Hearts and Arrows Diamonds are the most beautiful diamonds in the world. The secret to their beauty is revealed here!
History
For centuries, diamonds have remained the ultimate symbol of love. When a man buys an engagement ring or diamond gift, the goal should be to find a diamond as beautiful and special as the one who will receive it.
Hearts and Arrows diamonds are unmatched in precision, beauty and perfection in cutting. They offer edge-to-edge “electric” brilliance with explosions of white and colour light, even in low light conditions i.e. from across the room at a party or a candle-lit restaurant. While delivering high brilliance, fire and sparkle, they are superior in returning the maximum light back to the eye. Computerized light technologies covered in this website have proven that Hearts & Arrows quite simply outshine the competition! The phenomenal brilliance of these incredible gems makes them appear larger and whiter than other fine cut diamonds of the same size. Buyers recognize that the extraordinary brilliance of a Hearts & Arrows Diamond is so superior, that it’s not necessary to buy the highest grade to have a gorgeous diamond!
Hearts and Arrows are not for everyone. They are for the individual that seeks the best in everything and won’t settle for second best. True Hearts & Arrows are rare and limited in production; so only select jewellers can offer them. This new age, high tech creations are not your Father’s diamonds, so you don’t have to settle for an “old school” diamond from the last millennium. You can own a masterpiece that is extraordinary in brilliance and sparkle like none other. Our website will guide you in your quest for the best. Seek out and buy a Hearts & Arrows Ideal Cut Diamond. No ordinary diamond can match the fire it will light in a woman’s heart.
Hearts and Arrows Diamonds are cut to ideal proportions with superior optical symmetry and a specific faceting pattern. When all these factors are in harmony the result is a repeatable, near perfect pattern of eight symmetrical arrows in the face up position and eight symmetrical hearts when viewed in the table down position.
The original Hearts and Arrows were diamonds that embodied three important design factors. First, they were cut to “Ideal proportions”, very close to those summarized by Marcel Tolkowsky in his 1919 book Diamond Design. Second, they were cut with superior physical and optical symmetry so that they would garner a grade of “Excellent” in the Japanese laboratories. The third and very important factor was that they were cut to a very specific brillanteering scheme to produce the accepted hearts and arrows pattern. This faceting scheme involves prescribed lengths and ratios as well as smaller tables sizes that are imperative in producing a distinctive, repeatable and gradable H&A pattern.
We introduced an exciting new revolution in diamond cutting that was far beyond anything that the world has known. Thanks to modern optical science, improved
precision tooling and new age technology these diamonds slowly moved in to the American market and rightly earned their place as state of the art creations.
Over the years people have attempted to “cash-in” on the Super Ideal craze without having the real item and have tried to market stones sorely inferior to their Japanese predecessors. Either out of lack of understanding, greed or both, many have tried to sell rather ordinary diamonds as Hearts and Arrows. We have seen stones with H&A
inscribed on the girdle that just don’t make the grade. Our goal here is to define the real item and to expose the imposters. We discuss the history of Hearts and Arrows, development of cut grading technologies, the anatomy of the Super Ideal H&A diamond and explain why they are superior to other fine cut gems. Finally, we disclose the “secret formula” for creating these incredible diamonds.
After reading the information in this website the reader will understand why these diamonds are considered by knowledgeable people to be “wonders of the cutting art” and arguably the most beautiful diamonds on the planet. When considering the purchase of a diamond for someone special in your life, we invite you to spend a few minutes here, before you “take the plunge” and spend your money on an ordinary diamond.
There were a few main players through history that had a hand in development of today’s Super Ideal Cut diamonds. It is curious that three men from different continents and different time periods could be so influential in taking us to where we are today. In America in the 1870s, Boston cutter Henry D. Morse introduced the concept of cutting diamonds (and re-cutting) for “beauty verses weight” and pioneered a cutting style that would later become the
Fig 1-1
American Cut. He and his colleagues produced some revolutionary innovations that would forever change the diamond world. The contrary idea of sacrificing valuable rough to produce a more scientifically crafted diamond was taking hold despite the resistance of the status quo in the cutting world.
Decades later in 1919, Belgian mathematician Marcel Tolkowsky documented specific angles and percentages in his book Diamond Design. These top and bottom angles would later become the basis of the cut grade system taught by GIA as “Ideal Cut proportions” in their gemology coarse materials until about 1980. Contrary to popular thought Tolkowsky’s treatise was not his doctorial thesis nor did he himself use the word “ideal” to describe his best cut parameters.
