Jeweler''s Lighting - what''s the secret?

[Arlington]

So, what exactly is it about Maul store lighting that makes diamonds sparkle so much? I mean, is there a certain type of lighting that is better than others?

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

More watts = better looking bad diamonds

 

[magna2]

It is the high intensity halogen lights that are used in the display cases. More light for the diamonds to reflect back to the eyes. So no matter how much leakage that might exist in the diamond, there are sufficient return of light to minimize the effects of leakage.

 

[Arlington]

A-ha...but are there specific types of bulbs that cause more/less white or colored light return? By that I mean do certain lights (halogen, floursecent, etc.) produce more or less light from certain parts of the spectrum?

I'm just curious...

 

[mike04456]

Certain types of lighting will indeed produce different kinds of "white." Incandescents lights tend to be "warmer" (i.e. more from the red end); fluorescents tend to be "cooler" (i.e., more from the blue end).




Halogens are bad enough for masking leakage, but metal halide is even worse. Those guys can throw out so much white light that they can make the worst looking diamond blaze.




Never judge a stone solely by store lighting. Jewelry stores a lit a particular way for a reason.

 

[NewlyEngaged]

I bought my fiance's ring from a B & M and he told me he doesn't use any special lighting, and to be sure, he let me walk outside to use natural sunlight/daylight to inspect the stones. Unaccompanied no less!

 

[dimonbob]

A smart store uses different lights for different gemstones. One kind of light for diamonds, another for sapphires and rubies. It is not actually a trick, it is good presentation. I highly recommend walking around the store in different lights while looking at the stone. They will change in different lights.

 

[Mara]

It's just like when you have a diamond and go into different lighting as you live your everyday life. In the bathroom with regular white lightbulbs (but very bright), my stone is amazingly fiery. All of my diamonds are. None are super ideal or H&A. In the gym with what I think are fluor lights, my ring is a blaze of fire. It always catches my eye in the gym. In office lights its pretty darn nice as well. Another particularly great situation also is track lighting, especially in restaurants. I always get compliments.




I couldn't tell you what is types of bulbs are in all these diff types of lamps (besides fluor!), but I do know that I have seen lighting make a huge difference in everyday scenarios. Another scenario is while in traffic one night on the way home, lift your ring and let the red brake lights reflect off/into it...beautiful.




One lighting situation I do not like my ring in is direct sunlight. It blocks out any sort of facet reflections and just colors the whole inside of the stone blue like a blue fluor (my stone has low fluor). It's not bad to look at, but there are no flashes of white or colored light, its just like a funky baby blue and white colored ball. But if I move that same hand into the shade of that brightly lit car, the stone looks beautiful again, very white and clear, this is the best situation for me to view my stone in and have it look very clear/white. Not alot of fire in direct shade.




So I'm not sure what exacttly the jewelers use but I have seen what various types of lightings do, and can imagine that if they combo'd a few of the more attractive types of light to stones and threw a bunch of glass display cases in to cause more general 'reflections', things would look pretty darn good.

 

[Gene]

Track lights with half-dozen 20-watt bulbs,
spaced out but all pointing back down at
the same general spot on the display case.

Mostly it's the fact that you've got directed
light -- small bulbs that point down right at
the diamond -- and not receding light from
upright torchiers or a really long strip of
fluorescent light, etc.

It does make a huge difference -- at least for
dispersion and fire flashes; never really thought
of what gets the most white light / brilliance.