All about the Transparency of Gemstones

This property determines how much light passes through a diamond, so the higher the transparency of a diamond, the brighter it will appear. That is why the diamond rings ladies flaunt have stones featuring higher transparency, which results in more brilliance and gives the sparkler more attractive looks.

Transparency and Price of Gemstones

Transparency depends only on the amount of light that passes through the gem. This is dependent on the chemical properties of the diamond, the crystal structure of the gem, as well as the luster, the inclusions, the surface conditions, and the thickness of the stone.

When a beam of light hits the surface of the diamond, there are three possibilities that could happen to the beam of light: the light can get transmitted, reflected, or absorbed. The proportion of each category of these will decide the transparency of the diamond.

Generally, in any category of the gem, the most transparent variety is the most valuable and costly among the rest. For instance, in nephrite, chrysoprase, and jadeite jades, the price is highly dependent on the transparency of the gem. Similarly, in opaque gemstones like the sugilite, the translucent variety is the costliest one.