Sparkle and Lighting

[username]

For reference if anyone is curious, this is the post with the info for the diamond I am talking about. https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/help-concerned-with-depth-over-62.47696/.

So I took this baby for a test drive yesterday and thought it was good, but I compared it to some non-ideals at some other crap mall jewelers and although noticeable, my test driven H&A probably couldn''t be discerned from the "not so well cut" diamonds in the jewelery store to anyone that hasn''t looked at !!A LOT!! of diamonds. So I looked at it under various light sources including holding it up while driving in the dark with cars various distances away behind me. While it always sparkled during my tests, sometimes better than others, sometimes it did not. Specific times included in my house under most lights where the lighting was mostly diffused (lamp shade, back to the light, what have you) and at the office (nice symmetry and some sparkle, but overall not at all on fire). In my bathroom with a direct overhead light and under some halogen lighting in my home office, the thing dances so much I can''t tell where the light ends and the diamond begins. It seemed to me that the less the light was diffused and the less "lit up" (halogens with no other light or reading lamp in bedroom) there was, the more it sparkled.

The only time the diamond really wowed me was:

A. When I brought it into Tiffany''s (but that could have been a wow from the price tag I was seeing on one of their diamonds out of the corner of my eye)
B. Under my halogens with no other lighting present
...okay and once when I shined a flashlight on the top of it

Other than that I thought it was alright, yes, it sparkled, but so did the ones in the jewelery store that weren''t as nicely cut (VG or G, just not H&A by any stretch).

So here is my question. Am I expecting too much from this poor guy, or is this normal for a diamond cut so well? And if so, does this mean those others that sparkled so well in the jewelery store, won''t sparkle much at all given the same lighting?

OK, that was two questions, but what I was thinking was that:

Where a not so well cut diamond will sparkle, so will this one, but that doesn''t mean when this one is sparkling, the other will. Also as the lighting conditions change to dimmer environments, the difference in sparkle will become more apparent. Haven''t even wanted to take a less than ideal cut diamond out and have not otherwise been able to compare other than in the stores.

Can those with some smashing cuts please let me know what your observations have been and possibly answer either of my questions?

Thanks in advance

 

[londonblue]

i''ve noticed, playing around with different lighting conditions, that diamonds sparkle and show best when lit by point light sources. maybe this is because with few rays of strong light, we can see the dispersion better? i''m not sure.

one test I''d like to try, but haven''t had a chance yet is with a single point of candle light and several candle lights.

if you have a flashlight in which you can take the top off and only expose the bulb, then move the light source around, the diamond will show a lot of play and fire as the light source moves.

the problem with most tungsten and halogen light bulbs is that they don''t provide full spectrum lighting, so you won''t see colors of the full spectrum when the colors are dispersed by the diamond.

and with diffuse lighting, like outdoors in the shade, you don''t see pinpoints of light being dispersed but rather entire flat planes of light dispersed evenly which maybe leads to the entire facet looking to be of one color? similar to the 40x images that some stores provide of their diamonds? really, this is all guessing on my part based on my observations. could be completely wrong

 

[Ellen]

It is my impression (of my diamond), and understanding, that a very well cut diamond will look good in a bigger variety of lighting situations. Yes, as described as above, almost all diamonds will look their best under pinpoint lighting.

It''s what they do in other circumstances that seperates the good from the bad. My diamond doesn''t always "sparkle" per say,no diamond does, but it still looks fantasitic in a multitude of situations. I really wish I could describe it, but it''s hard. Lemme put it this way, I''ve never looked at my diamond and thought it looked bad, not even close.

Wish I could be more help.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Well, a month or two ago I ordered a stone with similar measurements. I personally didn''t like the 54 table. It looked small to me and I wondered if it was darker in certain lighting because of that. I did return that stone. Today I have two more stones to look at, and they both have a 56 table. I know the difference is minute, but I do prefer both of these stones to that one. These stones have been very brilliant in all lighting, but some lighting results in more color flashes and other light is more white light. They definitely outperform my own 1 ct. diamond. These are not quite as deep as the stone you have either (both are around 61.0). And they are a little larger than the one you''re looking at.

