Rapaport A3 Diamond Specs changed to exclude faint fluorescence.

[Mlh]

Will someone explain the implications of this change. Not sure what it really means. Thank you!!

 

[OoohShiny]

Also interested in this!

 

[stonehunter20]

this sentence makes no sense to me.

 

[oldminer]

Below are the all the A1-A5 range specs as of 2016. These are current from Rapaport online. In 2016 Spec 1 to Spec 3 excluded any fluorescence I don't think there has been is a meaningful change in these specs. There are B and C specs, too, but I did not copy them for this reply. I would hope that Rapaport would allow the publication their copyrighted material for educational purposes.

RAPAPORT DIAMOND SPECIFICATIONS - January 21, 2016​
	A1	A2	A3
Grading Report	GIA	GIA	GIA
Shape	Round Brilliant	Round Brilliant	Round Brilliant
Cut	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent
Polish	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent
Symmetry	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent
Culet	None	None	None
Depth %	59.0 - 62.9%	59.0 - 62.9%	58.5 - 63.5%
Table %	56 - 60%	55 - 60%	55 - 62%
Girdle	No Extremely Thin, Extremely Thick or Very Thick	No Extremely Thin, Extremely Thick or Very Thick	No Extremely Thin, Extremely Thick or Very Thick
Fluorescence	None	None	None
Weight	No .00 sizes for 1.00 and larger	No .00 sizes for 1.00 and larger	No .00 sizes for 1.00 and larger
GIA Comments	No GIA Color Comment	No GIA Color Comment	No GIA Color Comment
GIA Comments	No Knot or Cavity	No Knot or Cavity	No Knot or Cavity
GIA Comments	No Extra Facet or Natural for D-H, IF-VVS2
GIA Comments	No Graining Comment	No Graining Comment
GIA Comments	For SI1 or lower No "clarity based on cloud"	For SI1 or lower No "clarity based on cloud"	For SI1 or lower No "clarity based on cloud"
Seller Requirement	No Tint, No Milky "grademaker center black" or open inclusions	No Tint, No Milky	No Green Tint
Seller Requirement	EyeClean: SI2+ to 3.99ct, SI1+ to 4.99, VS2+ all sizes
Seller Requirement	No Marange Diamonds	No Marange Diamonds	No Marange Diamonds
Minimum MM for each size	See separate table.	See separate table.
	A4	A5	Minimum Millimeters for RapSpecs A1 & A2
Grading Report	GIA	GIA	Size ct. Min mm
Shape	Round Brilliant	Round Brilliant	0.30 - 0.34 4.27
Cut	Excellent	Excellent	0.35 - 0.39 4.49
Polish	Excellent	Excellent	0.40 - 0.49 4.70
Symmetry	Excellent	Excellent	0.50 - 0.59 5.05
Culet	None	None or Very Small	0.60 - 0.69 5.35
Depth %	58.5 - 63.5%	58.5 - 63.5%	0.70 - 0.79 5.65
Table %	55 - 62%	55 - 62%	0.80 - 0.89 5.90
Girdle	No Extremely Thin, Extremely Thick or Very Thick	No Extremely Thin, Extremely Thick or Very Thick	0.90 - 0.99 6.15 1.01 - 1.09 6.40 1.10 - 1.24 6.55
Fluorescence	Faint Allowed		1.25 - 1.49 6.85
Weight	No .00 sizes for 1.00 and larger	No .00 sizes for 1.00 and larger	1.50 - 1.69 7.30 1.70 - 1.99 7.60
GIA Comments	No GIA Color Comment	No GIA Color Comment	2.01 - 2.49 8.05
GIA Comments			2.50 - 2.99 8.60
GIA Comments	For SI1 or lower No "clarity based on cloud"	For SI1 or lower No "clarity based on cloud"	3.01 - 3.49 9.15 3.50 - 3.99 9.62
Seller Requirement	No Green Tint	No Green Tint	4.01 - 4.99 10.05
Seller Requirement	No Marange Diamonds	No Marange Diamonds	5.01 - 5.99 11.00
© Copyright 2016 by Rapaport USA. All rights reserved.

 

[Mlh]

Thank you @oldminer ! So now they are not including faint flourescence. So those with faint fluorescence don't fit into the specs anymore. What does that mean for these stones?

 

[OoohShiny]

Thank you, Oldminer!

Thank you @oldminer ! So now they are not including faint flourescence. So those with faint fluorescence don't fit into the specs anymore. What does that mean for these stones?

Is it that Rap are now excluding any fluor from within their 'recommended' grades? If so, that would seem to go against recent GIA comments that fluor has no reason to be avoided generally.

Are the Rap grades just an alternative / addition to GIA/AGS/etc. grading reports??


What are "No Green Tint" and "No Marange Diamonds"?

I thought we had brown and yellow and grey undertones (which aren't mentioned by any of the grading houses...) but I don't think I've ever seen green undertones mentioned - I'd quite like a stone with a green tint!

 

[OcnGypZ]

Marange diamonds - are from Zimbabwe. aka "blood diamonds"

 

[seaurchin]

Just a wild guess but could it just be that they've found faint fluorescence to make no difference in the price and that's why they decided to drop mention of it?

 

[OoohShiny]

Marange diamonds - are from Zimbabwe. aka "blood diamonds"

Thank you - that's the new thing I learnt today!

 

[oldminer]

I posted what is CURRENTLY up on Rapaport. Spec A3 still shows No fluorescence. These charts are dated 2016, so there may have been a change recently. Maybe they have just allowed Faint or Very Slight in Spec A3, but it is not yet published on their site. Faint fluorescence It is absolutely meaningless in the selection of a diamond. It has always been just a point which dealers can haggle over and that will always remain something to some dealers. Haggling is very valuable in the diamond dealing world.