In the 1980s in Japan a paradigm shift was looming. Japanese gemologists, cutters and scientists were studying the ideal cut model while experimenting with tools that could show brilliance and light return in diamonds. A scientist named Kazumi Okuda
was key in the development of research tools using colour reflectors. His small red ringed loupe with Zeiss optics was among the first tools used to observe precision of facet placement in diamonds. Fig 1-1.
Fig 1-2
Okuda was contracted by diamond dealer and researcher, Tsuyoshi Shigetomi and his colleague Kazuo Inoue to develop a more sophisticated reflector tool, which led to the creation of an instrument they called the Firescope in 1984. Fig 1-2, 1-2a.
Fig 1-2a
This unique device showed a three-dimensional view of the diamond easily demonstrating light return and light leakage in the stone. Realizing that Tolkowsky only addressed two-dimensional modelling of the 16 main facets and table, this instrument permitted a new three-dimensional visual view of the whole diamond showing the interplay of all 57 facets. Japanese cutter Kioyishi Higuchi, an early pioneer in high performance ideal cuts, used the Firescope and experimentation to create diamonds that would produce superior light refraction and reflection (aka light performance) while not deviating much from the original proportions of Tolkowsky. Ultimately the Super Ideal cut was born. These early Japanese ideal cuts were very tight tolerance and also showed superior optical symmetry when viewed in the Firescope. Another exciting feature of these diamonds was the perfectly symmetrical eight-rayed star that was clearly visible in the Firescope. Fig 1-3.
Fig 1-3
Earliest Super Ideal cut brands such as Eightstar and Apollon 8 surfaced in the mid 80s. Around this time, legend has it, quite by accident someone discovered that when one of these diamonds was viewed upside down in the Firescope, one could see a visible pattern eight symmetrical “hearts” through the pavilion of the stone.
Fig 1-4
This was the birth of a totally new concept in diamonds that would become known as Hearts and Arrows. Kinsaku Yamashita, an associate of Shigetomi, coined the name and trade marked it in 1988. He also is credited with development of the Hearts & Arrows viewer, for which he received a patent in 1990. The Hearts and Arrows Viewer though a reflector device like Firescope, this instrument allows the viewer to analyse the physical symmetry, contrast and alignment of facets in both the pavilion and crown of a diamond, by directing light at set angles to catch and reflect light back from specific facets and angles in the diamond. An early version of a Japanese Hearts and Arrows viewer like the one shown here was developed in Japan for use across the retail counter to show this unique phenomenon to consumers. Fig 1-4.
Romancing the stone- Japanese style
In Japan, in the early 1990s ideal cut diamonds were all the rage. In this country, the second biggest diamond market, where quality, status and brand names are in vogue consumers became big buyers of ideal cuts. Cut grades of Excellent and later Super
Excellent or Triple Excellent were much sought after. Some ideal cuts with these grades were known to show the “Cupid effect”, a
Fig 2-1
visual pattern of eight hearts while looking down through the pavilion and eight arrows when viewing the stone in the table up position. A Hearts and Arrows Scope was needed to show this phenomenon. These new diamonds become known in the trade as Hearts & Arrows.
Fig 2-2
According to both Roman and Greek mythology a person shot with Cupid’s arrow supposedly fell in love, so the link between the hearts and arrows and love is obvious. Japanese bridal magazines, featuring these romantic jewels, sent young couples out into the streets shopping for these exciting new diamonds. Now, for many young buyers, ideal cutting without the hearts & arrows was not good enough. Gemological laboratories in Japan, realizing a golden opportunity, began issuing certificates with Excellent cut grades with photos showing the hearts & arrows pattern. See Fig 2-1. To assure accuracy of the new quantifying cut grades, Japanese labs used new computerized automatic measuring systems like the Sarin Dia-mension machine at right. Fig 2-2.
