After considering the ever-important aspects of a diamond’s 4C’s and its cut proportions, you are left with these 3 less talked about diamond characteristics - Polish, Symmetry, and Fluorescence. The simple answer to what you should look for in a diamond regarding Polish, Symmetry and Fluorescence is Excellent, Excellent and None. The reason being that it is not difficult to find diamonds with such grading levels, and you will seldom find yourself in a situation where you are only able to find a “Very Good” example. I am of course referring to white diamonds in this case. Coloured diamonds are an exception as they would display a degree of fluorescence and it is sometimes hard to find your ideal coloured diamond in Excellent grading for Polish & Symmetry.
After being cut, a diamond is polished to achieve its shine via a smooth, glass-like surface. It is a difficult skill to master and can be prone to man-made errors which can ruin the diamond. An excellent polish is achieved when there are little to no polishing marks left behind on the diamond’s facets such as scratches. It is easy to understand how a diamond’s polish grade affects how brilliant it looks, but it is also important to note that it is just one of the many diamond characteristics and factors that affect a diamond’s appearance.
Symmetry refers to how symmetrical the diamond’s facets are cut. As the facets affect the way light is refracted inside the diamond, having an excellent symmetry allows light to refract equally and thus gives an evenly brilliant appearance. Symmetry also affects the physical appearance of a diamond’s proportions which is important in some setting designs and diamond shapes. For example, a princess or asscher cut diamond in a kite setting would be quite apparent if the diamond’s symmetry was not of a high grade.
Fluorescence refers to the light a diamond emits when exposed to UV light, usually in the form of a blue light. Diamonds with a high colour grade of D-H will be negatively affected by a strong fluorescence which causes the diamond to look hazy or oily. If you find a diamond that is unusually cheap, do look out for if it has a strong fluorescence.
On the other hand, a strong blue fluorescence can actually help to “neutralise” a diamond’s yellow colour, hence diamonds with a colour grade of I-M tend to be more expensive if they have a strong fluorescence.
The possible grades are None, Faint, Medium, Strong and Very Strong. And coloured diamonds would usually display a degree of fluorescence. Coloured lab grown diamonds are becoming increasingly popular as natural coloured diamonds tend to have extremely hefty price tags which makes them quite inaccessible for the general consumer as opposed to their much more affordable lab grown counterparts.
It can be tempting to “diagnose” a diamond yourself based on information you read online. However, do speak with our consultants who are experienced in selecting The Better Diamond for you.
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