What color are Hearts and Arrows Diamonds?

I admit that this might seem like a stupid question Danny, but I’m wondering whether the hearts and arrows patterns shown within Brian Gavin Signature round diamonds actually look red. I’m guessing that the diamonds face-up white given the fact that the color grade of the diamonds represent colors which are part of the color grading scale for white diamonds, but I showed a picture of a hearts and arrows diamond to one of my co-workers and she said that she didn’t think she’d like a hearts and arrows diamond because she thinks that a red diamond would look weird, which got me thinking… it’s not really red, is it? – David G.

Brian Gavin Signature Diamonds are White:

This is a great question David, and you’re not the only person who has asked whether Brian Gavin Signature round hearts and arrows diamonds are white or red in color, so I suppose that a blog post is in order. Pictured to the left is the clarity photograph for this 1.268 carat, I-color, VS-2 clarity, Brian Gavin Signature round diamond, which is considered to be a near colorless diamond because of the I-color. Notice that the diamond faces up white in color, this is because it is not necessary to filter the light in order to capture diamond clarity photographs. However this is not a true representation of the body color of the diamond because this photograph is not intended for that purpose.

The same diamond appears to be red in this photograph of the hearts and arrows pattern which is visible when the diamond is viewed while unmounted through a hearts and arrows scope, which is specifically designed for the purpose of grading hearts and arrows patterns within round brilliant ideal cut diamonds. The reflector scope which makes it possible to see the pattern within hearts and arrows diamonds contains a section which diffuses the light using a red filter, which creates the illusion that the diamond is red. The white color of the hearts is the result of light reflecting off of a white disk located in the middle of the scope, which reflects off of the pavilion main facets to create the hearts.

Why H&A Patterns are Red, Blue or Purple:

This picture at the top of this post is of two reflector scopes which are used to view hearts and arrows patterns within diamonds, the one on the left features a filter which will make the diamond appear to be red, and the one on the right features a filter which will make the diamond appear blue, this is why some hearts and arrows photographs are red and others are blue. Some scopes feature filters which are purple in color, and thus the diamonds will appear to be purple. The white disk located in the middle of the scope is the one which reflects light off of the pavilion main facets and makes the hearts pattern look white. There is a lens contained in the middle of that disk which magnifies the size of the H&A pattern.

So there you have it, Brian Gavin Signature round diamonds with hearts and arrows patterns will face-up white in color when viewed under normal circumstances, like when they are set in a diamond engagement ring. But appear to be red in color when viewed through a hearts and arrows scope, because of the red filter which is used to diffuse the light and make it possible to see the pattern of hearts and arrows which appears within our diamonds.