I''m confused about fluorescence

[lasposa]

Please help.... I''ve done some reading on diamond flourescence but am still a bit baffled. I am looking to buy a diamond with a color range between I-G. What flourescence level should I look for? I''ve read that medium blue flourescence can actually make these grades look whiter but how much is too much? Thanks for your help!

 

[athenaworth]

I have an I with strong blue and I don''t notice the blue at all (except for when I was in a tanning bed) and it seems to really counteract the I color since it looks very white to me (I even put it up against a CZ and didn''t notice). I think that getting some flourescence with a yellower stone will make the yellow inconsequential.

 

[slg47]

do a search on fluorescence in the search bar, there have been many discussions.

 

[Circe]

My advice? See the stone(s) in person, if you can. Fluorescence is subjectively graded (as in, the grader just eyeballs it and gives it a ranking), so some blues are bluer than others. I would wager to say that medium blue will rarely be eye-visible under normal circumstances (even many strong blues aren''t - I''m sad to fall into that category as I bought a SB E in the hopes of a lavender haze in the sun, and nada! all I get is a very white looking stone with what I fondly imagine is a blueish tinge), but if you want a stone that looks "normal" and just has a slightly-whiter-than-average (for its grade) effect, check it out in the sun, if you can.

 

[TotalNewbie]

Circe is right, see the stones in person if you can, or have the vendor do a comparison.

See my thread here, which has photos of a J with no fluoro, against an I with very strong blue.

I love these diamonds, but the I is surprisingly a lot whiter -- I mean a LOT. And it's subjective, but I don't think very strong blue is too much. In the brightest Bermudian sun (where I live), it sometimes appears the palest of baby blues but only if you were looking for it.

Hope this helps:
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/do-not-fear-very-strong-fluorescence-because-its-beautiful.141942/

 

[TotalNewbie]

. . . and here is the very strong blue fluoro stone mounted:

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/e-ring-pics.145064/

 

[John P]

Circe gives good advice. The diamond's appearance must be taken as a whole. Other factors can influence color appearance more strongly than fluorescence. Some labs grade softer than others so it's important to choose a diamond graded using strict/consistent standards. Cut quality is a tremendous factor in face-up appearance. So is size and shape. Once purchased, your diamond's appearance can be further influenced by setting choice, lighting conditions and even what you're wearing on a given day.

The short answer is that there can be a perceptible relationship between fluorescence and face-up color but the nuances will be diamond-specific. This excerpt from the landmarkGIA Fluorescence Study may be helpful (p256):

"For the observers in this study, the effect of blue fluorescence on color appearance and transparency in colorless to faint yellow diamonds was subtle. In fact, our results indicate that Average Observers could not make the fine distinctions sought in this study. Of the experienced observers, most saw an effect on color appearance, but far fewer saw any difference in transparency. Even among the experienced observers, responses varied from stone to stone. Because some highly fluorescent diamonds in a set were singled out and others were not, it is possible that other factors are affecting color appearance more strongly than fluorescence strength. The results of this study indicate that there is a perceptible relationship between blue fluorescence and color appearance, which depends on viewing position. On average, strongly fluorescent diamonds have a better color appearance table-up, and this effect is most noticeable at lower color grades. ..."