Jules O'Brien

what exactly is it and how do you navigate buying a diamond with it?

fluorescence is a phenomenon (actual gemological term) where a diamond glows under concentrated long-wave UV lighting. a third of diamonds exhibit fluorescence which makes it a rather common phenomenon in the world of diamonds.

broken down into 5 intensity grades: none, faint, medium, strong, and very strong. blue is the most common color of fluorescence but natural diamonds exhibit other colors like yellow, white, and pink. see the GIA chart below, the stone takes on a chalky/hazy appearance in strong and very strong grades.

the potential issue with fluorescence...

because sunlight has long-wave UV rays, strong and very strong grades *may* trigger the phenomenon in an everyday setting. since most buyers are looking for clean stones,  strong/very strong grades are less sought after. fortunately, sunlight has no impact on faint and medium grades.

insider fact: most diamonds have a yellow body color, so medium and higher grades of blue fluorescence *may* make a stone appear a grade or two whiter.

 *expert gemologist necessary*

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