Why does my diamond look so different in store lighting??

[sweetpea&babycorn]

Hello everyone. I'm not sure if this question has been addressed in the past, but it has gotten me a little worried. I was shopping for a wedding band, and I couldnt help but notice how horrible my stone looked in the store versus how it looks in natural lighting or the lights in my house. In the store, my diamond looked more greyish and black than yellow and warm. My stone is a J color which doesn't bother me, but when I see the grey and black, I sort of cringe inside. I took a couple of pictures to show the wedding band to my fiance, and I was hoping to get some thoughts or some feedback from experts about why this is happening with my stone. I just don't understand because my diamond looks so beautiful in all other light settings except for when I'm in a jewelry store. I thought jewelry store lighting was supposed to bring the "best" out of diamonds, especially since maul store diamonds are crap. The images may not be the best, but hopefully it'll get to what I'm talking about. My fiance did say that since my diamond has a lifetime upgrade policy that we could look into getting a higher color stone, but it was already a challenge to find the one I have and at least for now, I just want to know what's going on. Thanks!

 

[Lula]

Re: Why does my diamond look so different in store lighting?

Yes, it's a common problem. The lights in jewelry stores blast the diamonds with light and cause well-cut diamonds to go dark. I don't believe going up in color will change this phenomenon I've seen it in my D, I, M, and J color ideal-cut diamonds.

 

[D&T]

Re: Why does my diamond look so different in store lighting?

a while back, there was a similar discussion and one of the PS vendor commented that (I'm trying to pull from memory) having excellent cut with the blaring lights, the return of light back to the eyes would in effect be like the sun, therefore our eyes adjust to help darken the return of light so we don't go blind....essentially but with those light leakeage diamonds, poorer cut stones, they need all the help they can get, and so it looks far better in those lighting than any other normal non- blaring lighting condition. Hope that makes sense and I'm not making things up...lol

ETA: I had an ACA K color, and it made me cringe as well when I went to "browse" the mall, it looked like yours and how you described it, but when I went to my high end jeweler, it looked fantastic as I normally see it.

 

[iluvdiamonds2]

Re: Why does my diamond look so different in store lighting?

This is interesting. I know how u feel. I was looking at an H and looked at other setings (F/G) and the H looked so warm/brownish.
compared to the white settings. I felt like, wow, it didnt look like that during the day , but at night in the store lighting, it didn't look so hot.

I am now considering a colorless stone as i love white but do appreciate warmer tones in older cut stones....

Do u still love your diamond 24/7?

 

[Gypsy]

Re: Why does my diamond look so different in store lighting?

You stone AND your setting (loving the prongs, can you link me to more pics of this beauty) are stunning! I Promise!

Honey I have an F asscher with as good a cut as you can get on asschers in a halo, prong set so that the diamond gets great light return from everywhere possible and in some jewelry store lights it looks like crap.

Same with my BGD ideal cuts in my Aurora band that are all F/G.

It's not your stone.

 

[John P]

Re: Why does my diamond look so different in store lighting?

There are several reasonable possibilities.

First, as basic as it sounds, your diamond must be thoroughly clean. Even the best cut specimen will be dingy if oil, sweat or other residue is clinging to it. This is especially true on the pavilion; such gunk actually changes the refractive index so that, in terms of performance, you're not wearing a diamond.

Second, not all jewelry-store lighting is the same. I've been in plenty of stores with lighting schemes that make me scratch my head. Direct spotlighting can produce incredible fire and scintillation if well-distributed and placed at correct distances. But if the number and/or distances of the lighting is not well-planned diamonds may not look their best. Whether the 'victims' are better cuts or worse cuts (or all are equalized) depends on the specifics.

We discussed this a few months ago: See the fourth post for a more technical explanation about small and/or distant sources sub-tending light at fractional degrees in a wide overall hemisphere. A bit later Garry addresses the physiological accommodation of our eyes in different illumination environments.

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/darkness-in-ideal-cut-diamonds-revisited.150108/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/darkness-in-ideal-cut-diamonds-revisited.150108/[/URL]

Here is a good litmus test for anyone who wants to see a diamond-friendly environment. Make your diamond squeaky-clean and go examine it at the diamond counter of a large Tiffany & Company store. They have, in my opinion, the best planning and execution of lighting which rewards great cut quality. Effective and scientific, yet subtle enough that it feels "normal." The stores I've been in employ diffused lighting reflected from light surfaces above and below, complimented by a balance of spotlights at different distances and (what many jewelry stores fail to have) either dark cabinets, shelves or walls planned to create deliberate contrast.

 

[sweetpea&babycorn]

Re: Why does my diamond look so different in store lighting?

Phew, I feel so much better now, thanks everyone! At first I had an internal panic attack, then told myself to calm down, and head straight to PS! I'm glad I'm not the only one experiencing this and all the explanations make sense to me and I read some of the previous topic threads similar to mine - thanks John Pollard!

I absolutely love my stone, especially because it was hard for us to find one that really spoke to us. My fiance still prefers RBs but I always like things a little different and less vanilla

Thanks for the lovely compliments, Gypsy! I love my ring too, it's a recent reset (October). Here's the link in SMTB: https://www.pricescope.com/forum/sh...lia-thank-you-grace-and-erica-t150745-60.html I promised new pictures, so hopefully I will get those done soon, with my new wedding band.

 

[Allison D.]

Re: Why does my diamond look so different in store lighting?

Your stone may be picking up color from surrounding objects (i.e. cream colored walls, etc) at home.

