Diamond Sparkle - Why do diamonds sparkle?

“Finding truth – finding love, these diamonds sparkle from lights above” author unknown. A lovely thought, but the real question is; Why do diamonds sparkle and which diamond sparkles the most? Aside from their monetary and sentimental value, the sparkle of a diamond is what makes them so breathtakingly beautiful. Everything in the world and in the universe that glitters and glows is compared to the brilliance of a diamond. Even as babies, we all heard the song; “Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are. Up above the world so high, like a DIAMOND in the sky”. And today everything in jewelry is about “bling”- aka diamond sparkle!

Webster defines sparkle as; “giving or reflecting bright moving points of light, and the ability to glitter and shine.” But what is it that makes a diamond sparkle? It’s not the shape, the weight or even the color of the diamond. Loose diamonds in the rough have a dull and unremarkable appearance- even those with top color and clarity. Nature created this miraculous crystal of pure carbon, but it is up to the skill and expertise of man (or woman) to unlock the amazing sparkle locked inside. The secret is all in the CUT. An ideal cut diamond will gather light from even the dimmest sources and return that light back to the eye in flashes of white and colored light. The round ideal cut requires 57 or 58 accurately aligned facets polished to a mirror finish. The precision of each facet is what will determine the amount of sparkle in the diamond. Those dynamic flashes of light you see pouring out of a diamond ring is an effect called diamond scintillation. This happens when the diamond, the light source, or the person viewing the diamond moves. Diamonds that are not well cut will allow light to escape and very little sparkle or scintillation will occur.

A diamond is essentially a tiny sculpture made of mirrors. Its facets act as windows to allow light to enter and as mirrors that reflect light internally throughout the diamond before once again allowing the light to refract out of the crown and back to the eye of the observer. Each facet has a role to play, and like a symphony all must play in harmony. In order to do that the facets need to be proportioned correctly and be in alignment in 3D space. Precision cut diamonds offer the best light performance because they are intentionally cut for this purpose. This is in contrast to most commercial diamonds which are cut for weight retention, the cutter often sacrificing some performance to gain more carat weight.

If you want the ultimate sparkle in your bling, look for a certified diamond that has been graded by a known and trusted laboratory. GIA is the best known and most trusted gemological laboratory worldwide. The American Gem Society Laboratories (AGSL) preforms the most stringent cut quality analysis. High quality diamonds graded as AGS Ideal (or AGS 0) will sparkle like you can’t believe!