Is it normal for it to not sparkle all the time?

[Catt2k4]

I recently bought a diamond ring, naturally I have been looking at it a lot in anticipation. I noticed that it looks kind of dull without any sparkle if the light is a certain way, is that normal? It seems to me it would be, but I just wanted to make sure that they aren''t supposed to sparkle all the time...

 

[roadpupp]

I'm in the same boat.

I bought a .9 round Brilliant TIC ideal with a 0.7 rating on the cut advisor and it looked great in the idealscope.

It doesn't seem to sparkle much, but I haven't looked at it often as I keep it hidden (until next week!) I am guessing it is just the lighting conditions of my apartment.

It is GIA and from a reputable store that wouldn't swap stone on me. I will have it appraised if she decides to keep it.

Just a little dissapointed that it isn't sparkly when I look at it.

 

[ame]

Some lights dont let the rainbows flash in mine as much but others its freakin blinding. Im ok w ith that.

 

[Dancing Fire]

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On 9/29/2004 11:41:36 AM Catt2k4 wrote:

I recently bought a diamond ring, naturally I have been looking at it a lot in anticipation. I noticed that it looks kind of dull without any sparkle if the light is a certain way, is that normal? It seems to me it would be, but I just wanted to make sure that they aren't supposed to sparkle all the time...----------------

Catt2k4
people say diamonds love home depot.

 

[cflutist]

Yes, Home Depot has metal halide lights (per websailor) which make diamonds sparkle like crazy

 

[quaeritur]

I'm still discovering the different "moods" of my stone depending on the light. I can't believe how different it can look from one moment to the next. I think it always looks good, but it's not always sparkly.

My favorite is still Macaroni Grill for how it looks, but the grocery store, sunshine and the mall are pretty gosh darn amazing!

 

[Todd07]

In my apartment, the diamond was attractive but without fire. My HCA showed excellent for brilliance, fire and scintilation.




Something seemed to change when my FI wore the ring. More sparkle and fire

so I finally felt justified in my purchase of a well cut stone.




I think it's the lighting. Take it out to a restaurant or shopping area w/ lots of different light sources vs. a couple bulbs in an apartment.

 

[Carmel]

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On 9/29/2004 1:49:47 PM quaeritur wrote:

My favorite is still Macaroni Grill for how it looks, but the grocery store, sunshine and the mall are pretty gosh darn amazing!

----------------

What a riot! I will be adding that to the list . . . choosing a restaurant for it’s diamond-show-off capacity instead of the food. Now that I think about it – the last time we were out with a group of friends, we went to the Macaroni Grill. I came home so damned jealous of every woman there it was pathetic! Up until now, I thought it was wine consumption related. Now I finally get why!

 

[cflutist]

Another favorite place is my kitchen where I have halogen lighting. It makes my diamonds sparkle a lot too.

 

[fancyrock]

I had the same puzzle in my head when I started noticing the difference. I thought a diamond should always sparkle (not the case at all). If you think about it... A diamond can only reflect what it recieves. So a diamond under different lightings will return different appreances. I'd say that's normal...

 

[Rowan]

I love how mine looks under white rope lights. We have them strung up inside our computer cabinet and when I sit here at the computer my diamond is blinding!

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Sit under a broad leafed tree on a sunny or bright cloudy day

Great idea to identify the best viewing places

 

[ame]

Panera Bread Co has bitchin lights.

I think Sunlight is my favorite.

 

[roadpupp]

IT makes sense that areas with lots of point sources will give it sparkle. (ie, rope light or rows and rows of Metal Halide)

Jewelry stores use end emitting fiber optic or rows of LEDs in the vitrenes to make the stones look their best.

I was just a little worried when my stone looked so dull at home.

She is gonna love it!!

Thanks for making me feel better about it though.

 

[Gale]

I have owned several diamonds for a number of years, but have only in the past month have I been wearing one on a daily basis. In the wearing, I have discovered that my diamond has a personality. It seems to LOVE certain kinds of light, and it behaves very differently in different lighting situations.

This stone loves dimly lit rooms. It's favourite room is my friend Susan's bathroom. Don't expect me to exit there in any kind of hurry - I am admiring my ring, and I'll go in there on the pretext of washing my hands. It also likes a pub in my neighborhood after dusk. The lighting in both of those places makes the stone look like a multi-coloured disco ball. It looks great in floursecent office lighting, where it sends white sparkles flying. It behaves differently in the kitchen, in the living room, and outside. In the morning on the walk to work, it is all about scintillation. During a walk home in the afternoon light, it's all about sparkle and brilliance. Candlelight is also another story. There are times when the stone seems to suck all available light out of it's surroundings and it just glows. And there are times where it displays only scintillation. Check the stone out in different lighting conditions - I am sure it will be just fine. Holding the ring in your hand to check it out is one thing, but wearing that rock around town is entirely a different story! My tiny little diamond has been a big source of amusement over the past month, and I am fairly sure it will amuse me years from now. Just my experience in any event. Can you change the lightbulb please?

 

[gingerBcookie]

this whole thread is making me giggle...i'm picturing mass herds of people with their hands held out in front of them scurrying from one place to another evaluating their rings under differnt lighting conditions.

hehe...me included.

