Few things are as mesmerizing as a diamond, the sheer brilliance of the stone as the colors dance around its shape and cut. Many things shine as bright as a diamond, but how do you know if it’s real? Does a diamond sparkle in different colors?
Real diamonds sparkle tones of grey and white on the inside and reflect different colors on the outside. The different colors reflected on the outside are reflected onto other surfaces. Fake diamonds will sparkle rainbow colors on the inside and outside.
Before you rush in and buy a diamond, it’s good to know what to look for. Sure, not everyone will become a diamond expert, but knowing a few basics about colors and cuts cannot do harm since buying a diamond is usually a large investment.
What Color Should A Diamond Sparkle?
It’s unique in the way a diamond reflects light. The inside of a real diamond should sparkle white and grey, while the outside should reflect a rainbow on other surfaces. A fake diamond will have rainbow colors on the inside of the diamond as well. Genuine diamonds don’t sparkle rainbows on the inside.
Real diamonds sparkle rainbows on surfaces when their light is deflected. Colors shoot off of the diamond when direct light hits it. The flash of colors that comes off the diamond is called fire.
What Diamond Cut Has The Most Sparkle?
Along with the rare grade they bring, two key traits that make diamonds so highly looked upon are sparkle and fire.
The sparkle of a diamond: Is when it reflects light, which makes a disco ball-style display and gives that signature diamond twinkle (sparkle) effect.
The fire of a diamond happens when white light separates as it hits the surfaces and gives off a wonderful display of rainbow colors.
The fire and the sparkle get together to produce the sort of display widely pursued. But which diamond cut sparkles more? And what diamond cut will ensure you get the sparkle you’re looking for?
What Diamond Shape Sparkles The Most
Certain diamond cuts offer more sparkle than others. Usually, diamond cuts with more sides sparkle the most, but more doesn’t necessarily mean better. The ideal number of sides on a diamond is 58. What cut are you looking for? Below are some cuts that may have that sparkle you’re looking for:
- Round brilliant cut: A classic round brilliant cut gives, without a doubt, the best sparkle. The side pattern, which is made of 58 sides, ensures that light can pass through in such a way that it makes the perfect sparkle.A round-cut diamond has the ideal shape and is one of the most popular on the market.
Engineer Marcel Tolkowsky formed a formula for the brilliant round cut in 1919when he was writing the thesis for his Ph.D. The round brilliant cut diamond was created because of this formula—the diamond with the best sparkle. The brilliant cuts are usually more expensive than other cuts since they don’t match the sparkle of the round cut.
- Princess cut: A princess cut is generally square shape but can sometimes be more rectangular. Nevertheless, as with round-cut diamonds, the princess cut has 58 sides, offering a high level of sparkle.
- Cushion cut: The cushion cut doesn’t offer as much sparkle as the round brilliant cut. But its cushion-like cut is still very effective at giving off a good sparkle. Cushion cuts offer a greater fire, so they do produce their amazing display.
- Radiant cut: A radiant cut is similar to the emerald and round cut but has 70 sides. While the sparkle isn’t as strong as the round cut, there’s plenty of chance for it to reflect and give a good show.
- Emerald cut: The emerald-cut diamonds have a larger surface area and are long and usually rectangular shaped. They have straight linear sides and step cuts that run parallel down the center of the diamond. The sparkle is a lot more subtle, offering flashes of light more than sparkles formed by other cuts.
- Pear cut: Pear-cut diamonds have 58 sides; as the name proposes, they are pear-shaped. The Pear shape doesn’t offer as much sparkle as other cuts, but the shape makes up for that with its unique shape.
- Oval cut: The oval-cut diamonds are oval-shaped and have 56 sides. The 56 sides are in a similar pattern to the round-cut diamonds.
- Marquise cut: The marquise cut has a different, longer, slimmer shape. They have 56 sides, so they offer a high level of sparkle.
- Heart Shape (cut): Comparable to the round cut diamonds but in a heart shape. They typically have 56 or 58 sides. And the sparkle challenges that of a round-cut diamond but does not quite reach those heights.
- Asscher cut: The Asscher cut diamonds are the shape of an octagon (although they often appear square) with large step sides. They don’t offer the same sparkle as other diamond cuts but have a bold and outstanding appearance.
What Makes A Diamond Sparkle: Clarity Or Color?
Light reflections produce the sparkle of a diamond. The more chance the diamond has to do this, the higher the level of sparkle the diamond will give off.
To give a diamond the best chance at producing sparkle, sides are cut into the diamond. This means there are more opportunities and angles for light to hit the stone and bounce off its surface, similar to a disco ball. If It were one reflective, smooth ball, the light would only bounce off in one direction. But with many sides, each different light bounces off in all directions.
This is similar to how the sparkle of a diamond works, just on a smaller and more luxurious measure. This is known as brilliance, the diamond’s ability to reflect or, more precisely, the white light. The more the diamond reflects light, the more brilliant it is. It’s the brilliance of the diamond that makes it sparkle.
Which Diamond Clarity Is The Best?
The diamond’s clarity is the grade of a diamond’s purity and rarity. Diamonds that are graded FL or flawless are rare and, as a result, are graded the highest. Flawless diamonds will also be more expensive. Fewer blemishes and inclusions in a diamond mean the better it will reflect light—the higher the clarity, the better the sparkle.
What Color Diamond Sparkles The Most?
The color of a diamond also affects the sparkle made by the diamond. Because diamonds reflect white light, diamonds with no color give the best fire and sparkle. The more color in a diamond, the less white light it will reflect. And as a result, it will give off less sparkle.
The highest quality diamond is the D-color and will offer the best sparkle. Following are E and F ratings which also offer a high-quality sparkle. When you reach I or J ratings, microscopic traces of color will start to affect the sparkle. K, L, and M-rated diamonds will have a yellow look and a more noticeable effect on the diamond’s sparkle.
Does The Color Of The Diamond Affect The Sparkle?
Color is important because it affects the diamond’s transparency and whether it has a yellow tint. For example, if you choose a D color, it won’t have any color, but if you choose a K color diamond, it’ll have a tint of pale yellow.
In a round brilliant diamond, you choose a color that is H or higher. It is the cut grade of the diamond that makes it beautiful.
Face them down against a white background to differentiate between the two diamonds. The H color has a small hint of yellow, but the D is completely translucent. It is by choice which diamond you would prefer and go for. If you want better color, it will be more expensive.
Conclusion
That old cliché about diamonds and a girl’s best friend, well, most love a little sparkle in their lives, and it is empowering to know you can tell if a diamond is real or fake by paying attention to how it reflects light.
Nothing quite comes close to how a well-cut diamond reflects and dances with the colors of the rainbow.
