Why are lower colored diamonds such chameleons?

[Dreamer_D]

When I owned my K color diamond I noticed that it changed color *a lot* with different lighting environments -- from white to vanilla to beige to taupe to brown. My G color diamond doesn''t do this, it is always white. Other PSers who own lower colored diamonds have made similar comments.

Why is the color change so dramatic in diamonds with more body color?

I am guessing it is because different lighting envirnonments allow more of less of the body color of the diamond to show. This may explain some of the range in the color shift, but it doesn''t really explain the full drama of the color shift because the diamond would often display much more brown or yellow or taupe than the body color could possible be in a K colored stone.

 

[LtlFirecracker]

My guess, when your diamond hits angles where it has full light reflection, it will reflect white light which will make the diamond look whiter.

 

[elle_chris]

I have a G and a K. While my G looks white all the time to me, the K only looks white (or i guess i should full of fire) with perfect lighting conditions. Other times, the body color always shows.
So I don't think it's really a chameleon, I just think that an ideal cut, reflects more when lighting allows, so you can't always see the color. But I don't believe (and please don't throw stones at me people), that an ideal cut masks color.


I will never forget what Karl once said and I think it's the truest thing I've ever read here because I've seen it enough times to believe it:

"It's all about lighting, lighting, lighting.. then cut."

 

[Dreamer_D]

I guess to me, the range of colors I have seen in the K is wider than body color alone could account for. At least it seems that way. If I looked at the diamond face down on a white paper it would look a certain color, but in different lighting environments I saw colors much darker, or browner, or creamier than the actual body color. That wide variation seems to be some sort of interaction between the body color and the lighting environment, and it is not something I see with my G.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 1/21/2010 10:13:15 PM
Author: elle_chris

I have a G and a K. While my G looks white all the time to me, the K only looks white (or i guess i should full of fire) with perfect lighting conditions. Other times, the body color always shows.
So I don''t think it''s really a chameleon, I just think that an ideal cut, reflects more when lighting allows, so you can''t always see the color. But I don''t believe (and please don''t throw stones at me people), that an ideal cut masks color.



I will never forget what Karl once said and I think it''s the truest thing I''ve ever read here because I''ve seen it enough times to believe it:

''It''s all about lighting, lighting, lighting.. then cut.''

But your K is on your neck, so perhaps you don''t see the variation as much as you would wearing it on your finger?

And YES truer words never spoken.

 

[elle_chris]

Could be, but I had it loose for awhile. I've also actually taken it off to look at it in different lighting (yes i'm crazy). But yea, it's not on my finger so I don't see it all the time.

Maybe it was just reflecting it's surroundings and the body color exaggerates the warmth?

 

[Miss Sparkly]

Date: 1/21/2010 10:13:15 PM
Author: elle_chris

I have a G and a K. While my G looks white all the time to me, the K only looks white (or i guess i should full of fire) with perfect lighting conditions. Other times, the body color always shows.
So I don''t think it''s really a chameleon, I just think that an ideal cut, reflects more when lighting allows, so you can''t always see the color. But I don''t believe (and please don''t throw stones at me people), that an ideal cut masks color.



I will never forget what Karl once said and I think it''s the truest thing I''ve ever read here because I''ve seen it enough times to believe it:

''It''s all about lighting, lighting, lighting.. then cut.''

I agree. I sent my lower colored stone back because I just couldn''t get past the color in it. I am proud for giving it a chance though

It was also so weird that my Fred Meyer diamond band would sparkle a lot more then my AGS tripple ideal cut lower colored diamond when under "diamond lights" Makes me wonder if color really does have something to do with sparkle

 

[OcMrsB]

i totally agree, i notice the same behavior with my J i find the color changes really enchanting, the only PIA is i''d like to get a diamond anniversary band someday, and finding smaller stones that wont look stark white near a J is difficult

 

[Bella_mezzo]

OcMrsB-Not sure what size diamonds you''d want for your band, but Brian Gavin Diamonds has some great I color signature H&A melee diamonds that I think go up to about .25 ct...

 

[OcMrsB]

thank you bella! I color is pretty darn close! is 2 years too soon for an anniversary band, heehee...

its hard work thinking up legit occasions for new jewelry

 

[tonyc2387]

Date: 1/21/2010 10:13:15 PM
Author: elle_chris
(and please don't throw stones at me people)

I, on the other hand, will take all the tetrahedral carbon you folks care to throw

On a more serious note... thanks for bringing Karl's quote up, elle, I hadn't seen that before... but I have seen some of the pictures he's taken, and if that's not better proof, I don't know what is...

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 1/21/2010 10:31:36 PM
Author: dreamer_dachsie

Date: 1/21/2010 10:13:15 PM
Author: elle_chris



I have a G and a K. While my G looks white all the time to me, the K only looks white (or i guess i should full of fire) with perfect lighting conditions. Other times, the body color always shows.
So I don't think it's really a chameleon, I just think that an ideal cut, reflects more when lighting allows, so you can't always see the color. But I don't believe (and please don't throw stones at me people), that an ideal cut masks color.





I will never forget what Karl once said and I think it's the truest thing I've ever read here because I've seen it enough times to believe it:

'It's all about lighting, lighting, lighting.. then cut.'

But your K is on your neck, so perhaps you don't see the variation as much as you would wearing it on your finger?

And YES truer words never spoken.

