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What Is Diamond Brilliance?

by What Is Diamond Brilliance? on Oct 16, 2025
What Is Diamond Brilliance?
Diamond brilliance is a beautiful white light that you see in a diamond. It is an example of the optical properties of diamonds. Brilliance occurs when light entering the diamond gets reflected on the facets of the diamond to produce white light. This optical property is very captivating to most people, who often prioritize it more than other factors during purchase. Therefore, it is an important factor in the beauty and value of a diamond, hence its price too.

The Physics Behind Diamond Brilliance

When it comes to brilliance, it involves light reflecting off the facets of a diamond. Therefore, for a diamond to have brilliance, it has to be cut. The cut determines the facets and the angle at which the light reflects. Deep angles cause a diamond to reflect light out the sides, whereas shallow angles reflect most of the light at the bottom. Also, for maximum brilliance, light is reflected at the top of the diamond. Therefore, the deeper the cut's angle, the more brilliant the diamond will be.

Brilliance Vs. Scintillation Vs. Fire

The three are all optical properties of a diamond, and they make a diamond sparkle. While brilliance is the white reflected light you see on a diamond, fire, and scintillation are visibly different. Fire, also known as dispersion, is a rainbow of colors you will observe on a diamond. Fire is formed when light entering the diamond is refracted into a spectral hue. On the other hand, scintillation is the white flash you see when either you or the diamond moves. Scintillation is because while some facets will reflect light, others will not, creating a contrast.

What Affects A Diamond's Brilliance?

Cut 

The type and quality of the cut is the most important factor since it affects the facets and angle at which light enters the diamond. While a brilliant cut will have better brilliance, a step cut will have more fire and less brilliance. As for the quality of the cut, the best grade is Very Good. The cut is affected by table percentage, symmetry, depth, and polish. Therefore, when buying your diamond, ensure all these factors are of the best possible grade. 

Clarity

Although the impact of clarity is not as pronounced as in fiery diamonds, the lower grades of clarity will affect brilliance. The presence of many inclusions will impact how much light is reflected, affecting brilliance. Avoid severely included diamonds like I1, I2, and I3 for a brilliant diamond.

Scintillation

Although these are two optical properties, a brilliant diamond that stands out will have a balanced and even scintillation.

Does Color Affect Diamond's Brilliance?

The answer is no. Color will not affect a diamond's brilliance but its icy look.

The Ideal Diamond Brilliance

When it comes to brilliance, more facets mean more angles to reflect light, hence better brilliance. However, the fewer the facets, the more the fire and the better the clarity. In each case, it's a different type of win, and it's up to you to choose which to prioritize. Although you should know that for the greatest brilliance, Triple Excellent diamonds with a great cut, finish, and polish is the best choice.

Where To Buy Brilliant Diamonds

A stunning brilliant diamond is a great purchase, whether for investment or its beauty. At Gold Connection Jewelers, we have different grades of brilliant diamonds for your engagement rings, necklaces, diamond studs, wedding bands, promise rings, earrings, bracelets, and other designer jewelry. Visit our website to make your purchase.
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