With diamonds most people are familiar with the 4Cs which is short for carats, color, cut, and clarity. There is another very important characteristic of diamonds known as fluorescence that also goes towards valuating a diamond and determining what it is really worth. The actual terminology is known as photo-luminescence which is created by traces of the chemical boron present in the stone which becomes active when it is exposed to ultraviolet light.

The stones are graded by the amount of blue that is seen in the diamond with the following determinations: intense blue, strong blue, strong, medium blue, medium, faint, and none for the clearest stones with no trace of boron. In earlier days the blue tinted diamonds were actually desirable due to the fluorescence in the diamond but nowadays the larger number of consumers prefer the colorless variety.

Still there are some people that seem to be moving back to the blue-white coloration but if you are one of these you will want to be cautious and be sure to view the stone in a variety of light conditions including fluorescent light, sunlight, and the black light used by jewelers. Diamonds that possess the fluorescent quality can sometimes appear hazy in sunlight and may even emit a glow in nightclubs.

As time has gone by it has become harder and harder to find truly colorless diamonds with the high quality color grades of D through G being very difficult to obtain at a decent price. If your intention is to purchase a stone with a color grade of H or more it may actually be advantageous and may make the diamond more valuable and good looking. Sometimes the presence of some blue fluorescence can help to counter other variants in a diamond such as a yellow look.

There are also diamonds that contain an orange or yellow coloration and you will find that any jeweler that knows diamonds will advise you not to purchase a stone like this unless you are getting it extremely cheap and it is meant more as costume jewelry than as a high quality diamond. In general, it is best to try to find a stone that is as clear as possible and if any color is present, maybe just the slightest hint of blue.

This article is only meant to give you a brief overview of things that you need to be aware of when you are looking for diamonds. It is always a good idea to do thorough research about these precious gems before you buy so that you know what you are getting.