Find your diamond
Find your jewelry
shape
carat
color
clarity

Why is my diamond very white?

S

StevenChen

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 16, 2013
Messages
7
So umm... I got a diamond online, it's D, vs2, excellent cut & polish. I was curious how it looks compare the another diamond, as I haven't seen a lot of diamonds in my life to know if it is a good one. So now, here is the problem.
I took it to tiffany to compare to a diamond with same grading. I realized that my diamond is very white/clear as compare to theirs. I wouldn't say mine is like a glass, but it sure feels like one when sitting next to a tiffany one. Although it looks like it's the complexity of the diamond that makes their more depth-like, i think, but mine is just like "white/clear." Does anyone know why? is it a good thing?

Thanks in advance, any comment would be helpful.
 
StevenChen|1387208307|3575275 said:
So umm... I got a diamond online, it's D, vs2, excellent cut & polish. I was curious how it looks compare the another diamond, as I haven't seen a lot of diamonds in my life to know if it is a good one. So now, here is the problem.
I took it to tiffany to compare to a diamond with same grading. I realized that my diamond is very white/clear as compare to theirs. I wouldn't say mine is like a glass, but it sure feels like one when sitting next to a tiffany one. Although it looks like it's the complexity of the diamond that makes their more depth-like, i think, but mine is just like "white/clear." Does anyone know why? is it a good thing?

Thanks in advance, any comment would be helpful.
Click to expand...

Did your diamond come with a report of any sort? If so, what authority issued it - and post the report number and exact carat weight (x.xx or x.xxx).

Can you post some clear closeups of your stone?
 
I didn't want to post a report number out of respect to the store who sold it to me. It was a general question in a sense, i was hoping someone could get me a few insight on the matter.
 
We post report #'s, links to the actual stone on the vendor's site, etc. It's not disrespectful, it's informative. We won't be able to give you much info without knowing what your stone is.
 
This sounds like an issue of cutting, not color. Mostly Tiff's sells D-G sorts of goods and people see that as pretty white, even with this sort of comparison.

Assuming the lab is GIA, posting a link to the GIA site will have no affect whatever on the jeweler. The site for this is www.reportcheck.gia.edu Assuming it's not GIA, who is it that did the grading?

By the way, cleaning can often be a problem with this sort of 'test'. You can bet that Tiff's is squeaky clean and if your's is a bit dirty in the side-by-side challenge, it can make them look substantially different.
 
oh okay.
So the GIA Report # is 2141474840.

Mine looks a lot more white than ones i see at tiffany. I think their is more complex and more depth. I cannot say which is prettier, i guess that depends on the eye of beholder.

I don't know if this matter but i would like to mention that I didn't get a gia certificate with my purchase. I was told that they couldn't find it, and they will try to find it today. If they cannot locate it, they will re-order one for me. Of course i dislike the fact that a diamond store could misplace their certificate...
 
What's the exact size of the stone?
 
Sorry if i missed out that part.
1.10 D VS2
 
Here's a clickable link.

http://www.gia.edu/cs/Satellite?reportno=2141474840&childpagename=GIA%2FPage%2FReportCheck&pagename=GIA%2FDispatcher&c=Page&cid=1355954554547

I don't see any issues on the report. Obviously we don't know anything about the stone Tiffany had to compare with but again, mostly theirs are pretty white so I'm guessing you're seeing something else. The difference between a D and a G is remarkable subtle for most people, even under controlled lighting. On the other hand, most people count less color as a good thing, and presumably that's what you were looking for when you bought a 'D', so this all sounds like success.
 
http://www.gia.edu/cs/Satellite?reportno=2141474840&childpagename=GIA%2FPage%2FReportCheck&pagename=GIA%2FDispatcher&c=Page&cid=1355954554547

Hmm. It's a D VS2, EX/EX/EX, no fluor, no graining or notable commentary, numbers would suggest it's a sparklefest... you could be noting different types of light return between this one and the Tiffany stones you saw (different proportions will result in different flavours of light return - not necessarily better or worse, just different). My bet is on Neil's observation though - diamonds are grease magnets, and if you touched it or held it with anything other than the tissue it came in and tweezers it'll look kinda "milky" white, dull, not completely transparent. Which doesn't really match your description of "glassy", but maybe we're using different terminology.

Edit - yeah, what he said ::)
 
By the numbers, that's a beautiful stone.
 
The numbers shows it is very pretty.
I just don't understand why it is whiter, colorless.
It looks like it's not as complex as the ones i saw at tiffany's. Like there isn't as much layers as they have. You know how those different colors you see at different angles, it is like you saw 20 small pieces of different lights at a angle... mine doesn't have that much.
 
