Fluorescent diamonds emit a colorful glow under UV light. This fluorescence can appear in many hues, but the most common is blue. Fluorescence can be a benefit when you have a diamond with a lower color grade, because blue fluorescence makes a slightly yellow diamond appear more colorless in natural sunlight. Shop our full collection of fluorescent diamonds at Blue Nile.
A diamond with fluorescence will emit a soft color when exposed to ultraviolet light. Although fluorescence isn’t typically considered a performance characteristic of a diamond, a strong fluorescence is not a desired quality in diamonds.
Are fluorescent diamonds less expensive than non-fluorescent diamonds?
Yes. On average, a fluorescent diamond is 15% less expensive than a non-fluorescent diamond of comparable quality and carat weight.
Is fluorescence visible to the eye?
In most cases, no. If there is a diamond with extremely strong fluorescence, it may seem slightly hazy in bright, natural light conditions.
Does fluorescence get a grade?
Although fluorescence is an identifying characteristic of a diamond, the GIA doesn’t consider it a graded characteristic like the 4Cs are. Still, there are different levels of fluorescence. The diamond will either have none, faint, medium, strong, or very strong fluorescence. If it is medium or higher, the color of fluorescence is noted in the diamond’s GIA grading report.