why do some diamonds look a greyish silver?

[beiberella]

I am looking for a new ring, and I compared two diamonds- one a h color ideal cut, and a f color excellent cut. The F color one looked silverish/greyish compared the other ring. almost like it was darker in the middle of the stone. Is it because of the flourescence maybe? the jeweler did not know if it had any. I have to choose between the two stones- some help on this asap would be great!!!!! If it is a normal characteristic for a better color stone, I''ll get that one, they are both the same price. (h color at .82ct- F color at .80ct)
P,S, they are "belgian crown star" 85 facet diamonds from crescent jewlers.

 

[Hest88]

Hard to tell what you mean. White diamonds are not really white. I actually think of them more like the beveled edge of a mirror. In some ways I think gray is a better description of the true color. Shallower-cut diamonds and diamonds with larger tables "flash" more white, I think, while deeper ones have more of that "gray" mirror effect.

 

[cushioncut]

Date: 11/15/2004 2:16:39 PM
Author: Hest88
... while deeper ones have more of that 'gray' mirror effect.

Is this what people are talking about when they say it has a glassy look? If not, what does glassy mean... do deep, or shallow stones tend to be more glassy?

I've noticed this grayness in some stones too... is it a bad thing?

 

[Hest88]

style="WIDTH: 99%; HEIGHT: 28px">Is this what people are talking about when they say it has a glassy look? If not, what does glassy mean... do deep, or shallow stones tend to be more glassy?

No, the glassy effect is different than what I''m talking about. The glassy effect is a shallow, flat effect. Instead of really lively stone it''s just rather...blah.

I really hesitate to pin down the "gray" color thing because it''s hard to describe. It''s really more of something I''d have to show you.

 

[beiberella]

it wasnt really a "glassy" look, more like the F color one was "darker" for some reason. Perhaps because of the 85 facets? Holding it up to my "I" color one it made mine look very yellow- and the "H" one compared to the "F" looked more whiter, brighter w/ hues of blue. I personally liked the H color. I was just curious what the deal was with the F color one, even my husband thought maybe there is something not in the grading report...The jeweler thought it could be flourecense, aas it was NOT graded for that.. It was a little irritating the jeweler was not knowledable, and she was the manager..... I just hope someone with expertise can shed some light on this issue..

 

[Hest88]

Here''s something of what I mean by gray. Apologies to Dutton''s Diamonds (the stone can be found here: http://www.duttonsdiamonds.com/diamonds/dbs.cgi?sf=detd.setup.cgi&active=active&stock=RB10002509&submit_search=1), but see how you can see it reflecting colors, but in this indirect light it''s mainly shades of gray as opposed to snow white?

Bei, just a stab in the dark for me, but I wonder if your F shows more fire than the other one.

 

[beiberella]

That is very close to what I saw. I am curious is it would do the same in sunlight.. the store wasnt very well lit, but yes the F stone looked very simililar to the photo. Since the stones were 85 facets, they all sparkled as if in fast forward.
So, which do you think it is better for it to look like that? what causes it?

 

[beiberella]

ok, I looked at the website- and it had a medium blue flourescence, I suppose yhe tehory in the first place might be right- that that is what gives it a greyish hue.. From what I''ve been learning, more flourescence in a colorless lowers the value, but flourescence in a near colorless or tinted diamond it helps make it look brighter.

Does my hypthesis seem pretty convincing?

 

[valeria101]

A darker shadow in the center of the stone sounds more like some ptical effect than color... If you had an IdealSCope picture, I suspect there will be some ''light lickeage'' under the table - so the grayish shade is actually lack of brilliance. The effect could also be what Garry calls "head obstruction" (see the newsletters at Ideal_Scope.com for this).

I would be totally surprised if what you saw was actually color - it it is, it would show better with the stones placed culet up on a sheet of white paper than looking at them top down where optics plays lots of tricks

 

[Diamonds4Me]

Date: 11/15/2004 3:17:35 PM
Author: Hest88
Here''s something of what I mean by gray. Apologies to Dutton''s Diamonds (the stone can be found here: http://www.duttonsdiamonds.com/diamonds/dbs.cgi?sf=detd.setup.cgi&active=active&stock=RB10002509&submit_search=1), but see how you can see it reflecting colors, but in this indirect light it''s mainly shades of gray as opposed to snow white?

Bei, just a stab in the dark for me, but I wonder if your F shows more fire than the other one.

Mine looks similar to the one in the picture and it sparkles it''s little catookous off

 

[bichon]

Beiberella, I think I know what you mean by the "grey" effect. I have a D colour stone set in platinum and also noticed the grey sometimes. At first, I thought it was fluorescence but when my fiance showed me the GIA report, there was none. Then I thought it was perhaps reflection off the platinum. However, once I got accustomed to looking at my diamond in different lighting, I realized that the it''s not the DIAMOND that''s grey but rather, it''s the reflection of the cut depending on lighting conditions. For example, if I''m in the car on a sunny day, my stone looks snow-white and stilll has that brilliant effect. Under halogen, it''s got more of the busy sparkle so I don''t really notice whether it''s white or grey or any other colour for that matter, because all I see are sparkles in different colours! Now if I look at my diamond under regular, boring, 60-watt light bulb in the evening AND I am staring straight at the middle of the stone without moving my hand, there is some "grey" ... but if I slowly move my hand, I notice that it''s the CUT that''s giving it the grey effect. The "worst" light for my diamond is if I stick my hand under a piano lamp; I''m not an expert here but I suspect it has something to do with the angle at which the light is shining down?

My fiance had the stone re-appraised before buying it and the appraiser said it was an excellent diamond ... so I know that the grey effect was not due to fluorescence or poor cut, etc.

One more thing you might notice: even under the same lighting condition, you will notice the diamond as more or less white depending on where you place the diamond (directly at eye level in front of you, on the table, at a 45 degree angle in front of you).

If my fiance knew I was writing up a post on looking at diamonds from different angles and lighting conditions, he would be rolling his eyes back ... ! LOL.

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[Hest88]

Hm, I don''t believe I''ve heard of blue fluorescence causing a stone to look more grey than white.

 

[Brian Knox]

Hi,

Some diamonds do have a actual grey cast or body color but will still be white enough to be graded in the near colorless range or maybe even in the colorless range.

However, I doubt that you are seeing this effect in a mounted stone.