice it?

I''m about to pick up a strong blue... and I would rather avoid any hassle in potentially returning it... for now, I am looking forward to the strong blue, although it is barely noticeable in most lighting conditions.

Thanks everyone!
Mike

 

[Stephan]

Strong fluorescence in zhite diamonds is visible under strong lighting.
It''s easy to distinguish under halogene for exemple.
You could love it, it has a kind of old-fashion look.

 

[mikemaz]

This is an H color stone. My main concern is that it is not overly noticeable to people at work... or that the stone is not a blue stone in sunlight.

I would prefer mind a very very slight hue, but I still want a white stone... not a blue one.

All opinions welcome please !!

 

[ecf8503]

I disagree, Queen Mum.

I have a D color with strong blue fluoresence, and I love it. I really don''t think it is noticeable at all (except under a blacklight!

). Mine is never milky or oily to me (I had another D with faint fluoresence and have a G with no fluoresence and they all look the same in all lighting). I never notice anything bad in my stone under halogen lights.

I don''t know if the SB Fluor is doing anything to my stone, but if it is I like it! Fluoresence is really no big deal 97% of the time (there have been numerous fluoresence threads recently, and there are differing opinions, but bottom line is very few stones with fluoresence have this oily effect).

Here is the link to my stone, with plenty of pics to see for yourself.

I also took some pics of it under a blacklight and posted those pics in a collage at the end of this thread.

Mikemaz - have you seen this stone in person? I too was skeptical / hesitant about a stone with SB (especially a D) but once I saw it (and realized that those people who think fluoresence is a neutral or positive characteristic were RIGHT) I felt silly for being at all apprehensive.

Strong fluoresence has "gotten a bad rap" - this milky / hazy / oily thing that people are so hung up on is VERY rare! In a GIA study from 1997 they couldn''t even FIND enough stones that exhibited this characteristic! Go with your eyes - if you like it then don''t let anyone talk you out of it.

 

[Gala139]

Hi Mike--

I''m no expert, but I strongly advise you to go to a jewelry store and see for yourself what strong blue fluor looks like. I saw it for the first time this week on an I-color 3C stone and I was really surprised by just how strong and blue it was. Ask the jeweler to take the stone outside with you because that''s where you''re really going to see it. I think it''s really a matter of taste, but in MHO, it put me off wanting anything with more than medium fluor.

 

[mikemaz]

Wow... two very differing opinions.

Thanks for the pictures... beautiful ring! I did enjoy them and I actually liked the blue in the black light and didn''t notice any blue hue in the day pictures. Were any of those taken outdoors?

Gala139... was that a strong blue or very strong blue that you looked at. Was it really that noticeable?

I haven''t seen the stone, but would rather avoid any possibility of returning it!

More opinions are welcome... Pricescope is an amazing source of information indeed!!!!!

Thanks everyone!

 

[valeria101]

Date: 9/15/2005 1:15:04 PM
Author: mikemaz

This is an H color stone. My main concern is that it is not overly noticeable to people at work...

a diamond is a diamond, and that is what everyone will see.


or that the stone is not a blue stone in sunlight.

no, that is not possible, unfortunately

I would prefer mind a very very slight hue, but I still want a white stone... not a blue one.

The blue (or whatever color of the fluorescence) would not be visible in any other setting but under black light in a dark place. It is too faint. ''Strong fluorescence'' is relatively strong - not a glaring thing at all, but some subtle effect.

IMO, of course. It would be great to see a diamond like that (any geology museum around?... if jewelery shops don''t help).

 

[mikemaz]

Hi Valeria,

So your stone is not blue in direct sunight... or is there a faint blue hue.

Unfortunately, I''ve called around to find fluorescent stones. The Tiffany''s of the world don''t carry them... and other jewellers seem to have a hard time getting them... so I''m out of luck there (but those same jewellers were trying to convince me to get a very good cut and not an ideal cut

 

[Gala139]

Mike, it was strong blue, not very strong. If you want other opinions, try doing a search in the forum on fluorescence and you''ll get a wide range of opinions. I think ultimately you have to see it with your own eyes--keep calling jewelers and you''ll find someone who has one. I''m sure it also depends on the stone--the pics posted above are beautiful

 

[ecf8503]

Thanks everyone![/quote]

Date: 9/15/2005 1:38:39 PM
Author: mikemaz
Wow... two very differing opinions.


Thanks for the pictures... beautiful ring! I did enjoy them and I actually liked the blue in the black light and didn''t notice any blue hue in the day pictures. Were any of those taken outdoors?

Yes, the first 6 pics on the first page are all outdoors in bright sunlight. Also the hand shots on the second page. All the others were indoor under various lighting, but mainly just ambient daylight.

