Two diamonds with the same certificate do not necessarily sparkle the same way. When I select a stone, I keep the one that works the light best.
Light performance is the way a diamond returns light to the eye. It is made of three things.
The white light returned to the eye. It is what gives the stone its lively shine.
The flashes of colour, like small rainbows appearing inside the stone.
The flashes that move when the stone or the light moves. It is the sparkle you see as you turn it.
I never rely on paper alone. This is how I look at a stone.
It gives me the essentials: cut, polish and symmetry (ideally Excellent across the board), clarity, colour, fluorescence and any flaws.
I check that the facets and the purity of the stone match the certificate, and that there is no chip, no tiny crack, nothing bothersome visible.
I hold the stone with tweezers and look at it from 20, 30, then 50 cm, the way the person wearing it will see it.
I place it in my hand and look at it near a window, in daylight.
I look at it under the lamp on my desk that I use to analyse diamonds.
I check whether the stone has any, and above all how strong it is. None or Faint, it does not hurt the brilliance. A Medium fluorescence can still give a perfectly acceptable stone. It is when the intensity is stronger that it can play tricks on the brilliance. So I judge each stone by eye rather than apply a rule.
What matters most to me is how the stone shines. And I always compare it with other stones of the same level: I keep only the one that works the light best.
The stones in the online catalogue can be chosen directly on the site, on a first impression. I select them on the certificate and the proportions. I cannot have all of them in hand: not all stones are in Antwerp, nor within my reach.
For a real service, send me a precise request. I do the search for you, among my stones or by sourcing the stone through my network, then I offer it to you with the same eye: certificate, loupe, light.
A smaller stone that is very lively is often worth more than a bigger stone that looks dull. For a tighter budget, or if you want a beautiful diamond that goes beyond the classic, this selection matters most. Tell me what you are looking for.
It is the way it returns light to the eye: brilliance (white light), fire (flashes of colour) and scintillation (flashes that move).
The certificate gives the cut grade, but it does not show everything. You have to look at the stone: with a loupe, from several distances, in daylight and under a lamp, then compare it with other stones of the same level.
Yes. If its cut is excellent and it works the light well, it can look more alive than a bigger but duller stone.
It mostly depends on its intensity. None or Faint, it does not. With Medium, the stone can remain perfectly acceptable. Stronger, it can hurt the brilliance. I judge each stone by eye.
Yes. Not all stones are in Antwerp or within my reach: sourcing is my strong point. Send me a request with your budget, shape and criteria, and I will search for you.
Leave me a message or ask to be called back, personal reply within 24h.
