Explore how light performance reveals a diamond’s brilliance, fire, and sparkle key signs of its true beauty and exceptional quality.
Over 80% of professional diamond buyers consider light performance crucial. It plays a key role in defining a diamond's true beauty.
For diamond dealers in today's demanding B2B market, depending only on the 4Cs- cut, colour, clarity, and carat is no longer sufficient.
Light performance shows a diamond's true fire, brilliance, and scintillation. These are the qualities that fascinate customers and impact purchasing decisions.
Understanding this concept helps diamond dealers deliver greater value. It also supports smarter diamond sourcing decisions.
Here's why light performance is more important to know a diamond's true beauty.
The Science Behind Light Performance
Light performance refers to how well a diamond interacts with light, specifically how it captures, bends, reflects, and returns it to the eye. Unlike traditional diamond grading, it emphasises real-world visual impact.
A natural diamond may have a good cut grade but underperform in light return due to inadequate symmetry or proportion.
There are three important aspects of light performance:
- Brilliance: the white light reflected from the diamond’s surface and interior
- Fire: flashes of spectral colour
- Scintillation: the sparkle produced as light shifts across the diamond
Dealers who understand this can differentiate inventory beyond certificates. This is especially valued when dealing with high-end or custom-cut stones.
Why Does Light Performance Matter in B2B Diamond Trading?
In B2B sales, especially among seasoned jewellers and luxury retailers, light performance can sometimes be the determining factor between two diamonds with identical specifications.
Here's why.
- Visual Appeal: Clients are attracted to a diamond’s sparkle. A stone with better light performance simply sells faster.
- Resale Confidence: Higher performing stones retain visual beauty under different lighting increasing end-buyer satisfaction.
- Digital Era Sales: Online buyers rely on video and imagery. Light-optimized diamonds perform better in visual content, driving conversions.
Tools To Measure Light Performance
Dealers may now measure light return and leakage using advanced tools like ASET (Angular Spectrum Evaluation Tool), Hearts & Arrows viewers, and Ideal Scope.
These are extensively used by professional graders and provide a visual representation of a diamond's optical qualities.
In the diamond industry, ASET imaging is a valuable tool to detect areas of light leakage where brilliance is compromised. It also reveals important details about a diamond’s optical symmetry and contrast, helping evaluate its overall light performance.
Incorporating such tools into sourcing and sales strategy can give dealers a powerful edge.
Sourcing Light Performing Diamonds as a Strategic Advantage
Dealers who prioritise light performance in sourcing gain several benefits:
- Higher customer satisfaction— especially among boutique jewellers and designers seeking standout stones
- Fewer returns— when a diamond looks as impressive in person as it does online
- Stronger dealer relationships— by consistently delivering brilliance that satisfies both retailers and end-buyers
For diamond businesses focusing on high-value or bespoke collections, prioritising optical performance is a must.
Educating Clients As A Role For The Dealer
B2B dealers are more than just suppliers; they are advisors. Helping clients understand light performance increases trust and authority. Here's how.
- Provide side-by-side comparisons using ASET or video imaging
- Explain why light performance complements cut grades and not replaces them
- Offer staff training for retail buyers on light-based evaluation
The more information you share, the more value you provide.
Light Performance vs. Traditional Grading
While the 4Cs remain important, they do not capture diamond’s true beauty. Two stones with equal specifications can appear significantly different. Here's a common example:
- A diamond graded excellent in cut may have poor symmetry or crown angles
- Another, with slightly lower grading, may outperform in light return due to better craftsmanship.
Dealers who understand this distinction can provide products that really stand out on the sales floor.
In the evolving diamond business, it's light performance, not only technical grading, that determines a diamond's true beauty. For dealers who are committed to excellence, including light performance into sourcing, sales, and client education is key for staying competitive.
Are you ready to have natural diamonds that shine in any light?
Our 15 years of experience in sourcing and supplying natural diamonds with exceptional skills can help you get the perfect diamond you are looking for.
