A Beginners Guide to Understanding Diamond Scintillation

A Beginners Guide to Understanding Diamond Scintillation

A Beginners Guide to Understanding Diamond Scintillation

The word “scintillating” can be used to describe many situations. The stars were scintillating within a velvet sky. Her scintillating eyes immediately captivated my attention. These are two examples of such a wonderful word. However, did you know that scintillation is also associated with a specific characteristic of diamonds?

The chances are high that you have already heard terms such as quality, color, cut, and clarity. So, how does the notion of scintillation fit into the bigger picture? Whether you are purchasing a loose stone as an investment or you plan on buying an engagement diamond in the near future, it pays to examine scintillation in greater detail.

A Beginners Guide to Understanding Diamond Scintillation

A Quick Look at Common Terminology

Diamonds have always been known for their aesthetic allure and much of this is based off of how they reflect light. This quality can be broken down into three main categories:

• Brilliance
• Fire
• Scintillation

By definition, brilliance is the amount of light that is emitted (reflected) from a diamond. Fire is instead the type of light that is dispersed due to refraction. When light enters into a diamond, its many facets (both internal and external) act as tiny prisms. This why many stones will glitter with colors such as blue, green, red, and purple even if they are completely clear.

Scintillation is quite different. This concept determines the balance of light and shadow within a stone. Scintillation also tends to provide a diamond with a greater sense of visual depth. So, how does this occur and what factors influence the amount of scintillation that a diamond possesses?

A Technical Look at Scintillation

The first factor to appreciate is the girdle of the diamond. The girdle is the portion of a stone which creates its overall outline. This is obviously influenced by how the diamond is cut. The outer angles of the girdle are normally cut in such as to promote the maximum amount of scintillation (differences between light and dark tones).

This is actually quite important. A diamond that is dominated by white patches will not offer a three-dimensional appeal. Overwhelming dark tones will naturally harm the shine of the stone. This is why a quality diamond should exhibit both in synergy with one another. Furthermore, a lack of this scintillation can also detract from the fire of a diamond (mentioned within the last section).

Diamonds with the Most Scintillation

So, what type of diamond will offer the most scintillation? Experts agree that round brilliant cuts are able to leverage the aesthetic benefits of this quality. Other options include marquise, radiant and oval shapes. The dimensions of the stone will also depend partially upon your personal preferences. Suppliers such as Whiteflash Diamonds offer a kaleidoscope of unique cuts and sizes.

Scintillation is a factor that should never be taken for granted, as it undoubtedly enhances the appeal of any diamond. So, be sure to take this quality into account alongside the traditional four C’s.

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