You are probably familiar with what it means for a diamond to have brilliance, but do you know what “diamond fire” is? Let’s see what this term means, and let’s learn what affects the fire and brilliance of your diamond.
What Are Diamond Fire, Brilliance and Scintillation?
Diamond fire is simply the colored sparkle that you can see when the stone is exposed to light.
Diamond fire is caused by light that is broken down into different colors.
In contrast to fire, brilliance is the colorless light that is emitted from the stone.
Scintillation is a term that refers to the flashes of light you can see when you hold a diamond in your hand and move it.
How Diamond Cut Affects Fire and Brilliance
Fire is caused by the light that is broken down into different colors when it enters the diamond.
This is why diamond fire is also called “dispersion.” As you might guess, this is also the reason cut is very important for how much fire a diamond will exhibit.
If a diamond is cut in the so-called “ideal proportions,” the stone will bend and reflect light in such a way that the diamond’s fire and brilliance will be maximized.
On the other hand, the further away the stone’s proportions are from those of the “ideal cut,” the less fiery and brilliant the diamond will look.
If a diamond, for example, is cut too shallow or too deep compared with the ideal cut proportions, the light will leak out of the bottom of the stone and not return to the eye of the observer. As a result, the stone will appear less brilliant and lively.
The G.I.A. (Gemological Institute of America) grades cut using a scale that ranges from “Excellent” to “Poor.” In order to get a diamond that has a good amount of fire and brilliance, go for a cut that is graded Excellent, Very Good or Good, and do not settle for Fair or Poor.
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Light and Diamond Fire
The type of light a diamond is exposed to is another factor that affects how much fire and brilliance you will see in the stone.
Generally, a good combination of light sources can maximize the fire in a diamond. For example, in jewelry stores, the lights are arranged and combined in such a way that the diamonds’ fire, brilliance and sparkle are all enhanced.
Since lighting is so crucial to the appearance of a diamond, it is very important to see it in natural light before buying.
Keep in mind that if there are colored lights in the store, they can make the diamond you are looking at seem fierier than it would be in normal daylight.
See how you can design your own diamond ring.
Diamond Clarity and Fire
Another important factor that has an impact on fire is diamond clarity.
In general, the lower clarity is, the more negatively it affects the fire and sparkle in your stone.
This is because the bigger and more numerous inclusions there are in a stone, the more likely they are to stop light from moving freely inside. As a result, a diamond that is heavily included will look dull.
How to Keep the Fire in Your Diamond
It is interesting that a lot of people don’t realize how important it is for a diamond to be clean in order to look lively.
The more dirt particles there are on the surface of the stone, the harder it is for light to get in and be reflected back. And when a diamond loses its fire and brilliance, its surface flaws and internal inclusions become more visible.
So, to keep your diamond brilliant and alive, clean it often to remove any dust and other dirt that accumulates with time.
Where to Buy Diamond Jewelry?
We recommend James Allen (read review) because you can see a 360-degree video for any diamond before buying it.
Blue Nile is another reputable diamond retailer we recommend.