 

[username]

I think so far you have all provided comments that make a lot of sense from what I saw when I was test driving the diamond. I just thought after all this searching and finding very specific measurements, maximum light return, yada, yada, yada, I would be walking around with the stone going WOW in every condition. As I mentioned, that happened only under two conditions and a couple conditions I had a healthy smile on my face. I''ve honestly never paid attention to anybody else''s diamond before (they just don''t really excite me, very fast things do) so I have no basis to compare. I know my girlfriend looooooves diamonds, so I just want to of course make sure I can get her the prettiest one I can find, especially when proposing.

I''ve just heard a lot of people saying that they just got this diamond and just got that diamond and it''s absolutely breathtaking. I guess I was kind of expecting that and since I''ve hardly looked at one out of the jewelry store, I guess I don''t know the difference... Rambling aside, it''s sounds like it''s doing what it''s supposed to and that''s what you get for the same money you can by a bike that''ll do 0-60 in under 3 seconds for

. I guess I''ll get to compare more once I give it to her. Here''s hoping it lives up to all this depth, symmetry, angles, polish, height...and makes her proud to wear it.

As for the numbers on the diamond, that 62 depth is from a thicker girdle. The 54 table I''m hoping will give more fire so I''ve heard and it never seemed dark in any light to me.

 

[Dancing Fire]

username

were you expecting your stone to look like the fireworks on 4th of July under any light condition?

no matter all the myth you been hearing, i have yet to see a diamond sparkle in the dark,even though there''re a few ladies on PS claim otherwise.

take your diamond to Home Depot

 

[username]

Date: 7/13/2006 12:25:09 AM
Author: Dancing Fire
username
were you expecting your stone to look like the fireworks on 4th of July under any light condition?

Yes, exactly!! I''m guessing since you asked, that means it shouldn''t...

no matter all the myth you been hearing, i have yet to see a diamond sparkle in the dark,even though there''re a few ladies on PS claim otherwise.

Good to hear. Although the diamond did sparkle somewhat in a room with light entering only from a crack in the doorway. Not like the fourth by any stretch, but a glimmer of something...
take your diamond to Home Depot

Now why didn''t I think of that??? Take it to places we normally go to, brilliant.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 7/13/2006 1:05:12 AM
Author: username


take your diamond to Home Depot

Now why didn't I think of that??? Take it to places we normally go to, brilliant.

also, try observing the diamond under a tree with the leaves filtering out the sun light.

 

[^]

Your experience is actually similar to mine, and I attribute it to how crazy we all go hear on PS about diamonds. They''re so built up, and so over-analyzed to the most minute degree of perfection, that when you receive it you expect to be able to go spelunking with it instead of a flashlight. You expect this mythical stone will be 10 times more sparkly than anything you''ve ever laid eyes on, blatantly obvious in any lighting, or at any distance. Such a to-do is made on these boards about the difference that cut makes, and the vendors here which none of your peers purchase from have the top 5% of stones on Mother Earth, so they must be borderline radioactive.

When I first got my stone I unwrapped it in the FedEx parking lot on a sunny day, and opened the envelope up in a direct beam of sunshine.

The spots in my eyes didn''t go away till long after I got home. However, once I was home, in pretty poor and very indirect lighting, the stone didn''t seem to generate its own internal nuclear combustion. Imagine my dismay. I checked for a place to test the batteries, but found none.

However, I spent more time with the stone and started to become more realistic about it. I found indirect lighting that it looked very beautiful in (extremely white and brilliant with gorgeous contrast). I posit perhaps one side-effect of an Ideal cut stone is demonstrated by the lack of green in ASET images. That is to say, very indirect lighting simply does not enter the stone, or get reflected back to you in a meaningful way. The stone is relying more on light that is coming within a perpendicular range to the table, not sucking light in from all around it and blasting it back into my face. I’m sure they’re hard at work on that one, but I haven''t seen it yet.

Anyway, as I spent more time examining my stone, I noticed my observations becoming more nuanced. This especially increased when I compared it with stones in jewelry stores head-to-head. Of course, make sure you ask to get away from the direct lighting by moving around in the store. But I began to see the small differences between my AGS Ideal cut stone and the EGL’s. In fact, that started to become downright obvious the more I compared. Then I started to be able to see the difference between GIA Good or Tiffany’s stones and mine. The first thing you notice about a stone is its sparkle, but the more time I spent, the more I appreciated the contrast, rich depth, and sharp focus and definition to the patterns I see in my stone, as compared to others. I’m still developing my eye, but I think in time, and by comparing to other stones, you’ll begin to notice a difference as well. Not only is my stone more firey than any other stone in my comparisons, but it’s got other winning qualities as well. It took me almost a week to start noticing these nuances. Yea WF return policy!

