Everything You Need to Know About Diamond Sparkle
Ever wondered how diamonds achieve their distinctive and magical sparkle? In diamond science, sparkle is the result of three key elements: brilliance, scintillation, and fire. This guide will delve into each of these aspects and the factors that maximize them.
What is Fire?
When light strikes a diamond, its facets act like a prism, refracting light and producing multi-colored sparkles, reminiscent of a rainbow.
What is Brilliance?
Brilliance refers to the white light reflected by a diamond. It results from the internal and external reflection of white light off the diamond’s facets, creating bright flashes that give diamonds their signature allure.
What is Scintillation?
Diamond scintillation describes the play of light across a stone’s facets. This phenomenon is most evident in motion—when the diamond, the lighting, or the viewer move—adding vibrancy and sparkle to the diamond. It can be imagined as light flashing in an on-off or checkered pattern.
Flash vs Fire Scintillation
Flash and fire scintillation refer to the white light visible on a diamond’s crown. In our experience, shapes with numerous small facets tend to exhibit more fire scintillation, while shapes with larger crown facets showcase more flash scintillation.
Interestingly, Moissanite tends to display more fire scintillation than diamonds, reflecting more colored light, especially in crushed ice stones.
Slow-moving scintillation describes light traveling from facet to facet slowly, typical in step-cut stones like the Asscher. In contrast, fast-moving scintillation refers to light jumping quickly between facets, seen in brilliant cuts like the round and oval.
Getting More Sparkle with the 4 Cs
The simplest way to enhance a diamond’s sparkle is by leveraging the 4 Cs: cut, color, clarity, and carat weight. Here’s how to maximize each one.
Cut
A well-cut diamond—rated “good” or above—features upper and lower girdle facets angled to enhance scintillation, fire, and brilliance. An ideal pavilion depth retains maximum light within the stone, ensuring a vibrant display of reflections.
Conversely, a poorly cut stone has facets that minimize scintillation, allowing light to escape and resulting in a dull appearance. Generally, more facets translate to greater sparkle, so brilliant cuts like radiant or round brilliant cuts are excellent choices.
Clarity
Diamonds with lower clarity may contain imperfections that disrupt light's reflection and refraction. Choosing eye-clean diamonds typically results in better sparkle, assuming the cut quality is good. Use our 3D preview to check if a diamond meets this standard before purchasing.
Conclusion
While most diamonds exhibit some fire qualities, the degree varies. To find a fiery ring that truly dazzles, prioritize high cut quality and clarity. With these factors in mind, you can discover a diamond that radiates with exceptional fire and sparkle.