Diamond Proportion
Proportions – Understanding Brilliance, Dispersion & Scintillation
Diamonds with well-balanced proportions exhibit three key properties: brilliance, dispersion, and scintillation. These qualities come into play when light interacts with a diamond.
Brilliance: As light strikes the surface of a diamond, it either reflects off the top (the table) or enters the stone. The light that reflects off the surface is known as brilliance, which refers to the white flashes of light you see when looking directly at the diamond.
Dispersion: When light passes through the diamond, it can break into flashes of color. This separation of white light into its various spectral colors is called dispersion, often resulting in what we refer to as "fire"—the colorful flashes within the diamond.
Scintillation: As you move a diamond, its facets interact with the light, creating flashes of color and brightness. This visual effect is known as scintillation, which adds to the diamond's dynamic beauty as it shifts in the light.
Putting It All Together
To explore how depth and table percentages affect the brilliance of a round diamond, you can use an interactive tool. Keep in mind that this example is specific to round diamonds—different shapes have their own unique characteristics that influence how they reflect light.