Cut and Grade
In the early mid 1990s when Hearts and Arrows (aka H&A)
Fig C-1
began to trickle into America, they were much more high-tech than the grading labs were. When GIA began to encounter H&A diamonds a few things jumped out from the report. The diamonds were extremely round, tables were 55-57%, the girdles were medium or thin to medium and polish and symmetry were excellent. This kind of consistent cutting was unheard of at the time and cut grading did not exist yet in America. A sample of an early H&A GIA report circa 1997 Fig C-1 These new Japanese imports would become “a game changer” and the US diamond business was about to change forever…
AGS Triple Ideal, the new face of Ideal Cut
In 1996, almost a decade before GIA would unveil their cut grade system; the American Gem Society opened their own laboratory. AGS sought to create a vehicle for AGS jewellers to convey cut grading in an easy to understand 0-10 number system. Their top grade was 0 zero (Ideal) and the lowest grade was 10 (poor). At the time there was no major gem lab in America that graded the cut of a diamond so this new two-dimensional proportion set grading system with it’s top grade of AGS 000 (aka Triple Zero) became the new standard for “Ideal Cut” diamonds. It became the report of choice with Hearts and Arrows sellers and some new Websites that came on line in the late 90s. Within a few years AGS modified their report, addressing among other things, deeper stones, thick girdles and steeper pavilion angles. Unfortunately, some diamonds once graded AGS 0, were downgraded to AGS 3 based solely on girdle thickness. AGS members were tepid in their support of the new lab so the AGS board voted to allow AGSL reports
Fig A-1
to be offered to the general trade in late 1997. This proportion-based AGS system enjoyed much success and created a large pool of users both foreign and domestic who saw a need that AGS alone had filled. Other second tier labs began to mimic
AGS with their own “Ideal” grades, but their standards were too loose and not very credible, nor based on science.
After a series of minor changes in methodology, AGS made a major shift in June 2005. They jettisoned their old two-dimensional “Legacy” proportion system for a
completely new method. The new AGS three-dimensional Light Performance Grading System would scan a diamond to create a three-dimensional file and then use optical ray-tracing software to evaluate the three-dimensional model. AGSL developed a tool to judge light performance called ASET, an acronym for Angular Spectrum Evaluation Tool. See Fig A-1
This method would calculate a diamonds ability to reflect, refract and return light to the observer. In so doing, the interaction of all of the diamond’s facets are measured and considered. Many Hearts and Arrows dealers have continued to use the AGS 000 report since its inception. Today we believe the AGS DQD Platinum report with ASET image is the closest thing to a true H&A diamond report in the US today. True Hearts and Arrows show a bright blue arrows pattern against a red background on the ASET image, if the pavilion and crown angles are at proper relationship to each other. It is important to understand: Not all AGS 000’s are H&A Ideals!
The parameters that make Hearts and Arrows go far beyond those for AGS 000, as we will demonstrate in our technical section. Below are two AGS 000 DQD Platinum reports. One of them
is an H&A and the other is not. Can you see the difference? Fig A-2, A-3 The centre piece of their new system is based on Angular Spectrum Evaluation Tool or ASET. Fig A-4, A-5
Fig A-4
Fig A-5
GIA finally gets into the game
In the 1950’s, GIA developed their colour and clarity nomenclature that has remained the worldwide industry standard. They were the first to issue grading reports using these terms as well as basic measurements including: table and depth percentages, girdle thickness, culet size and finally polish and symmetry grades, but no overall cut grade. Finally in 2005, “after more than 15 years of research and discovery”, they unveiled a controversial cut grade system with their top grade of Excellent. There is a presumption in the trade today that the Excellent Cut designation on GIA reports is synonymous with Ideal or Hearts and Arrows cutting. While it is a fact that all true H&A Ideals submitted to GIA would garner their top grade, one should not assume that all “Triple Excellent” stones are automatically Hearts and Arrows. It is important to understand what Excellent means and how the GIA arrived at their top grade.
Reflecting on the development of the GIA Cut Grade GIA’s Tom Moses wrote, “The most exciting and reassuring conclusion of our research is that there is no single set of proportions that define a well-cut round brilliant diamond. Our research has shown that many different proportions can produce attractive diamonds.” In 2005, Tom Yonelunas, CEO of the GIA Laboratory made this claim about their new system, “Diamond manufacturers will be able to cut round brilliants to a wider range than the current norm and still achieve top grade, great-looking diamonds. These findings will potentially allow for greater yield and greater weight retention from the rough.”
