Sparkle is not one thing. Jewelers describe it in three parts.

Brilliance

The white light returned from the stone. It is what makes a diamond look bright.

Fire

The flashes of color you see when white light is split, like a small rainbow.

Scintillation

The pattern of light and dark that dances when the stone, the light or you move.

What affects sparkle

• Cut quality: the biggest factor by far.
• Polish and symmetry: clean surfaces and aligned facets keep light moving.
• Clarity: heavy inclusions can block light.
• Lighting: spot lighting shows the most fire, soft daylight the most brilliance.

Tip

View a stone in several lights, and compare under the same conditions. Color and clarity grades will not tell you how a stone sparkles, but cut and symmetry will.