Gray-looking diamonds....poor cut, color or clarity?

[jaysonsmom]

A new Sales Manager came into work yesterday, and she was clearly a diamond lover- and dripping in diamonds. She had a good size e-ring centerstone, around 1.5 ct rb with 3 baguettes on each side. She also had 2 rings flanking each side of the e-ring, they looked like 5-stone rings about 2 tcw each ring, so the the set of 3 rings came up almost to the knuckle. She also had a RHR, which was a 3-stone emerald-cut with a good size centerstone too, at least 1.5 ct. Lastly, she had 2 holes in each earlobe, one with a diamond hoop in the first hole, and about a 0.5 ct stud in the second hole.

All in all, I was impressed with the amount of diamonds she could pull off, but her diamonds were all gray!
What causes this? Are they dirty? Are they just extremely poorly cut? are they way low on the color scale or are they just really speckled with black carbon spots? I'd think that someone that is SO into diamonds would know about cut....

I couldn't really see speckles either, I was about 5 ft away.

Just curious, would you wear jewelry that looked like that? I'd rather have one quality piece than all that gray

 

[septsparkle]

The other day I was watching a video by GOG and he a line up of stones that contained one that was definitely a gray-ish tint and he even commented on it. He didn't go into detail on why it was gray, but i could see it and obviously so could he. I have no idea what causes this, but am interested.

 

[Andelain]

I've seen lots of gray diamonds and have seen that color caused by all 3 reasons you listed. I actually have a small, but fairly well cut, high clarity stone that's very gray in color. It came in a small parcel of otherwise white stones I was buying. A lot of the grey ones I see at the mall stores are that badly cut or included, or usually both.

 

[ChunkyCushionLover]

The other day I was watching a video by GOG and he a line up of stones that contained one that was definitely a gray-ish tint and he even commented on it. He didn't go into detail on why it was gray, but i could see it and obviously so could he. I have no idea what causes this, but am interested.

Video link please.

 

[Dreamer_D]

My first guess is dirty and poorly cut. The grey is leakage and poor light return. Such a waste of money!

 

[septsparkle]

The other day I was watching a video by GOG and he a line up of stones that contained one that was definitely a gray-ish tint and he even commented on it. He didn't go into detail on why it was gray, but i could see it and obviously so could he. I have no idea what causes this, but am interested.

Video link please.

Yikes, I'll have to see if I can find it. It was a video about color, so I'll start my search there.

 

[septsparkle]

Found it!!!
http://www.vimeo.com/9189827

 

[Amys Bling]

My FSIL has a large diamond halo and her center diamond is grey looking while the pave is white and sparkles like crazy. She even notices a difference, but I think that is what you get when your desire for size WAY out weighs your budget.

 

[clgwli]

There are diamonds that are gray in color just naturally. I actually have a thing for the fancy gray colors (though not deep gray) and hope to buy one some day.

Others are just poorly cut, dirty or very included.

 

[kenny]

I kind of struggle with this.
I try to be a live and let live, respect diversity kind of guy.
I really want to say if I saw someone dripping with grey/dirty diamonds I would not think of it as a waste.

People should have the right be delighted and proud to own diamonds, just because they are real diamonds lots even if they are all lopsey fugs encrusted with toe jam and hand lotion.

Would I do that?
Uhm . . .

 

[jaysonsmom]

I kind of struggle with this.
I try to be a live and let live, respect diversity kind of guy.
I really want to say if I saw someone dripping with grey/dirty diamonds I would not think of it as a waste.

People should have the right be delighted and proud to own diamonds, just because they are real diamonds lots even if they are all lopsey fugs encrusted with toe jam and hand lotion.
Would I do that?
Uhm . . .

I actually have jewelry cleaning solution at work, and I found myself trying to bite my tongue because I wanted so badly to offer her diamonds a good scrubbing and bath in my cleaner.

 

[diamondringlover]

I actually have jewelry cleaning solution at work, and I found myself trying to bite my tongue because I wanted so badly to offer her diamonds a good scrubbing and bath in my cleaner.[/quote]

OMG spoken like a true Pricescoper lol I have no idea what causes diamonds to look gray but I love this comment, I have been there and wanted to do that lol

 

[LGK]

Dirt- serious dirt- and poor cut would be my #1 guess. And low color and included possibly too. But if they all had a sort of uniform look I would bet she doesn't clean them and they're all not so great in terms of cut.

I have worked with women with *gorgeous* stones that they clean, oh, once a decade or so. Drives me batty! I have talked any number of my co-workers into letting me scrub their rings, thank god because it kills me to see dirty stones that would sparkle if clean.

Many, many, many people- even who like diamonds- don't have a clue they require cleaning regularly... and that "regularly" doesn't mean every 10 years or so.

I don't remember the particular person's ring I'm thinking of being grey. It was more like a white dot with no sparkle when she let it get all lotiony and gross. I got to see it clean *once* when she had a prong fixed or something. It was like night and day- it was a fireball! For about a week. Then back to lotion covered nasty.

 

[kenny]

You know how kids set up lemonade stands?
We should set up diamond cleaning stands in our neighborhoods.

 

[Andelain]

There are diamonds that are gray in color just naturally. I actually have a thing for the fancy gray colors (though not deep gray) and hope to buy one some day.

Others are just poorly cut, dirty or very included.

I wish PS had PM capabilities. The little gray I have is rather pretty, but I don't forsee ever mounting it in anything. I'd be glad to send it to you.

