What Makes A Diamond Sparkle?

Diamonds are one of the most treasured pieces of jewelry a woman can own, owing to their rarity and elegance. Yet, despite their value, few people know precisely how diamonds sparkle or what makes them so highly sought after. Ballard & Ballard Fine Jewelers will educate you on what makes a diamond sparkle.

What Makes a Diamond Sparkle

1. Cut 

A cut of the diamond is one of the main factors determining how a jewel sparkles. Cut refers to the clarity and quality of the diamond's facets and determines how light scatter is dispersed in the diamond's interior. A cut that allows light to pass through numerous parts allows more light to reflect from each facet, causing the diamond to appear brighter than a cut that only cuts one or two aspects. Therefore, diamonds with a deeper cut can have more sparkle than a diamond of the same quality with a shallower cut, which produces fewer reflections of light.

2. Luster 

Luster is the quality of brightness resulting from light being reflected off the surface of a diamond. The most preferred luster comes from diamonds free from blemishes and inclusions, which cause fracture and roughness on their surface. A diamond with high luster reflects light on many facets, producing more sparkling than one with a low luster.

3. Color 

The color of the diamond is also an essential factor that profoundly affects how it reflects light. A diamond with a hue closer to the natural diamond will have less impact on light than one with a color opposite the jeweler's choice, making the stone appear more dazzling and brilliant. Also, a deeper cut usually produces more impressive hues and sparkles than a shallow cut, which may not be as apparent in large sizes.

4. Clarity 

A clear, flawless diamond represents the highest quality of brilliance. The lack of inclusions or blemishes on the surface of a diamond will result in a perfect, clean-cut jewel that reflects light evenly across its surface. A diamond with higher clarity is often more beautiful and dazzling than one with lower clarity.

5. Polish 

Polish is the smoothness of the surface of a diamond. A polish with fewer imperfections and higher quality increases the amount of light that reflects off its surface. So while more prominent, noticeable inclusions are detrimental to brilliance, these more minor blemishes are also detrimental even though they may not be as noticeable. This causes more minor, less visible inclusions to affect the brightness of a stone just as much as larger ones.

 It is now clear how important it is to choose a diamond that has been cut to maximize its potential brightness. Since a diamond is the most treasured piece of jewelry in a woman's possession, it is only fitting that she should receive the diamond with all its full potential. Of course, the qualities of a diamond may differ slightly depending on a jeweler's decision and preference, but the end goal remains the same. For more information contact us.