DIAMOND EDUCATION
Diamond Brilliance, Scintillation, and Fire
With its unmistakable beauty, a well-cut diamond’s sparkle captures the attention like no other. Central to this hallmark shine are three important optical elements: brilliance, scintillation, and fire.
Like with the 4Cs, understanding these three elements is crucial when selecting a diamond stone, since they have a huge impact on both the diamond’s visual appeal and value. In this article, we’ll discuss the tenets of brilliance, scintillation, and fire, so that you can make an informed decision with your next diamond purchase.
Understanding Diamond Brilliance: A Radiant Shine
Diamond brilliance refers to the total amount of white light that reflects back at the observer. This is the foundational element that determines how “brightly” a diamond shines back at you. Diamond brilliance is directly influenced by its cut, which is one of the “4Cs” that is commonly considered the most important.
In a well-cut diamond, each facet is arranged in a way to optimize the amount of light that shines back to the onlooker. Note that it’s not just as simple as having light reflected back though – there needs to be balance, as well. Each facet needs to be carefully cut to work with the adjacent facets that don’t reflect light at a particular angle, to produce a light profile that’s balanced with both bright and dark areas.
Understanding Diamond Fire: Bursts of Color
Diamond fire refers to the mix of colored light one sees when looking at a diamond. This splash of multiple colors is caused by the diamond’s ability to act as a prism – taking white light and refracting and bending it so that it is dispersed into different wavelengths, and hence colors.
Like with brilliance, diamond fire is directly affected by the cut of the stone. The facets have to be arranged to allow for maximal light dispersion so that white light is appropriately separated into its constituent colors. This being said, the amount of white light entering the stone matters as well.
If there isn’t enough white light entering a diamond, there won’t be enough light to be dispersed into multiple colors, and thus the diamond would look like it has a poor amount of fire.
With this in mind, it’s important when assessing a diamond for its fire, to view it in optimal lighting conditions.
Understanding Diamond Scintillation: Sparkles of Light
Diamond scintillation refers to the sparkles of light that one sees when a diamond – or its light source – is in movement. This is the signature look that diamonds are known for.
Like with brilliance and fire, scintillation is also a factor that is dependent on diamond cut. A well-cut diamond is faceted in a way to balance the light and dark patterns that create a high degree of scintillation. Sparkle isn’t only created by rays of bright light, there has to be a balance of dark patterns present to contrast it as well.
Note that when it comes to scintillation, there are actually two different types: flash Scintillation, and fire scintillation. Flash scintillation refers to the amount of white light that reflects back to the observer as a traditional “white sparkle. Fire scintillation, as the name suggests, refers to the sparkle that you see of different colors – like with diamond fire, but at rest.
When judging a diamond for its scintillation, note that the light source is extremely important. Different types of lights at varying intensities (LED, sunlight, etc) can influence the scintillation observed, so it’s important to a prospective stone under typical circumstances when assessing it.
Considerations When Choosing a Diamond:
When it comes to assessing a diamond, brilliance, scintillation, and fire are three more dimensions to consider in addition to the 4Cs. Each element is heavily dependent upon the cut of the stone, and each of them gives an accurate way to assess a diamond for its value and beauty.
Like with anything, though, when choosing a diamond it’s important to balance all aspects in order to find the one that fits your tastes and budget.
Oftentimes, the first thing buyers think about when in the market for a diamond is its carat. While extremely important, a larger carat doesn’t always equal a visually breathtaking stone. Color and clarity do come into play in varying degrees, but the cut is paramount in providing the sparkle and determining overall beauty. This is also where the elements of brilliance, fire, and scintillation come into play.
When assessing these three optical elements, it’s important to view a diamond in both optimal and realistic light settings. This allows you to truly see the potential it has in its ability to reflect light. Look at it under a bright light. Look at it under a dim light Look at it through a window. Look at it when you move it upwards, downwards, and when you rotate it at multiple degrees.
At the end of the day, to confidently choose a diamond, it helps having a professional hand to help guide you through the way. The key here is to not only find the perfect stone but to have confidence in making the right choice.
We know that this whole process can be daunting. If you’re in the market for a diamond, we invite you to stop by our studio in Boston’s Chestnut Hill neighborhood. We’ve been helping clients choose diamonds and diamond pieces for over 30 years. As custom jewelers, we have a keen eye for diamond quality, and we can help you choose and source a stone that would be a perfect fit for your next piece. Get in touch for a complimentary consultation today, and see why we’ve been Boston’s preferred custom jeweler for over 30 years.
