

A balance is necessary to have scintillation. Some facets seem dark while others flash. A brilliant diamond often has even and balanced scintillation. Facets need enough structural contrast to bounce light around. It is a product of movement, so the light, diamond, or viewer must be moving to see it. Scintillation refers to the flashing between shadow and light, which provides the blinking effect on a glittery diamond. Scintillation, or sparkle, also affects the diamond's brilliance.

Clean the diamond frequently to keep its fire burning. The diamond's fire isn't so visible in dimly lit surroundings. Therefore, the whiter the gem, the greater the fire/light dispersion. Diamonds with less color allow more light. Its imperfections affect its ability to allow light inside and reflect out. Generally, the lower the diamond's clarity, the less powerful its fire is. The greater the gem's cut grade, the more visible its fire is. Its cut has the most significant impact on its fire, as it determines the gemstone's interaction with light. The diamond's cut, color, light, and clarity affect its fire. Other Factors That Affect A Diamond's Sparkle Fire In Diamondįire, also called light dispersion, is the colorful flashes formed when the diamond disperses light. A brilliant-cut diamond has more facets, reflects more light, and has more brilliance. Step cut diamonds have more fire, and they often show off the diamonds' clarity more than brilliants. A step diamond has fewer facets on the diamond's top (crown), and it won't reflect light better than brilliants. The diamond cutter can choose a brilliant cut or step cut. How Does Polish and Cut Affect Diamond BrillianceĪ diamond cutter evaluates each raw diamond to determine the best cut to accentuate its natural properties or size. Meanwhile, a diamond with a good cut and beautiful angles absorbs and throws back plenty of light. A diamond having poor brilliance can't return light well and looks darker and lifeless. Imperfect or misshapen glass can't absorb light like a clear window. The way the glass absorbs light affects how light comes into the window. This process reveals diamond brilliance.ĭiamond brilliance is like a window. Raw diamonds have a rough, opaque layer that diamond cutters remove when cutting and polishing them. A diamond's sparkle is not just one thing but a combination of three separate components: brilliance, fire, and scintillation. Most of us evaluate diamonds based on their sparkle in the light.