Maybe you want something with more contrast.
 
StevenChen|1387217449|3575392 said:
The numbers shows it is very pretty.
I just don't understand why it is whiter, colorless.
It looks like it's not as complex as the ones i saw at tiffany's. Like there isn't as much layers as they have. You know how those different colors you see at different angles, it is like you saw 20 small pieces of different lights at a angle... mine doesn't have that much.
Click to expand...

Did you have yours at Tiffany's to compare under the same lighting?
 
Side by side, so it should be under the same condition.
 
StevenChen|1387217449|3575392 said:
The numbers shows it is very pretty.
I just don't understand why it is whiter, colorless.
It looks like it's not as complex as the ones i saw at tiffany's. Like there isn't as much layers as they have. You know how those different colors you see at different angles, it is like you saw 20 small pieces of different lights at a angle... mine doesn't have that much.
Click to expand...

Was your stone spotlessly clean?
 
If you’re unhappy and you’re still within your return period, send it back. You should NOT be feeling like you received less than a fabulous stone for your money, regardless of the reason. You're going to have this for a long time and it cost a ton of money. Don't settle.
 
I wonder if the difference is because your diamond is basically a 60/60 stone, and perhaps the Tiffany stones were more Tolkowsky? Although we're talking nuances, they are visible especially with close examination: to my eyes 60/60 stones return a bit more white light, and your 59% table is a bit on the large side and your 14% crown angle a bit on the short side (as compared with non-60/60 stones) so your stone may appear a bit flatter and a bit more glassy, comparatively speaking -- but again, these should be nuances - your stone by the numbers should be an excellent performer. I tend to favor 60/60 stones but there are many people who prefer the Tolkowsky diamonds (apx 54-57% table, and apx 60-62.3% depth, and with a crown angle of apx 34.8% or more).
 
Maybe the diamond in the OP is more of the 60/60 diamond with the "older" look? From the report:
depth 60.3%
table 59%
crown height 15%
lower half 80% - more slivery arrows instead of "fat" ones

David of Diamonds by Lauren has described customers' reaction to the 60/60 as "it looks so clear." Or something like that. Not it looks very fiery and scintillating, lol. 60/60 diamonds often look very bright, and have lots of brilliance. So, high brilliance plus D color and the almost 60/60 proportions might not produce as much fire as the OP expected or wanted?

Todd Gray / NiceIce.com's preferred range, which is a very restrictive range but is pretty comparable to many of the H&A superideal diamonds that PS buyers want in a modern RB:
Total depth between 59 – 61.8%
Table diameter between 53 – 57%
Crown angle between 34.3 – 34.8 degrees
Pavilion angle between 40.6 – 40.9 degrees
(from his 15 seconds to success article)

Personally, I've gravitated toward:
depth 61% - 62%
table 55% - 56% and no larger
crown height 15% or more
lower half maybe 76 - 77% for fatter arrows
-- Smaller table, steeper crown angle, greater crown height % for more fire.
-- Lower half <80% for the fatter arrows.

If it's not what you wanted, just return it and work with the vendor to figure out what does produce the look you wanted. There's no need to feel bad about it. If you had seen the stone in person, you might have immediately been able determine it doesn't have the personality that you wanted.
 
Ditto. Sounds like you might prefer the hearts and arrows ideal cuts we see here so much with 54-57 table, etc.
 
My guess is that you like a smaller table and more fire. I totally know what you are describing. Return your diamond and get a new one.
 
Do you have a picture of it, or an Ideal Scope, it might help going forward now that you know what you don't like.
 
I recently have a "reverse" situation, not really about "whiteness" but about differences in diamond looks. I have an ACA hearts and arrows, last week I noticed a diamond on an old lady's ring that looks very different from mine. It is about same size as mine (1.5 carat) even slightly smaller but face up it looked big (must be the spread) but flat, glassy, I had to try to see the facets under the tables and couldn't see many of those. It was very bright and white however and pleasing to the eyes, one can't say it's a bad looking diamond. I observed the same things in a vintage diamond last weekend, it is much bigger about 2.5 carat and same look. Noticebly is the lack of facets observed. I could see all 57 facets in my diamond, it's like a blooming flower but those diamonds, I could only see perhaps 20 facets and they look shimmery and watery. I quite like their look as well, not as much as mine though.
 
near tolk vs 60/60 would explain it.
Tiff in general is on the deep side of near tolk.
They seem to like slightly steeper crowns than many near tolk stones.
 
Was your diamond loose? Had you been touching it with your fingers?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
GET 3 FREE HCA RESULTS JOIN THE FORUM. ASK FOR HELP
Jewelry Blog
PriceScope-Concierge-Ad
Find prime cuts.
Top