05.04.22

Cloudy Diamond? Here’s What May Be Happening

By Stephanie Dore

Think your diamond is looking a little cloudy? Don’t worry; most likely, it’s nothing a bit of soap and water won’t fix. But we get how disconcerting the idea can be. After all, diamonds should be bright and clear and sparkly, right?

While diamond clarity might be the first thing that comes to mind, there are other reasons your diamond might be looking a bit duller than usual. So here’s a little silver lining:

princess cut claw prong solitaire with cathedral shoulders platinum engagement ring — Want to make sure you aren’t stuck with a cloudy diamond? Up your clarity parameters in your stone search!

A Cloud of Suspicion

FIrst of all, let’s figure out what we’re dealing with here. Either you’re about to purchase a diamond and want to avoid cloudiness, or you’ve already purchased one and it wasn’t cloudy when you bought it, but is today. Let’s deal with the first of these: avoiding purchasing a cloudy diamond.

Get a Little Cloudy Diamond Clarity

One of the best things about diamonds is that they don’t wear in the same way semi-precious gems do (many semi-precious stones can get scratched up and start to appear dull with daily wear). Diamonds are super hard. So while you do have to use caution wearing them next to other diamonds (as a diamond can scratch another diamond), nothing else is going to scratch them.

However, diamonds do actually have some internal clarity characteristics that can cause them to appear cloudy.

Certain inclusions sneak under the radar because they’re not necessarily what a diamond grader would deem obvious to the naked eye.

One of the easiest things to look for will be listed right on a diamond grading report: Clarity grade based on clouds not shown.

There are many different types of inclusions (some more noticeable than others), but if a cloudy diamond is your biggest fear, then the answer is simple: avoid cloud inclusions.

If you see this, we’re not saying that you should run for the hills, far away from that diamond. But there is a higher chance of that diamond having widespread cloud inclusions that could potentially give a diamond a hazy look.

When you see this listed on a grading report, it’s because plotting the clouds in the diamond would just be like coloring in the whole oval on a multiple choice test. But remember that clouds are just clusters of miniscule pinpoint inclusions, like a soft mist, so even if it’s listed this way, it might not affect the diamond’s appearance. But it also might.

To a lesser degree, twinning wisps and graining lines (all of which are tendencies characteristic of typical diamond growth) can have similar effects. The best thing to do in any of these cases is to get your eyes on the diamond in person or have a reputable jeweler examine it for you to make sure the stone isn’t visibly hazy.

oval diamond ring with pavé — An icy diamond, like this crystal clear oval, is more likely to have fluorescence, which can drive down the often hefty price tag on colorless diamonds. So if you’re going colorless and see a price tag that’s too good to be true, it probably is.

Glow in the Dark

There’s one other way a diamond might appear cloudy, and that’s fluorescence, a term that’s surrounded by confusion. But we’re here to clear things up.

First of all, only about one third of diamonds have any fluorescence at all. And only about 10% of those that do have fluorescence strong enough to affect the visual appearance of the diamond. And no matter how strong, it has nothing to do with the stability or strength of the stone.

What can happen, however, in stones with very strong fluorescence, is a milky or hazy appearance. This is most often only seen in strong natural light as opposed to indoor lighting, or when under UV light.

So given all those parameters, fluorescence in and of itself will not cause your diamond to look cloudy, unless it’s very strong or under certain lighting conditions.

A Cut Below

A poorly cut diamond will look dull, cloudy and unexciting. It’s not that the diamond itself is actually cloudy. Rather, it hasn’t been fashioned well and thus doesn’t bounce light back to your eye. This is why cut is the most important of the Four Cs. Even a big rock will look dull if it’s not cut well.

salt and pepper oval cloudy diamond — Shockingly, there are intentionally cloudy diamonds. If you love an opal or moonstone but want everyday durability, search for a milky diamond.

asscher and pear diamond toi et moi engagement ring — If your diamond wasn’t cloudy when you purchased it, chances are it just has some grime built up grime. A good clean will get that sparkle right back.

Hangover Blues

If you’ve already purchased your diamond and it wasn’t cloudy or dull to begin with but it is now, then we’re dealing with a slightly different beast.

There is a possibility that your diamond is damaged or chipped and that is causing its cloudy appearance, especially if it’s chipped on the bottom (pavilion) of the stone.

If the chip is large, you may be able to feel it by running your nail lightly along the diamond’s edge (girdle) and feeling that your nail catches on the chip a bit. Or perhaps the stone is loose, which you can hear by holding your ring near your ear and gently tapping on the band (shank). If you hear a rattling sound, you should get your ring to a jeweler right away.

Clean Up Your Act

If your diamond isn’t chipped, but you’ve been wearing it for a while, we’re almost positive it’s just dirty. Hate to be such a bore but that’s the cold cloudy truth.

Snacking, washing your hands, or using lotions will lead to buildup on your diamond. A bit of oil can be the perfect resting place for dust and dirt, especially on the bottom of your diamond or around its prongs, where it’s harder to simply brush off.

Luckily, you can easily clean your ring with a tiny bit of dish soap and warm water. You can use an old, extra soft toothbrush to work out any stuck bits. Just be mindful to check for loose stones before doing so, because you don’t want to lose any through scrubbing.

Scrubbing underneath your stones is key to keeping your diamond clean and sparkling.

marquise with pears three stone in yellow gold — Please, please, pretty please insure your ring.

Cloudy Diamond Care Package

All that said, consider this a gentle reminder that fine jewelry should always be insured. Check with your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance agency to see if you can add it to your policy, or if they offer jewelry insurance. Or, try Jeweler’s Mutual, who’ve been in the business of insuring your most precious pieces for over a century. They even offer free quotes.

And please, please, please take your ring off when you sleep, shower, garden, or go to the gym. And definitely don’t leave it by the sink where it can fall down the drain or be eaten by a garbage disposal.

Be careful with your ring, and make sure to have a jeweler inspect and clean it at least once or twice a year, and you’ll be golden.

Cause for Celebration

All things considered, the likelihood of cloudy diamonds is pretty low. Want to see for yourself? Check out our diamond search where you can view 360-degree images of more than 10,000 diamonds, and don’t forget to zoom out (because size can be deceiving), or book a virtual or in person appointment at one of our showrooms to view certified lab grown and natural diamonds in person.

Have an idea of what you might want? Email us at hello@frankdarling.com. We’ll curate a list of 5-7 exclusive stones that are perfect for you.