GIA’s Generic Ideal cut report became the darling of manufacturers who could now “hawk” average stones as Ideal Cut
And so it was that GIA came up with a cut grade system that included “many different proportions”. Too many perhaps, so that their top grade was too broad and therefore not really that “excellent” after all! Unfortunately, GIA had become so vocally “anti Ideal Cut” in the years before the rollout of their new system, they made sure everyone could find a home in this new “Excellent Adventure”. Their top grade has become a “catch-all for better makes” from the best Super Ideals to some very mediocre cut diamonds.
GIA Excellent Cut… not so excellent?
So it was in January 2006 that GIA’s new Generic Ideal cut report became the darling of manufacturers worldwide, as well as some big Websites, who could now “hawk” average stones graded Excellent as “Ideal Cut”. Cutters were thrilled that at the world’s top lab, Excellent now included diamonds with 62% tables, total depths up to 63.6%, crown angles as low as 31.5° and pavilion angles up to 41.8°! Below: GIA Cut Grade Values and Ranges Fig G-2
GIA Excellent Cut
Proportion Values and Ranges
Table size: 52% to 62%
Depth percentage: 58.1% to 63.6%
Pavilion angle (Main): 40.6° to 41.8°
Crown angle (Bezel): 31.5° to 36.5°
Lower girdle halves: 70% to 85%
Star length: 45% to 65%
Girdle (min/Max): Thin to Slightly Thick
Culet: None to Small
Polish: VG-EX
Symmetry: VG-EX
Note: Collected from GIA FACETWARE software and actual lab reports encountered in the trade.
Fig G-2
Cutters could now cut diamonds with greater yield and still get an Excellent cut grade! Mr. Moses stated, “Our research is that there is no single set of proportions that define a well-cut round brilliant diamond”. This is an understatement. Compare that statement to the 1979 GIA Diamond Grading course where it was stated in Assignment #23: “The ideal angle for the pavilion is approximately 40 3/4° or 41°, and that for the crown 34.5°. The angle of the pavilion main facets with the plane of the girdle is a vital consideration in determining the brilliancy of the diamond. Since any material departure from a 40 3/4° to 41° angle is sure to reduce brilliancy, most cutters adhere closely to this angle.”
It’s true that not all diamonds graded Excellent at GIA are mediocre, but that is the problem, many are. So what about those Tolkowsky type, tight tolerance Hearts and Arrows Diamonds? GIA does not have a “Super Excellent” grade. How does one separate these superior diamonds from weaker makes with the same label? It’s like putting a Bentley and a Cadillac together into the same “luxury car” category! Anytime a luxury brand becomes “too general” or generic, it loses its cache. This may be the fate of GIA’s Excellent over time, as people become more educated about cut. This is why the American Gem Society Laboratories has remained a reliable alternative for scientifically quantifying top cutting.
The purpose of this website is to change the focus of the diamond world to the most important factor of diamond quality: CUT
After all, what should buyers expect of an “Excellent cut” diamond? Shouldn’t they expect a diamond that reflects and refracts light to the highest possible degree: a diamond that delivers maximum light performance, scintillation (sparkle) and dispersion (fire)?
It has always baffled the trade that diamond buyers seem to care about small differences in colour and clarity grades, with the surprising insistence on one grade over another. Yet these same buyers will often settle on an average cut diamond that “doesn’t deliver the goods”! It is obvious that they don’t understand that subtle differences in cut can have a huge impact on diamond beauty…much more than one or two colour or clarity grades can. Times are changing and buyers are demanding products that are technically superior to those they have purchased in the past. Diamonds are no exception! A new millennium has dawned and thanks in part to the Internet; it is an age of enlightenment. Consumers educate themselves before they shop and they demand more information before they buy. They are often better informed than sales people they encounter. Times have changed.
The History of Diamond Cut Grades
1992 Sarin DiaMension introduces a computerized non-contact measuring device Fig H-1
1994 Associated Gem Labs of Japan unveils AGL “Triple Excellent” cut grade report Fig H-2, Fig H-2A
1996 AGS Introduces proportion-based DQD Report featuring AGS 000 Fig H-3 2000 AGS refines the proportions of their DQD Report
2005 AGS introduces light performance grades, scrapping their two-dimensional proportion based grading system Fig H-4
2006 GIA introduces their first cut grade on their GTL reports on January 1, 2006 (3x Excellent) Fig H-5
2008 AGS Introduces DQD Platinum report (w/ ASET image) Fig H-6
Hearts & Arrows Creation
After the diamond cutter’s top and bottom angles have been established he must address the important factors in creating the eight hearts and eight arrows. As
discussed in the DNA of H&A section, many facets are involved in creating an acceptable H&A pattern. Below we reveal the “Coke Secret” for the Hearts and Arrows Ideal Cut. This template was adapted from early research conducted by GIA Japan in the early 90s.
