Blue Nuance in Lab Diamonds
With every high season, many jewelers seek more affordable options with lower color grades to be ready for the customers on the budget. As the HPHT-grown stones increase in popularity, the retailers sometimes get diamonds with a blue hue. LaBrilliante explains the ‘Blue Nuance’ effect.
Blue Nuance is the faint amount of blue tint that the diamond may display. While it is rare in mined diamonds, it sometimes can be seen in the HPHT-grown ones. Blue tint is the result of the Boron atoms inside the stone’s crystal structure. Boron is used during the HPHT method as the catalyst for growth and the means of removing the nitrogen from the chemical makeup of the diamond.
Just like with the yellow or brown tint, the blue hue affects the color grade of the diamond in the report. Stones with the bluish undertone usually get lower color grade than colorless and near colorless gemstones. Thus, they are usually priced significantly lower than white gems. However, while the brown, gray or yellow tints are usually not specified on the grading report, blue nuance diamonds often get claimed as “faint blue” in the comment section.
Because of that there is a misconception among the trade that the blue tint is somehow worse than other undertones. And while blue nuance diamonds do stand out by comparison from the brownish or yellowish ones, it is often not in a worse way. In fact, many customers like to go with the diamonds with the blue tint, as it usually makes them look even whiter and more attractive for purchasers, according to some GIA studies. A small amount of blue hue is also very hard to determine with the naked eye, and therefore they often look like colorless ones, while at the same time are usually priced lower.
The faint blue tint shouldn’t be treated as a defect that is worse than other undertones. Customers' preferences are diverse and depend on the individuals, so shoppers are the ones who should decide what kind of stone they like. The customers should be given a variety of options, so they could make their educated choice. And if you’re in search of the highest quality diamonds, whether they have a blue nuance or not, LaBrilliante can always help you.