Don’t force yourself to see this difference, if you are seeing other stones which look better, and that better stone consistently looks better, don’t be afraid to return your stone and aim higher. You’re going to live with this stone for a long time (till she makes you upgrade…) But w/ AGS000 and strong HCA and BS scores, I think you’ve probably got a winner.

One final note, a lot of the differences I began to notice were garnered from reading PS posts and learning about the characters people appreciated about stones. What does this mean? Perhaps without PS I’d appreciate other things about stones more; I’d have loved a different stone more. This learned appreciation is just as valid as an “uninitiated” opinion about stones. A point Rhino underscores when he advises people to purchase what’s most appealing to their eyes, including stones w/o optical symmetry. I agree that it’s probably preferable to purchase what your eye likes best rather than to teach your eye to like what others say is best. Especially since maybe what you like best will be cheaper!

Good luck.

^

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 7/12/2006 8:30:53 PM
Author:username
For reference if anyone is curious, this is the post with the info for the diamond I am talking about. https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/help-concerned-with-depth-over-62.47696/.

So I took this baby for a test drive yesterday and thought it was good, but I compared it to some non-ideals at some other crap mall jewelers and although noticeable, my test driven H&A probably couldn''t be discerned from the ''not so well cut'' diamonds in the jewelery store to anyone that hasn''t looked at !!A LOT!! of diamonds. So I looked at it under various light sources including holding it up while driving in the dark with cars various distances away behind me. While it always sparkled during my tests, sometimes better than others, sometimes it did not. Specific times included in my house under most lights where the lighting was mostly diffused (lamp shade, back to the light, what have you) and at the office (nice symmetry and some sparkle, but overall not at all on fire). In my bathroom with a direct overhead light and under some halogen lighting in my home office, the thing dances so much I can''t tell where the light ends and the diamond begins. It seemed to me that the less the light was diffused and the less ''lit up'' (halogens with no other light or reading lamp in bedroom) there was, the more it sparkled.

AHHHHHHH You''re reading my mind here! This is precisely why I''m attracted to the older cuts. I want something that will work well in low light and produce enormous firey patterns in strong light. Specks of light that dance and blind me with dazzling brilliance, "losing" the beautiful cuts in the facets (except when dead on straight where you see an 8 sided snowflake), and not even really getting a chance to see the stone because you''re so distracted by the light display are not attractive to me. Not that it isn''t beautiful in its own special way. I love to look at sparkly rounds... I just am looking for a different sort of performance.

But sorry... I can''t help you with your questions... other than to say that I know *many* people who love their less than perfect stones and most of them look plenty "good enough" to 90% of those around them as well. Good luck though!

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 7/13/2006 4:18:07 AM
Author: ^
Your experience is actually similar to mine, and I attribute it to how crazy we all go hear on PS about diamonds.

Geeez... is that what happened to me? LOL!!

 

[scarlet16]

Date: 7/13/2006 3:02:13 AM
Author: Dancing Fire

Date: 7/13/2006 1:05:12 AM
Author: username



take your diamond to Home Depot

Now why didn''t I think of that??? Take it to places we normally go to, brilliant.

also, try observing the diamond under a tree with the leaves filtering out the sun light.

OH...if you haven''t tried this one, do it now!!! This is by FAR my favorite lighting condition. My diamond just twinkles all over with TONS of colors.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 7/13/2006 8:12:25 AM
Author: scarlet16

Date: 7/13/2006 3:02:13 AM

Author: Dancing Fire

Date: 7/13/2006 1:05:12 AM

Author: username




take your diamond to Home Depot


Now why didn't I think of that??? Take it to places we normally go to, brilliant.

also, try observing the diamond under a tree with the leaves filtering out the sun light.

OH...if you haven't tried this one, do it now!!! This is by FAR my favorite lighting condition. My diamond just twinkles all over with TONS of colors.

Yep. But there are lots of stores with open fluorescent lighting, and they vary in their effect as well. I've found some grocery stores have them, as do some retail stores.

Quoted the wrong quote!

 

[egs1]

''Then I started to be able to see the difference between GIA Good or Tiffany’s stones and mine.''

Lol...you musn''t have seen many Tiffany''s stones!