Besides the template below, the research group in Japan compiled a 16-page dossier outlining all the proportions and angles, as well as the specific faceting scheme necessary to create these incredible gems. They stressed the importance of 77% LGH’s (shown in red) in creating the proper size pavilion angles that would become the fundamental building block in creating both the hearts and arrows images. Fig HA-1
Fig HA-1
Basic Heart Creation
Below we illustrate how each heart is created primarily from two pavilion main facets. The green pavilion main facet shown at seven o’clock is reflected twice to create one half of two separate hearts (green) on the opposite side of the stone. While the yellow pavilion main facet shown at five o’clock is also reflected twice to create one half of two separate hearts (yellow) on the opposing side. The completed single heart shown at 12 o’clock is then a combination of two well-formed pavilion main facets. It is imperative that all the facets are exactly the same length and shape or the resultant hearts would be deformed and asymmetrical. We show examples of this in our Grading The Hearts and Arrows section.
The two reflected the pavilion main facets creating the heart are then further shaped into a more proper shape by the combination of table and star facets, which blunt the shoulders or lobes and make them more resemble hearts.
The important V’s pattern shown in pink below the tip of the finished heart are the result of systematically repeating the process of finishing all 24 pavilion facets with extreme care. It is the polishing of the 16 lower girdle halves (LGH) that ultimately creates the eight heart shapes. It takes a total of 16 pavilion main facet reflections to create the eight hearts. Most cutters finish the entire bottom facets of the stone and then go on to cut the top portion above the girdle using the eight arrows as their guide to finish the stone. Fig HA-2
Fig HA-2
Basic Arrows Creation
Though not as complex as the heart pattern, the creation of arrows is no small task. As shown on the left image below, each pavilion main facet (shown in face down view) when inverted becomes visible as both the “shaft” part of one arrow (A) directly below and is also reflected 180° to produce the arrowhead part (B) of a second arrows figure.
The right image below shows that each main facet is visible looking directly down through the stone (in face up position) as the shaft part of one arrow. These are known as “see through facets” (A). The same pavilion main facet is also reflected 180 degrees (B) and becomes the arrowhead of the opposing arrow figure. Each arrowhead is then a “reflected facet”. Each arrow then is composed of a see-through facet (shaft) and a reflected facet (arrowhead) from two separate pavilion mains. Therefore, it takes 16 total reflections to create a complete set of eight arrows.
Grading the Hearts and Arrows
Hearts and Arrows pattern as seen under a viewer
After checking a diamond’s parameters on a lab report or with a Sarin machine, it is important to check each stone with an H&A viewer. It should be understood that these viewers are not made to any standard and many are inconsistent, some of them do not work at all, while others are below average, but still passable. The pattern should look like the image above. If the viewer is functional, any material deviation from this image demonstrates that the diamond has departed from the normal H&A parameters and has problems with its physical or optical symmetry, proportions, angular symmetry or it is not properly placed in the viewer.
In this section we show images that are often accepted as passable hearts or arrows patterns, but would not have “made the grade” at the Japanese labs and should be rejected today.
This is a solid hearts pattern as seen in a Hearts and Arrows Ideal Cut. Note: Pattern is very symmetrical with even separation between arrowhead (V’s) and the tip of each heart.
Heart Trouble
The following four examples show Heart patterns that are not acceptable due to the inconsistency of the eight hearts or the lack of spacing and or symmetry between the bottom tips of the heart and the arrowhead shaped pattern (or V’s as they are often called). Many in the trade would consider these patterns acceptable, but they are not perfect enough to be classified as Super Ideal H&A’s. As the old saying goes, “Close, but no cigar.”
Hearts are inconsistent with varied separation from V’s with a cleft appearing in 5 of the eight hearts.
Hearts are good, but there is not even separation between heart tips and the V’s, which makes this pattern sloppy.
Hearts are similar, but are not well shaped and are beginning to separate at the cleft resulting from lower girdle halves length approaching 82%.
Crooked hearts and asymmetrical appearance makes this pattern unacceptable.