Can I just add to Karl's statement one of my favourite John Pollard quotes?

"Take a diamond in a bright, light-colored room with directional spotlights shining on the diamond. Observe it. Move it around. Enjoy.
Now take it into a pitch-black closet with no lights. Shut the door. Don't trip on the mop. Observe it now.
That's how much difference lighting can make."

 

[Lula]

Date: 1/22/2010 5:46:29 AM
Author: Lorelei

Date: 1/21/2010 10:31:36 PM

Author: dreamer_dachsie

Date: 1/21/2010 10:13:15 PM

Author: elle_chris




I have a G and a K. While my G looks white all the time to me, the K only looks white (or i guess i should full of fire) with perfect lighting conditions. Other times, the body color always shows.

So I don't think it's really a chameleon, I just think that an ideal cut, reflects more when lighting allows, so you can't always see the color. But I don't believe (and please don't throw stones at me people), that an ideal cut masks color.






I will never forget what Karl once said and I think it's the truest thing I've ever read here because I've seen it enough times to believe it:


'It's all about lighting, lighting, lighting.. then cut.'

But your K is on your neck, so perhaps you don't see the variation as much as you would wearing it on your finger?


And YES truer words never spoken.

Can I just add to Karl's statement one of my favourite John Pollard quotes?


'Take a diamond in a bright, light-colored room with directional spotlights shining on the diamond. Observe it. Move it around. Enjoy.

Now take it into a pitch-black closet with no lights. Shut the door. Don't trip on the mop. Observe it now.

That's how much difference lighting can make.'

ROFL -- I remember that quote of John Pollard's, Lorelei. Thanks for including it.

I'm giving this thread a bump because I'm hoping some light wave experts chime in. There's got to be a graph or diagram in one of those high tech diamond software programs that explains this!!

I read what Dreamer said about her K reflecting the clothes she was wearing, the walls, etc., etc. I really noticed this with my M. It was never the same color and the "color of the day" was greatly affected by the color of the clothes I was wearing: With my golden, spice colored sweater, the M was an incredible golden fireball. With my peacock blue sweater, my M turned a deep taupe color. With the white and light colored linen clothes I was wearing in the summer when I got my M, the M was ivory.

Now, none of these colors was "bad" per se. The stone still looked great. But I started noticing the color of my diamond more than my beautiful setting!

I know that owners of D - F stones sometimes post about their diamonds being "yellow" or "green" or whatever, and it turns out that the person is wearing a yellow or green shirt and the stone is reflecting the color of the clothing, but the phenomenon Dreamer and I are talking about is very different from that.

I live in the northern part of the US; I think Dreamer lives in a northern climate as well. Could it be the fluctuations in daylight and the "weak" light we have in the winter here? I seem to remember some thread about lower color diamonds looking great in the tropical sun (with a tan).

 

[Dreamer_D]

Yes Sara, I really do feel that the variation is too wide to be simply bod color... but maybe it is? After all, colors look different in different lighting too. Maybe the body color just looks different when the lighting is different? It is really an interesting effect. Just not my cup of tea in a traditional RB. I think in an antique style diamond I would appreciate it more.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

My G stone seems to change color a bit depending upon the lighting conditions. Maybe it's just because I'm always looking at it but only clean it once every few weeks!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 1/22/2010 6:51:43 PM
Author: MC
My G stone seems to change color a bit depending upon the lighting conditions. Maybe it''s just because I''m always looking at it but only clean it once every few weeks!

LOL!! I am not very good at cleaning mine either

 

[Snicklefritz]

Big ditto DD and Sara! I experience this effect with my K, too! It becomes whatever colors are most prominent in the room. The colors are unstoppable, constantly changing and very rich/vivid. I call it my unruly diamond.

I can definitly see the difference between when it''s showing it''s body colors and the phenomenon you are describing. I''d really love to here some experts chime in too.

 

[Bella_mezzo]

This is a really interesting thread!

I

the lower colors in antique cuts. I am still on the fence about it in modern ideal cuts. (Though I would never turn down an ideal cut diamond, regardless of color

)

 

[LGK]

I noticed this in my M color OEC too, when it was set in a halo setting & the color was visible. When I had it reset in a bezel with no halo, the perceived face up color changed a *lot*- now it looks just plain ol'' white most of the time, and I don''t see doing much of that interesting color shifting much anymore. Weird.

 

[Lula]

Date: 1/23/2010 7:05:50 PM
Author: LittleGreyKitten
I noticed this in my M color OEC too, when it was set in a halo setting & the color was visible. When I had it reset in a bezel with no halo, the perceived face up color changed a *lot*- now it looks just plain ol'' white most of the time, and I don''t see doing much of that interesting color shifting much anymore. Weird.

This is really interesting -- I would have guessed the opposite: that the bezel would make the body color more obvious and emphasize the changeable nature of the stone.

 

[ericad]

I''ve noticed this too with my L colored asscher as well as the previous low colored diamonds I''ve owned. Some stones exhibit it more than others and it likely is in some part due to the subtleties in color (brownish hues, yellowish hues, I''ve even seen some with an almost peachy hue to them, all of which would get the same K/L/M, etc. grade unless the modifying color was very pronounced).

My asscher can look white, creamy or steely depending on the lighting. Never taupe, but I have experienced this in other cuts.

 

[Karl_K]

Hint: not all lighting is the same color.
Some hides yellow/brown and some makes it look darker.