 

[Dancing Fire]

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On 9/29/2004 1:49:47 PM quaeritur wrote:

I'm still discovering the different 'moods' of my stone depending on the light. I can't believe how different it can look from one moment to the next. I think it always looks good, but it's not always sparkly.

My favorite is still Macaroni Grill for how it looks, but the grocery store, sunshine and the mall are pretty gosh darn amazing!

----------------

Q
i thought you would be working at Macaroni Grill by now.

 

[fancyrock]

Ginger,

It sure is comforting to know how many of us are out there checking out our rings from store to store, restaurant to restaurent, bathroom to bathroom and Home Depot to Home Depot!! Hahahah... It's nice to know so many of us enjoy our rings.

 

[headlight]

This sure is interesting because my stone is NOT an ideal cut and literally BOMBED on the HCA, but performs just as all of you have described. I thought that in the scenarios where it wasn't going crazy on me, it was because it wasn't one of these ideal, HCA-spectacular stones, but apparently that doesn't have anything to do with it. When I am under trees, in the sunlight, driving in the car, in an elevator, in Home Depot, Macaroni Grill, Sport Chalet, the supermarket, hotel lobbys, (even on cloudy days the it is amazing) etc., etc., it seems like it is out of control, so much so that I am sort of embarrased (like when my sons were toddlers and they were going nuts in public and I couldn't do a thing about it!!!).
So, not only does this make me feel much better about my stone, but it makes me question the whole "ideal" thing. And while I love Garry

, I can't explain its performance versus its really pathetic HCA score. When there is not "fire", I see lots of moving "contrast". There are VERY few scenarios, maybe one, where it goes "dead", and that is in an environment of really flat, "nothing" light, not even filtered sunlight (which my stone likes).

 

[Dancing Fire]

my wife's diamond rings hates the floursecent lights in our kitchen it always falls asleep there.under any other lights they are happily awake "sparkling"

 

[Jennifer5973]

The Macaroni Grill, hands down. Home Depot too. The bathrrom lights, sunlight, dim lighting, parking lot lights, twilight, you name it--I have been looking for my stone NOT to sparkle but it always seem to be doing something. Kind of like headlight, I was waiting for it to "fail" b/c it isn't "super Ideal", just a 1A cut by the charts. But it hasn't really failed me yet.

 

[Sparkster]

Go into a jewellery store and take note of the lighting. Most likely they will have downlights as they make the diamonds sparkle more. At home, my ring sparkles the most when the room has downlights and not normal light globes.

 

[Todd07]

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On 9/29/2004 7:57:37 PM headlight wrote:

This sure is interesting because my stone is NOT an ideal cut and literally BOMBED on the HCA, but performs just as all of you have described

So, not only does this make me feel much better about my stone, but it makes me question the whole 'ideal' thing
----------------

Now you must come clean. What's your HCA and what are the numbers. Do you have an IS image

I haven't looked at enough stones to know if I fell for PS hype or not. I do know the process was fun.

 

[headlight]

Ricardo, you made me laugh (and I really needed it today!). Okay, I'll come clean, but don't say I didn't warn any of you!!!
Round
3.29
EGL Israel
SI2
H
9.59 - 9.51 x 5.85
Depth: 61.3%
Table: 61%
Crown: 14%
Pavillion: 44%
Girdle: Medium, Faceted
Polish: Very Good
Symmetry: Very Good
Culet: None
Flourescence: None
Graining: Nil

Read it and weep (literally!). Obviously, I found PS AFTER the purchase of this stone. But, I must admit, it has grown on me despite the initial shock of learning about cut here on this forum. Also, it has not yet let me down when I really needed it to perform!!!

 

[Jennifer5973]

headlight, your ring/stone are awesome.

Have you ever heald it up against an H&A or AGS000 or any of these things? Do you see a true difference to the naked eye? I am very curious.

I saw a stone at my jeweler's that bombed on the HCA too--4.6! But to my eye it was awesome--and not just under his fancy lights. I took it outside, in the shade, etc. After staring for several minutes, I thought I could see a difference in general appearance becasue the 2nd stone has a 59% table vs my 57%. The "bomb" was as follows:

3.26
Si1, I, no flour
9.66 x 9.61
Depth=60.5
Table=59%
Pavillion= 44%
Crown = 14%
Culet: None
Polish/Sym=VG/VG

PS I am lucky he lets me play around with his diamonds! I learn by doing.

 

[Patty]

headlight, You are right. That is a TERRIBLE stone. Please let me take it off your hands.

 

[Jennifer5973]

Me first, Patty!

 

[Patty]

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On 9/29/2004 9:30:12 PM Jennifer5973 wrote:

Me first, Patty!

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No way! Only one 3 carat stone per customer!

 

[Jennifer5973]

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On 9/29/2004 9:34:07 PM Patty wrote:
No way! Only one 3 carat stone per customer!----------------

I'll tell Barry on you.

 

[Patty]

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On 9/29/2004 9:37:01 PM Jennifer5973 wrote:

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On 9/29/2004 9:34:07 PM Patty wrote:
No way! Only one 3 carat stone per customer!----------------

I'll tell Barry on you.

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Who?