Diamonds are meant to shine because that’s what we expect them to do. But what if you’re doesn’t, or if someone at work has one that does the job better? These days, size isn’t all that brides look for; the savvy ones generally pay attention to the bling too (and they should). Your 1-carat princess cut diamond ring price needs to be justified by the sparkle it gives off of course.
While it may make sense to ask the ring salesman for the prettiest rock in his collection, you’d fare a lot better by first learning a few things about diamonds.
Why Diamonds Sparkle
The simple answer is light and cut. The first one makes obvious sense because no object in existence can sparkle without light. When there’s light, and it interacts with the cut of the stone, you get the characteristic sparkle that many women swoon over. To get technical, there are angles as well as relative measurements on the inside of the stone, which when combined with the other proportions, decide how good your rock looks.
But What Exactly Is Diamond Sparkle?
After light enters a diamond, it basically bounces off the interior surfaces or facets. What leaves the diamond is white light, which is divided into the individual colors found in a rainbow. If you move the diamond a bit while holding it under the light, you see what experts call scintillation, which is essentially alternating flashes that contrast with dark shadows. This contrasting effect is what is called scintillation, and what we perceive as the sparkle of the diamond.
The Types Of Lighting
To ensure maximum sparkle, a 1 carat princess cut diamond ring solitaire stone (or something else if you prefer) needs to be observed under four different types of lighting.
- Spotlighting: The spotlight shouldn’t be too bright if you want a good view of the sparkle. If there’s a lot of glare, you either have too many lights, or one of them is too bright. Basically, the lighting should not be overwhelming.
- Diffused lighting: This lighting type is basically fluorescent lighting bouncing off a white ceiling, and it’s generally abundant at retail stores.
- Mixed lighting: This type of lighting combines spotlighting and diffused lighting, and it’s one of the ideal things under which to look at a diamond.
- Natural daylight: Everyone is curious as to how their diamond fares optically under the sun, so if you get the opportunity to find out, seize it.