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Fire of Diamond
The term fire is commonly used to describe a diamond, but what does it
refer to? The ancient Greeks thought that fire in a diamond symbolized
the eternal flame of love. Fire in a diamond is the dispersed light
that appears as rainbow-like flashes of color. You can usually observe
a diamond’s fire in places like restaurants or clubs where the light is
lower. The amount of fire depends on how the stone is cut and faceted.
Older cut diamonds appear as if they have more fire because they’re cut
with steep crown angles and flatter tables of the facets.
Other characteristics that are used to evaluate a diamond include
brilliance and scintillation. Brilliance requires both brightness and
contrast in the diamond and refers to how light is reflected back to
the viewer, or return-of-light in the diamond trade. To many jewelers,
it’s the most important quality in a diamond, and is what people react
to when they exclaim over a diamond.
Diamonds also have a quality called scintillation. Scintillation refers
to how light disperses from the stone when it’s moved. While brilliance
is the quality of dispersed light when the diamond is in a stationary
position, scintillation is observed when the diamond moves in the
light. They’re closely related qualities, while fire is a different
attribute.
The way a diamond is cut will determine how much fire or brilliance it
has, and often one may have to make a trade-off for one quality or
another. Which way is the best way to go? For the most part, most
diamonds are cut more for brilliance and scintillation rather than for
fire. When shopping for a diamond remember that it’s in investment,
yes. But what really matters is whether you love it. Qualities like
brilliance vs. fire really do pale in comparison to that one critical
element!
