5 Myths About Fluorescent Diamonds

1. Will my diamond glow blue all the time?

The simple answer is: no! Regular incandescent lighting doesn’t make fluorescent diamonds glow. Fluorescence is only visible when diamonds are exposed to UV light or high energy radiation (such as lasers or X-rays). Common situations where this fluorescence may be perceptible include bright sunlight, nightclubs, or tanning beds.

2. Does fluorescence only occur in natural diamonds?

Lab-created diamonds can exhibit fluorescence, though the color patterns are typically very different than the even blue glow found in all-natural diamonds. While synthetic diamond may have veins of deep blue, they are more often pink or orange when under UV light.

3. Does fluorescence detract from a diamond’s appearance?

The GIA has determined that fluorescence has virtually no impact on a diamond’s subjective brilliance, sparkle and “fire,” and that average observers can’t consistently identify fluorescent diamonds in regular viewing environments.  Instead, a diamond’s sparkle is determined by cut (i.e., how the facets, proportions, design, and craftsmanship affect light that hits the diamond). Additionally, the slight blue hue in fluorescing diamonds can negate yellowness in lower color grades, positively resulting in a more colorless appearance than their grade suggests.

4. Does fluorescence make the diamond less durable?

A fairly common myth is that fluorescent diamonds are more brittle than their non-glowing counterparts. GIA studies have found this to be false—they say: “a diamond that fluoresces under a standard UV lamp has the same structural integrity as one with no reaction to it. Nothing in the submicroscopic structures that cause fluorescence inherently weakens the diamond.”

5. Does fluorescence affect a diamond’s color grade?

The GIA assesses gem color grade in a strictly controlled environment that minimizes the impact of fluorescence. This allows for an objective evaluation of a diamond’s inherent color.

Source: GIA (Fact Checking Diamond Fluorescence: 11 Myths Dispelled (gia.edu))