You said the stone was a J color, but you didn't mention the make of the stone or specify if it was graded by a reputable lab. Not all Js are created equal because not all labs are created equal. High make stones mask body color better than less well cut stones do, and a J from one of the more stringent labs will face up with less noticeable tint than a J from one of the more lenient labs.

It sounds as though you aren't satisfied with its appearance, and that alone is reason enough to see what your jeweler might be able to do to trade this stone. Best of luck!

 

[sweetpea&babycorn]

Re: Why does my diamond look so different in store lighting?

Thanks for your input Allison D.! It's not that I'm completely unhappy with it, I just wasn't sure why it was behaving the way it was. My jeweler told me it was a mid-J stone, and it was graded by GIA. It's a cushion brilliant which I've heard shows up color more than RBs. We might explore trading it in, but neither of us are in a huge rush since it has a lifetime policy

 

[Gypsy]

Re: Why does my diamond look so different in store lighting?

OMG. No wonder I love it. It's in one of my favorite all time settings. I adore your ring. AND your cushion. Glad you are feeling better about your stone. I think it's stunning. Enjoy!

 

[LGK]

Re: Why does my diamond look so different in store lighting?

Some jewelry store lighting just does that. I was looking at a round brilliant in a jewelry store that was I think an H. It looked weird colored under their lights. So I compared it to my M that I had on my hand. It looked weird too. They basically had the exact same odd grey/yellow tone under that store's lights. It was a really high end jeweler in Vegas too, can't remember which one, but it was a head scratcher to me. I mean, the lighting definitely created sparkle and fire, but the color of the stones was just amazingly unattractive- not even the dark grey you get in sunlight. So yeah, some jewelry store's lighting is apparently just not awesome for looking at a stone's color.

Go check out your stone in a big box store like Home Depot. That is one of the more fun places to diamond-gaze IMO which is just funny- I've been known to trail after my husband sneaking glances at my hand the whole time. Their lighting makes diamonds go super-white but fiery too, which is cool.

Also, go stand under a leafy tree on a sunny day, especially if there's a bit of wind. Ooooh. Fun! In just the right light like that, a diamond gets this really unique look that I haven't seen under any other circumstance- like each facet has been watercolored with a pastel rainbow. It's fascinating. I will fess up that I have a particular bench I sit on in the summer when I'm on breaks at work, that has light like that, and I sometimes spend ridiculously long chunks of time looking at my jewelry there. (God, I'm such a dork!) Anyway, I digress- but if you haven't yet had the chance to do that, go for it, because it will knock your socks off, I promise.

Diamonds are just little mirrors- they reflect ambient light, colors, etc. and can look very, very different depending on the lighting. Body color of the diamond doesn't have much to do with it really- unless it's a very low color stone, lower than a J anyway.

 

[geckodani]

Re: Why does my diamond look so different in store lighting?

You're not crazy! Shoot, my D goes brown/yellow in some mall stores. So strange.

 

[vsc]

Re: Why does my diamond look so different in store lighting?

You're not alone. [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-stone-actually-looks-worst-in-jewelry-store-lights.153882/#post-2798889#p2798889']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-stone-actually-looks-worst-in-jewelry-store-lights.153882/#post-2798889#p2798889[/URL]

I still don't understand why mall jewelers do that, instead of having home depot/target style lights

 

[Amys Bling]

Re: Why does my diamond look so different in store lighting?

on a side note- is that your future wedding band? Can't wait to see what you decide on!

 

[jstarfireb]

Re: Why does my diamond look so different in store lighting?

Ditto; just wanted to say the exact same thing happens to my ideal-cut I color princess. Very nice rings! I've always been a fan of curved bands and sets that sit flush.

 

[kenny]

Re: Why does my diamond look so different in store lighting?

Oddly enough the BEST diamond lighting ever for my asscher was in a tacky 99-cent store in San Pedro, California.

They had parallel rows of open fluorescent tubes that were continuous from wall to wall.
They must have been at the perfect distance and spacing for how my asscher is cut.
IIRC the ceiling was white.

The diamond looked like a painting.
It had perfect solid bars of soft but rich, solid alternating colors.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Re: Why does my diamond look so different in store lighting?

Thanks for directing to that other discussion John Pollard.
It handles this topic well.

You're not alone. [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-stone-actually-looks-worst-in-jewelry-store-lights.153882/#post-2798889#p2798889']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-stone-actually-looks-worst-in-jewelry-store-lights.153882/#post-2798889#p2798889[/URL]

I still don't understand why mall jewelers do that, instead of having home depot/target style lights

VSC most jewellers wrongly believe more is better.

Infact GIA fell into the same trap in lighting they designed for their study that led to their round cut grade system. If you put a fancy cut with less light return beside a well cut round it would be common that the fancy cut would appear brighter.
This may be part of why they have not progressed far on fancy shape grading.

 

[rosetta]

Re: Why does my diamond look so different in store lighting?

Oddly enough the BEST diamond lighting ever for my asscher was in a tacky 99-cent store in San Pedro, California.

They had parallel rows of open fluorescent tubes that were continuous from wall to wall.
They must have been at the perfect distance and spacing for how my asscher is cut.
IIRC the ceiling was white.

The diamond looked like a painting.
It had perfect solid bars of soft but rich, solid alternating colors.

There are certain London underground stations that do exactly that for my stone. I've never seen such amazing colours come out of my stone (kings cross if anyones wondering)