 

[^]

Date: 7/13/2006 9:17:10 AM
Author: egs1
''Then I started to be able to see the difference between GIA Good or Tiffany’s stones and mine.''


Lol...you musn''t have seen many Tiffany''s stones!

I only did a head-to-head comparison of a same color/clarity/size stone as mine. It was a random sample, but obviously comparing many Tiffany''s stones of the same color/clarity/size would have been better. However, the salesperson wasn''t exhuberent about the whole thing, so I limited it to one. My point is that the difference is small, probably only apparent to 5% of people who have the 5% of the best cut stones!

It was a gorgeous stone in its own right.

Username also mentioned one other compelling factor of the Tiffany''s stone. The cost of mine was exactly 0.5x, so to be fair I should either compare one of substantially smaller size but same cost, or compare two of mine versus one of theirs.

Part of what''s attractive about PS stones is their value. They may cost a little more than what you find in mall jewelers, but their performance is notably better. The same cannot be said for Tiffany''s stones. Don''t freak out, everyone. This is not "hating," it''s simply my experience and opinion based on a fact. I did not say Tiffany''s sucks. I think their stuff is gorgeous.

^

 

[kenny]

edit

 

[TravelingGal]

This is interesting. I have never seen one of these "ideal" stones in person (I wish I could go to the Bay Area GTG!). I love my cushion...such personality and it truly DOES sparkle more than anything I have seen around these parts. But I keep wondering about these high performing rounds I hear about and how much of a difference does it make? Do flashes of fire come off every single facet? Hm....

Nothing outperforms a great round, but I do like the romantic fiery nature of my cushion. I just would love to see what all the hoopla is about with my own eyes on some of these rounds.

 

[BlackIce]

Most well cut diamonds in the VG to Ex range are going to look amazing under most conditions. A person who has not studied a multitude of diamonds probably won''t be able to tell the difference. The comfort for you comes from knowing you bought your future wife the best there is. She doesn''t ever have to look at someone else''s diamond and wonder if it''s more sparkly than hers.

Conversely, when you are out in public and you see someone with an inferior cut (and believe me there are a LOT of inferior cuts out there) you will be glad you bought an ideal.

As for places to see it pop - grocery stores, romantic restaurants, the aforementioned Home Depot, theaters, and natural sunlight have been the conditions where I''ve seen my wife''s stone show off some real fire.

 

[Rod]

Date: 7/13/2006 3:02:13 AM
Author: Dancing Fire

Date: 7/13/2006 1:05:12 AM
Author: username



take your diamond to Home Depot

Now why didn''t I think of that??? Take it to places we normally go to, brilliant.

also, try observing the diamond under a tree with the leaves filtering out the sun light.

This in my opinion, is a fantastic lighting condition that makes my diamond absolutely alive. The place my diamond was the most beautiful however, was at our Performaning Arts Center. The lighting in the main hall made my diamond absolutely radiant.

Just remember not all diamonds are alike and not all will respond to light in the exact same manner. But an earlier comment that a better cut stone will respond to more lighting situations seems to ''ring'' true in my experiences.

Good luck.....

 

[egs1]

Date: 7/13/2006 10:50:09 AM
Author: ^

Date: 7/13/2006 9:17:10 AM
Author: egs1
''Then I started to be able to see the difference between GIA Good or Tiffany’s stones and mine.''


Lol...you musn''t have seen many Tiffany''s stones!

I only did a head-to-head comparison of a same color/clarity/size stone as mine. It was a random sample, but obviously comparing many Tiffany''s stones of the same color/clarity/size would have been better. However, the salesperson wasn''t exhuberent about the whole thing, so I limited it to one. My point is that the difference is small, probably only apparent to 5% of people who have the 5% of the best cut stones!

It was a gorgeous stone in its own right.

Username also mentioned one other compelling factor of the Tiffany''s stone. The cost of mine was exactly 0.5x, so to be fair I should either compare one of substantially smaller size but same cost, or compare two of mine versus one of theirs.

Part of what''s attractive about PS stones is their value. They may cost a little more than what you find in mall jewelers, but their performance is notably better. The same cannot be said for Tiffany''s stones. Don''t freak out, everyone. This is not ''hating,'' it''s simply my experience and opinion based on a fact. I did not say Tiffany''s sucks. I think their stuff is gorgeous.

^

Gotta admit...Tiffany''s is overpriced!