Diamonds are beautiful and elusive gemstones that attract most people due to their sparkle and brilliance factor. The other interesting property of diamonds that sounds bizarre to most people is that diamonds can produce different glows of different colors under black light.
What Is Diamond Fluorescence?
Natural diamonds have a property known as fluorescence. This phenomenon enables diamonds to produce glows of varied colors when exposed to black light (also known as ultraviolet light). A pure and natural diamond is known to produce a blue glow when exposed to black light. The impure ones have certain chemical impurities that trigger the glow of other colors like green, white, red, and yellow when diamonds are exposed to ultraviolet light.According to the GIA diamond report, more than 65% of diamonds lack fluorescence. Only 30-35 % of diamonds have fluorescence whose glow depends on the strength or intensity of the reaction between their diamond fluorescence and black light.
Is Diamond Fluorescence Bad?
Most people value diamond fluorescence as a form of "defect" in the current diamond markets, which attracts huge sales discounts. However, the misconception seems odd because the product's value is relative and depends on the customers' perspective. People hold this misconception because they believe that diamonds with fluorescence have a hazy or cloudy look that negatively affects the expected beauty and sparkle. The fact is that the brilliance and sparkle of the diamond are determined by its cut quality rather than its ability to glow in UV light. People also think that fluorescence negatively affects the durability of the diamond. This mistaken belief does not always hold because the fluorescence is a characteristic possessed by the chemical impurities in the diamond's composition, which neither interferes with its lattice structure nor weakens its strength or hardness.
Conclusion
Diamond fluorescence is a property found in all diamonds and really is nothing to worry about, but when purchasing a diamond still ask your jeweler about the diamond's fluorescence to see if you are getting the best possible deal.If you need help finding the perfect diamond for your jewelry then get in touch with Mervis Diamond Importers. Our professional jewelers are ready to help you make the right decision when purchasing a diamond or any other piece of jewelry.
FAQs
Natural diamonds have a property known as fluorescence. This phenomenon enables diamonds to produce glows of varied colors when exposed to black light (also known as ultraviolet light). A pure and natural diamond is known to produce a blue glow when exposed to black light.
Will real diamonds glow under a blacklight? ›
Natural diamonds have a property known as fluorescence. This phenomenon enables diamonds to produce glows of varied colors when exposed to black light (also known as ultraviolet light). A pure and natural diamond is known to produce a blue glow when exposed to black light.
How to tell if a diamond is real with an UV light? ›
To test the diamond, you need to find a completely dark room and expose it to the ultraviolet light source. Then, hold up the rock to the light and observe. If the diamond gem displays a blue glow under UV light, then the diamond is real. If the stone does not react to the light, the stone is probably fake.
What color should a diamond be under UV light? ›
Fluorescence occurs in some diamonds when they are exposed to the concentrated radiation of a UV lamp. Submicroscopic structures in the diamonds cause them to emit a visible light, a fluorescence, which is commonly blue in colour.
How to tell if a diamond is real with a flashlight? ›
If so, how to tell if a diamond is real with a flashlight? The real diamond will shine and glimmer when a flashlight is shone on it, while a fake diamond will not reflect light in the same way. The shine and glimmer of a real diamond are caused by the reflection of light from the surface of a perfectly cut diamond.
Do fake diamonds sparkle under light? ›
The way that diamonds reflect light is unique: the inside of a real diamond should sparkle gray and white while the outside should reflect a rainbow of colors onto other surfaces. A fake diamond, on the other hand, will have rainbow colors that you can see inside the diamond as well.
Why does my lab grown diamond glow in the dark? ›
The quick answer is no, diamonds created in laboratories do not glow at night. This is due to fluorescence, a natural phenomenon brought on by the presence of trace elements like nitrogen or boron in the diamond, which enables some diamonds to shine under UV light.
How to tell a real diamond by eye at home? ›
To determine if your diamond is real, hold a magnifying glass up and look at the diamond through the glass. Look for imperfections within the stone. If you're unable to find any, then the diamond is most likely fake. The majority of real diamonds have imperfections referred to as inclusions.
Can you test a diamond with your phone? ›
It is not reliable to test a diamond's authenticity using your phone. Methods like diamond apps, phone magnification, light refraction, digital weighing, or the screen scratch test lack the precision of professional tools and expertise.
How can you tell a diamond from a cubic zirconia? ›
If the stone doesn't have any inclusions or blemishes, it's likely cubic zirconia. It's extremely rare for diamonds to be completely flawless, so the too-good-to-be-true test is always a good idea. If your stone has any scratches, it's cubic zirconia.
Using Jewelers' Tools
Set your stone or jewelry piece under a UV light. If the piece glows blue, it is most likely a real diamond. If it does not glow at all, it could be cubic zirconia.
Do synthetic diamonds fluoresce? ›
Just like natural diamonds, lab grown diamonds can fluoresce under UltraViolet (UV) light. This remarkable characteristic causes diamonds to glow beautiful colours or a brighter shade of white.
What does a fake diamond look like under black light? ›
Fake diamonds like cubic zirconia do not glow under black light!
How can you tell if a diamond is real without a loop? ›
As straightforward as it sounds, fill a glass of water at home to roughly three-quarters full. Separate the stone so that it is loose, and drop it into the water. Diamonds are highly dense and a genuine gem will sink to the bottom – every time. If it hovers to the surface or only partially sinks, then it is a replica.
How to tell if a diamond is real with a mirror? ›
The test is to simply scratch the loose stone against a mirror. The idea is that if the stone is hard enough to scratch the mirror, it's probably a diamond.
Can I put my diamond ring under UV light? ›
Precious jewellery should not be exposed to concentrated UV light as this could alter the colour and structure of your gemstones. We advise removing jewellery containing gemstones before UV exposure, i.e. nail lamps or sunbeds.
Do diamonds shine under flashlight? ›
By holding a diamond close to a source of light, such as a flashlight, you can tell whether or not it's real. Watch closely for the shimmers of light that shine from the stone.
Can the average person tell the difference between cubic zirconia and diamond? ›
You will see that the diamond has white or silvery sparkles only. However, cubic zirconia will give out colourful sparkles such as red, yellow or blue. Another important differentiating feature between these two stones is that a diamond possesses sharp facets, whereas a zirconium does not have sharp facets.
