Why does a diamond go dark in direct sunlight?

[MissGotRocks]

Date: 1/1/2010 5:09:05 AM
Author: catibati
thanks everyone for your help...... so now where to go from here. How do I learn to love the dark stone in the sun? How did u gyes get over the initial fact that the diamond went black?

You simply have to accept the fact that ideal cut stones do this. It has been explained so there is nothing you can do to alter it. If you really hate the stone, I suppose you could do some research into what type of diamond won''t do this - but then you would forego the beauty of an ideal cut stone.

A diamond simply cannot look the same all the time. Think of it as the magic of the stone!

 

[Fly Girl]

Date: 1/1/2010 1:36:11 AM
Author: Garry H (Cut Nut)


Most of the answers given here are right, but in addition - the sun is a very very small point light source and when you look at the diamond you can only see 1-4 very bright sparkles. So the rest of the diamond is indeed dark because the accomodation of our eyes to the bright sperkle makes all the other surrounding light sources effectively dark.

Would someone please try this - focus a camera directly at the sun on auto exposure and the photo will show the surrounding environ as dark dark dark. (you might want to use a very old camera as it might get damaged)

Here is a shot I took while flying on a recent afternoon over a Minnesota lake that has the dark effect you are referring to. I could only get away with it because the sun was a bit overcast. It was actually a fairly bright late fall day.

 

[bgray]

Date: 1/1/2010 5:09:05 AM
Author: catibati
thanks everyone for your help...... so now where to go from here. How do I learn to love the dark stone in the sun? How did u gyes get over the initial fact that the diamond went black?

Actually, there was probably nothing wrong with your emerald cut stone. For what its worth, its not just ideal cut stones that do this--its most stones

 

[Hest88]

Date: 1/1/2010 5:09:05 AM
Author: catibati
How do I learn to love the dark stone in the sun? How did u gyes get over the initial fact that the diamond went black?

Well, you just learn to accept that that''s the way it is. Like reconciling with the fact that your husband will eventually go gray but you love him anyway! A diamond is not a flashlight, and it just won''t act that way.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Date: 1/1/2010 5:09:05 AM
Author: catibati
thanks everyone for your help...... so now where to go from here. How do I learn to love the dark stone in the sun? How did u gyes get over the initial fact that the diamond went black?

Get bitten by a Vampire - that will fix it - you will never go in the sun again.

Simply dont look at it in the sun - go under a leafy tree that lets tiny bits of bright daylight thru - and you will be blown away with a balance of fire and brilliance.
Also on a cloudy day the diamond will be bright as!

FlyGirl thanks for posting the photo - so if you looked down to where the land is in the lower left you would see the green not black that the camera saw - and if you pointed the camera down to that land and zoomed in and took a photo it would be broad daylight - true?

 

[MissGotRocks]

Date: 1/2/2010 4:29:33 AM
Author: Garry H (Cut Nut)

Date: 1/1/2010 5:09:05 AM
Author: catibati
thanks everyone for your help...... so now where to go from here. How do I learn to love the dark stone in the sun? How did u gyes get over the initial fact that the diamond went black?

Get bitten by a Vampire - that will fix it - you will never go in the sun again.

Simply dont look at it in the sun - go under a leafy tree that lets tiny bits of bright daylight thru - and you will be blown away with a balance of fire and brilliance.
Also on a cloudy day the diamond will be bright as!

FlyGirl thanks for posting the photo - so if you looked down to where the land is in the lower left you would see the green not black that the camera saw - and if you pointed the camera down to that land and zoomed in and took a photo it would be broad daylight - true?

So true!

 

[Fly Girl]

Date: 1/2/2010 4:29:33 AM
Author: Garry H (Cut Nut)

Date: 1/1/2010 5:09:05 AM
Author: catibati
thanks everyone for your help...... so now where to go from here. How do I learn to love the dark stone in the sun? How did u gyes get over the initial fact that the diamond went black?

Get bitten by a Vampire - that will fix it - you will never go in the sun again.

Simply dont look at it in the sun - go under a leafy tree that lets tiny bits of bright daylight thru - and you will be blown away with a balance of fire and brilliance.
Also on a cloudy day the diamond will be bright as!

FlyGirl thanks for posting the photo - so if you looked down to where the land is in the lower left you would see the green not black that the camera saw - and if you pointed the camera down to that land and zoomed in and took a photo it would be broad daylight - true?

Yes, except this time of year I see more brown than green.

Here is a shot directly over that portion of land. I was taking a picture of a small private airstrip. Never know when you might need to land quickly.

 

[Fly Girl]

Another angle of the little airport, zoomed in a bit. It was a hazy day, as you can tell, but not a dark one.

 

[catibati]

Hello everyone, thanks so much for explaining things and also for the pics. I am starting to get used to it and like it. I noticed that there are so lights, that make the diamond go dark, is this normal as well??? In particular, down lights, like this:

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Date: 1/7/2010 4:44:36 AM
Author: catibati
Hello everyone, thanks so much for explaining things and also for the pics. I am starting to get used to it and like it. I noticed that there are so lights, that make the diamond go dark, is this normal as well??? In particular, down lights, like this:

By George, she''s got it!
I think she''s got it!

 

[provinggrounds]

I thought this was the reason? http://diamonds.pricescope.com/fluor.asp

 

[MissGotRocks]

Date: 1/7/2010 12:00:45 PM
Author: provinggrounds
I thought this was the reason? http://diamonds.pricescope.com/fluor.asp

No, that''s not the reason. Fluorescence does not make the whole stone go dark - that is caused from the lighting.

 

[Ms. Raptor]

Oooh! I am kicking myself for not saving the link, but I saw an entire webpage devoted to this issue a few weeks ago!
It addressed that diamonds "going dark" is a 100% natural occurrance and talked about how many owners get freaked out, so to speak, the first time they notice their diamond "going dark" in direct light.
Catibati, there is nothing wrong w/ your stone! Love it! Of course, if you don''t want it anymore, I''ll take it! I have a naked finger that would love some sparkle!