 

[clgwli]

There are diamonds that are gray in color just naturally. I actually have a thing for the fancy gray colors (though not deep gray) and hope to buy one some day.

Others are just poorly cut, dirty or very included.

I wish PS had PM capabilities. The little gray I have is rather pretty, but I don't forsee ever mounting it in anything. I'd be glad to send it to you.

I would love to see your little gray. I think it had to be the first natural colored dimaond I ever saw was a fancy gray marquise. It was over 10 years ago when I saw it at a very trusted jeweler. It rocked my world! Sadly it was too large for my short fingers as well as way out of my budget. But I never forgot how cool it looked.

Can I ask why you think you will never mount it though? I have several ideas if I find the right gray for me. I even have one I kind of like, but not so keen on the shape. But I *love* the color. It's definitely one I keep going back to though. Of course I do realize we all have our own reasons for not mounting things. Kind of like I had a great sapphire I gave away to someone since I just didn't have a vision for it. So feel free to tell me to hush if you don't care to share why you aren't mounting.

But like I said I'd love to see a picture of it

 

[ClaesDiamonds]

Most diamonds are not colorless. Most frequently we can find yellow, brown or grey.
Grey diamond, I understand is in fact the most common type. Such color is caused by the texture made of tiny layers underneath the surface. It appears smoky to cementish grey in boart quality diamond. Grey diamond is marked by corrosion figures on the surface.

Please be carefull and consider that a color grade refers to the AMOUNT of visible body color observable with the naked eye.

Differences in color are attributable to chemical composition and crystal structure. To really understand this you would have to research atomic compositions in relation to impurities. It's beyond the scope of this thread to document all types however grey is usually found in diamond with Boron and/or Hydrogen impurities. They usually appear blue-greyish.

 

[Catmom]

My jeweler once had a 3+ carat HoF round that was totally grey. It surprised me how grey it was considering it had a good cut.

 

[valchiria]

http://www.vimeo.com/12089730
Here it is visible how the setting can change the appearence of the diamond

 

[WinkHPD]

Long ago in another galaxy,

Oh, wait, wrong movie...

Once, in my youth, I bought an incredible emerald cut that was not only well cut, but an incredible steel gray color. It was about 1.80 cts if my fading memory serves me well.

I bought it from the once venerated firm of C.A. Kiger, which has long since been absorbed by another firm, for not a lot of money. Three or four thousand net I believe. C.A. Kiger was one of the three firms at the time that were famous for good cutting of their diamonds, Kiger, Keppie, and Kaplan which is why I had the good fortune to buy it well cut. This would have been in the late seventies. It had two tiny tiny pinpoints that could be seen at 45-50 power, but still the graders at GIA insisted that it was "only a VVS1".

I memoed it out once to a wholesaler who obviously memoed it out to another who came by my store with it and offered it to me for only $35,000.

I called the memo in and mounted it into an incredibly beautiful ring which was one of the finest pieces in my store for over a year. It was priced more than $20,000 below what I had been offered the stone for by a traveling wholesaler and that included the 18kt yellow gold and platinum ring that it was set in. If you can imagine the stark contrast between the striking steel gray color and the 18kt yellow gold head held in the blazing white platinum ring with two D-E colored emerald cut diamonds, then you can imagine the incredible beauty and elegance that a gray diamond can have.

Granted it is rare to see a true fancy gray diamond, but they do exist, and like all stones, if they are well cut, they can be beautiful.

Sorry for the temporary thread jack, this just brought back some incredibly wonderful memories.

Wink

 

[petrock<3]

Long ago in another galaxy,

Oh, wait, wrong movie...

Once, in my youth, I bought an incredible emerald cut that was not only well cut, but an incredible steel gray color. It was about 1.80 cts if my fading memory serves me well.

I bought it from the once venerated firm of C.A. Kiger, which has long since been absorbed by another firm, for not a lot of money. Three or four thousand net I believe. C.A. Kiger was one of the three firms at the time that were famous for good cutting of their diamonds, Kiger, Keppie, and Kaplan which is why I had the good fortune to buy it well cut. This would have been in the late seventies. It had two tiny tiny pinpoints that could be seen at 45-50 power, but still the graders at GIA insisted that it was "only a VVS1".

I memoed it out once to a wholesaler who obviously memoed it out to another who came by my store with it and offered it to me for only $35,000.

I called the memo in and mounted it into an incredibly beautiful ring which was one of the finest pieces in my store for over a year. It was priced more than $20,000 below what I had been offered the stone for by a traveling wholesaler and that included the 18kt yellow gold and platinum ring that it was set in. If you can imagine the stark contrast between the striking steel gray color and the 18kt yellow gold head held in the blazing white platinum ring with two D-E colored emerald cut diamonds, then you can imagine the incredible beauty and elegance that a gray diamond can have.

Granted it is rare to see a true fancy gray diamond, but they do exist, and like all stones, if they are well cut, they can be beautiful.

Sorry for the temporary thread jack, this just brought back some incredibly wonderful memories.

Wink

Man I wish you had a picture of that!

 

[jaysonsmom]

While some of you diamond connoisseurs are raving about some of the beautiful gray diamonds you've seen or covet, I don't think this was the case of this sales manager. I really think it was just leakage and the amount of gray gunk in the settings.

My 6 year daughter wears these CZ studs that I remove once in LONG while, and the amount of gray gunk makes me want to puke....amazing what can get trapped in there and turn that ugly shade of gray...