This is a solid Arrows pattern as seen in a Hearts and Arrows Ideal Cut. Note: Pattern is very symmetrical with all the arrows being straight, well formed, bright and showing the same intensity in the viewer. Compare this pattern with those shown below.
Arrows point to problems
The following four examples show arrows patterns that are not acceptable due to an inconsistent or asymmetrical pattern of the eight arrows. Some of them show clustering, flagging or side effects that materially destroy the arrows pattern. Note: a pair of small triangles visible between each arrow, which is desirable to show optical symmetry. Many in the trade would consider these patterns acceptable, but they are not perfect enough to be classified as Super Ideal H&A’s.
Arrows are distorted by “flagging, side effects and clustering” and are unacceptable.
Side effects distort the arrows and make the pattern weak.
Crooked and asymmetrical arrows, triangles are also scattered showing weak symmetry.
Arrows are asymmetrical and do not “light-up” evenly, due to steep and varied angles of the crown and pavilion.
The four examples above are off the mark, but are actually better than some that we have encountered in the trade today being sold as Hearts and Arrows, including some with H&A inscribed on the girdle of the stone. It is easy to call a diamond H&A, if the buyers are naïve about what they are buying.
Our advice: Trust, but verify!
Fluorescence in Hearts and Arrows
Ultraviolet fluorescence is not a major consideration when buying an H&A diamond. We don’t address the other factors of diamond quality nor do we discuss grading standards of the various gem labs, as this is not our focus here. However, we must touch briefly on the issue of Fluorescence, as most everyone misunderstands it. H&A diamonds are not affected or rejected because of the presence of Ultraviolet Fluorescence unless the fluorescence is strong enough as to create a hazy or over-blue condition. Obviously anything that affects the brilliance of a diamond is a negative factor.
Visually, blue cancels out yellow, so in diamonds with some body colour, fluorescence is a plus, contrary to the notion in the trade. A diamond with a slight tinge of yellow that has Medium to Strong Blue fluorescence will normally appear whiter than one without any fluorescence. Is that a bad thing? Fluorescence grades of negligible, none, faint, medium or even strong are normally non-factors. Diamonds with Very Strong Blue Fluorescence may appear hazy, over-blue or dull and if so, they should be avoided. We have seen a small number of diamonds graded only Strong Blue that appears slightly hazy. This happens only when they are in the upper range of the Strong Blue scale (approaching Very Strong).
The industry attaches too much negative connotation to any mention of fluorescence on a lab report. This is ridiculous and not based in reality. In fact, studies have shown that fluorescence can have a very positive effect on colour, especially in the H to K colour ranges or lower. Some Savvy dealers and jewellers seek out these fluorescent diamonds. Since about 1980, after a Korean TV exposé about Very Strong Blue, high grade diamonds being sold for investment, the “knock” against fluorescence has grown. Like an urban legend gone viral (with no Snopes to debunk it) the small spark started among dealers in the Far East some 30 years ago has grown into a firestorm today. Young dealers in India and elsewhere have developed an aversion to fluorescent diamonds, as if they were radioactive! They weren’t in the business back in the day when GIA wrote this comment on reports about Strong Blue diamonds, “The Ultraviolet fluorescent of this diamond enhances its colour grade in daylight”.
GIA also stated in their a 1997 landmark study in Gems & Gemology: “On average, strongly fluorescent diamonds have a better colour appearance table-up, and this effect is most noticeable at lower colour grades. Most observers did not detect any differences in transparency among diamonds in a given colour set…These results challenge the notion that strongly fluorescent diamonds typically have a hazy appearance.” They went on, “One interesting aspect of this study was that to the non trade observers…which would be considered most representative of the jewellery buying public, fluorescence had no overall effect on colour appearance or transparency.” Finally GIA concluded: “For the experienced observers, we found
that, in general, the strength of fluorescence had no widely perceptible effect on the colour appearance of diamonds viewed table-down (as is typical in laboratory and trade grading). In the table-up position (as is commonly encountered in jewellery),
diamonds described as strongly or very strongly fluorescent were, on average, reported as having a better colour appearance than less fluorescent stones. In this study, blue fluorescence was found to have even less effect on transparency.”
We do not reject a beautiful H&A diamond at the mention of fluorescence on the report. We recommend that buyers consider the totality of the diamond before accepting or rejecting it.