My stone actually looks worst in jewelry store lights!

[vsc]

I'm wondering how common/normal that is?

In pretty much any other lighting, it is sparkly and looks really nice and quite white (tiny bit of tint from the side). Many people have commented on how sparkly it is.
When I've gone to mall jewelry stores to check out wedding bands styles, it always looked tinted and oily/dirty! (even if I just cleaned it or ask the store to clean it), while even their cheapest solitaires looked bright and clean! It still would be fiery though. We all know their lighting is optimized to advantage stones (or maybe they purposedly have awesome lighting inside the casing and horrible lighting outside of it? )

Unfortunately I don't have a cert for it, it's an estate piece RB that the insurance appraisal labels a G/VS2. Looking with a scope, it has some twinning wisps in a plane parallel to the table, that are easy to miss until you focus on just the right depth. I'm wondering if that's what causes this effect? Or is this common for some stones to do that? Is it just that the body tint show up mostly in those conditions and it's more of a K/L than a G?

 

[stci]

It's not common or normal for sure!

I think you probably have a big blue fluor in your diamond. This is why it sometimes look oily. But I'm not an expert, it's just my 2 cents.

 

[vsc]

Hi Stci, I actually wondered the same thing and checked for fluoro under a black light and it doesn't have any!
I'm wondering if it is because the lights are made to maximize fire and somehow reflect off the transparent inclusions? It definitely shows a lot of fire then, but otherwise looks dark and oily

 

[Lula]

I'm wondering how common/normal that is?

In pretty much any other lighting, it is sparkly and looks really nice and quite white (tiny bit of tint from the side). Many people have commented on how sparkly it is.
When I've gone to mall jewelry stores to check out wedding bands styles, it always looked tinted and oily/dirty! (even if I just cleaned it or ask the store to clean it), while even their cheapest solitaires looked bright and clean! It still would be fiery though. We all know their lighting is optimized to advantage stones (or maybe they purposedly have awesome lighting inside the casing and horrible lighting outside of it? )

Unfortunately I don't have a cert for it, it's an estate piece RB that the insurance appraisal labels a G/VS2. Looking with a scope, it has some twinning wisps in a plane parallel to the table, that are easy to miss until you focus on just the right depth. I'm wondering if that's what causes this effect? Or is this common for some stones to do that? Is it just that the body tint show up mostly in those conditions and it's more of a K/L than a G?

I do believe the lighting in the cases is different from what's in the rest of the store. My well-cut, I color diamond looks very odd under jewelry store lights, but looks substantially better than other diamonds in every other kind of light. My diamond also never looks clean under their lights, even if I've just cleaned it. I don't have any answers for you, except to say that I, and others on PS, have experienced the same thing.

My diamond is an I color with strong blue fluorescence and the fluoro does not make it look milky or oily. Many people do not like fluoro and keep perpetuating the myth that fluoro is a bad quality in a diamond. That's okay, it leave more bargains for me

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

My H stone looks pretty dirty in the lighting at T&Co but looked fine in the lights at the store where we bought it. Not sure why...

 

[yssie]

My H stone looks pretty dirty in the lighting at T&Co but looked fine in the lights at the store where we bought it. Not sure why...

prob 'cause you'd been wearing it and it was greasy from your skin oils, unless you had them clean it for you?

 

[vsc]

Lula: kinda sounds like my experience. I'm also wondering if the cut has something to do with it - maybe those lights are good for steep/deep stones but not for better cuts?
Funny enough, the lighting at T&Co was actually not as bad as the mall jewelers, maybe more similar to indoor office lighting?

 

[Dreamer_D]

I'm wondering how common/normal that is?

In pretty much any other lighting, it is sparkly and looks really nice and quite white (tiny bit of tint from the side). Many people have commented on how sparkly it is.
When I've gone to mall jewelry stores to check out wedding bands styles, it always looked tinted and oily/dirty! (even if I just cleaned it or ask the store to clean it), while even their cheapest solitaires looked bright and clean! It still would be fiery though. We all know their lighting is optimized to advantage stones (or maybe they purposedly have awesome lighting inside the casing and horrible lighting outside of it? )

Unfortunately I don't have a cert for it, it's an estate piece RB that the insurance appraisal labels a G/VS2. Looking with a scope, it has some twinning wisps in a plane parallel to the table, that are easy to miss until you focus on just the right depth. I'm wondering if that's what causes this effect? Or is this common for some stones to do that? Is it just that the body tint show up mostly in those conditions and it's more of a K/L than a G?

I do believe the lighting in the cases is different from what's in the rest of the store. My well-cut, I color diamond looks very odd under jewelry store lights, but looks substantially better than other diamonds in every other kind of light. My diamond also never looks clean under their lights, even if I've just cleaned it. I don't have any answers for you, except to say that I, and others on PS, have experienced the same thing.

Ditto this for my ideal j vs1. It always look tinted and dirty in jewelry store *except* Tiffany.

I think the lighting in most jewelery stores purposely acts that way to basically equalize the appearance of diamonds, making all of them look a little tinted makes it easier to sell the M/N color uncerted crappily cut stones many specialize in.

 

[jstarfireb]

My stone looks bad in every jewelry store including Tiffany's. It's a branded super-ideal princess (ACA) that looks fabulous in any other lighting. Weird.

 

[septembergirl]

Something similar happens to me too. Whenever I am under those recessed lights in stores, my diamond looks darker, but any other lighting including the flourescent ones here at work and my stone looks great.

 

[stci]

I'm wondering how common/normal that is?

In pretty much any other lighting, it is sparkly and looks really nice and quite white (tiny bit of tint from the side). Many people have commented on how sparkly it is.
When I've gone to mall jewelry stores to check out wedding bands styles, it always looked tinted and oily/dirty! (even if I just cleaned it or ask the store to clean it), while even their cheapest solitaires looked bright and clean! It still would be fiery though. We all know their lighting is optimized to advantage stones (or maybe they purposedly have awesome lighting inside the casing and horrible lighting outside of it? )

Unfortunately I don't have a cert for it, it's an estate piece RB that the insurance appraisal labels a G/VS2. Looking with a scope, it has some twinning wisps in a plane parallel to the table, that are easy to miss until you focus on just the right depth. I'm wondering if that's what causes this effect? Or is this common for some stones to do that? Is it just that the body tint show up mostly in those conditions and it's more of a K/L than a G?

I do believe the lighting in the cases is different from what's in the rest of the store. My well-cut, I color diamond looks very odd under jewelry store lights, but looks substantially better than other diamonds in every other kind of light. My diamond also never looks clean under their lights, even if I've just cleaned it. I don't have any answers for you, except to say that I, and others on PS, have experienced the same thing.

My diamond is an I color with strong blue fluorescence and the fluoro does not make it look milky or oily. Many people do not like fluoro and keep perpetuating the myth that fluoro is a bad quality in a diamond. That's okay, it leave more bargains for me

hep hep!... Many diamond with strong fluo look oily in certain condition, it's not a myth! You have to be an expert to buy this type of diamond and be sure it will be sparkly all the time.

 

[Hera]

Just thinking out loud, but I'm thinking that perhaps they place halogen lights near the cases. One day, I'll have to go and eyeball the lighting situation a bit better.