If you don''t mind my asking, where are you getting this stone from? A local or an online vendor? The online vendor I bought mine from had a 10-day return policy - if I didn''t like it (for WHATEVER reason) I could return it for a full refund.

 

[fire&ice]

Any stone may look blue in sunlight as the diamond will absorb color surroundings - i.e. blue sky. I have a 3c I color w/ strong blue. In direct sunlight, it has a purplish blue hue. Quite frankly, all my stones have bl. fluor. I wouldn''t buy a stone without it. In my search for the 3c, I viewed "I" color stones that had visible yellowish warmer color. My stone exhibits no warmth face up. The blue counteracts the yellow in most lights.

Many times it''s a mental thing and not a physical thing. If you want a stone more on the purity side, then bl. fluor may not be for you. But, I think they are more special & love the "plugged in" look they give a stone.

 

[Richard Sherwood]

Date: 9/15/2005 1:07:44 PM
Author: QueenMum

Strong fluorescence in white diamonds is visible under strong lighting.

It's easy to distinguish under halogene for exemple.

I just wanted to note here that the UV content in halogen and incandescent lighting is minimal to none, and should produce no visible effect in a strong blue fluorescent diamond.

Fluorescent lighting can have a little more UV content, but not enough to notice it visibly unless possibly held right next to the tube.

The only lighting in which you should be able to notice the effects of strong blue fluorescence are in daylight, under blacklights, in tanning beds and some hospital anti-germicidal lighting. The appearance is most notable under the latter three lighting conditions.

The effect in daylight will be the most minimal, (possibly) giving a "white" diamond a "blue white" appearance in daylight, or near a window with daylight coming through, and (possibly) making a diamond with a hint of color look one or two color grades better.

The GIA estimates that less than 3% of all "strong blue" fluorescent diamonds will have a hazy appearance.

 

[mikemaz]

Hi Richard,

Thanks so much. That is more of the explanation I was looking for. I had a conversation about fluorescense with my girlfriend this evening and she is a bit concerned.

Are most strong blues visibly a blue hue in daylight?

The other reason I''m concerned is because every single jewellry store I have been to does not carry fluorescent diamonds and they all talked quite badly about them... calling them a lesser and defective diamond...! When I challenged them however on their statements... the argument was they were not as pure as a non-fluorescent.

Anyhow, I''m torn on what to do. I''ve delayed this so much that if I don''t buy the diamond tomorrow, I''m sure the vendor will let it go.

So how noticeable blue do you suspect it will be in daylight? None to the untrained eye? Is the effect so slight that it really is not all that noticeable?

Any feedback would be great. I don''t want to lose this diamond, but I also don''t want to get something that my girlfriend will not like... although blue is in fact her favorite color.

Thanks for any and all feedback.

Mike

 

[Demelza]

If the vendor has a return policy, why not buy the stone and check it out in person and/or with an independent appraiser? If you don''t like it, send it back. Since you have access to non-flourescent stones locally, why not do a comparison if you''re unsure. I suspect it won''t be a problem. I once had a stone that I didn''t find out had medium blue florescence until years later. I never noticed a thing.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

2 things:

1. Rich made this comment which seems about right from my memory of their article.
"The GIA estimates that less than 3% of all "strong blue" fluorescent diamonds will have a hazy appearance."
It is important to note that only a few % of diamonds are Strong Blue - and of those - only a few % are hazy - so that = less than 0.1% with my calculator.

2. when I show people fluoro diamonds that have a bluish tint in daylight (which is probably about a doxen a year), at least 1/2 the people prefer it. And I do not stock any diamonds below H color. So I would not panic about the bluishness - as people are saying - very few people even ever notice it unless it is pointed out to them.

 

[ecf8503]

Puh-leeeeez give it a try... what if you LOVE it?

 

[mikemaz]

Thanks everyone for you input. Unfortunately after talking with the girlfriend about this, she did not feel comfortable with a ring that so many high-end jewelry stores refused to carry... so as much as I want it... I let the stone go.

Now to search for another great ideal cut stone within my price range !!

Thanks again!

 

[ecf8503]

Sorry to hear that, but you both have to be comfortable with what you get. Is there anything else we can do to help you out?

 

[allycat0303]

Well I have an H with medium flourescence (I specifically asked for it as a criteria for my diamond). Although I had never seen it before I love it, and would not buy a stone without it again. In certain conditions, it has flashes of blue. That's it. The stone isn't blue of pale blue, or anything else. I also wanted flour because many people had said that it makes near colorless diamonds appear whiter. I don't know if it's the flour, or just that H is a very white diamond to me, but I can't detect any yellow anywhere.

My ring with the diamond in every single lighting possible. I don't think the stone is blue or anything

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/leon-mege-and-wf-ring.33483/page-4


ETA: Oh, I see you've decided against the stone. Well, hope you find what you are looking for!