Whiteflash Diamond Imaging and HD Video

Imaging is a very important part of Whiteflash operations. Many customers decide to purchase our high quality diamonds and jewelry sight unseen - some from the far side of the globe. To help with those decisions we provide a comprehensive set of diamond analytics, including a Diamond Image Package, to enable shoppers to see critical aspects of the diamonds and fine jewelry we offer. We employ a team of fulltime photographers so that all in-house diamonds are presented on our website with a comprehensive set of photographic images and HD video. In addition, any diamond that we bring in for customers from our Virtual Selection category, or other diamonds that we may source, will likewise be imaged so that the customer will have full benefit of a complete gemological and light performance evaluation prior to purchase.

The Whiteflash Photography Team combines both proprietary and industry known devices and techniques to create the analytical images in the Diamond Image Package. Because we specialize in diamonds cut to an extremely high degree of precision, many images look very similar and often only small differences will be noticeable, especially in our A CUT ABOVE® Super Ideal brand.

The guiding philosophy at Whiteflash is to provide the most accurate and consistent images possible, conveying the most useful information to our customers. Yet, even in the most controlled process there are bound to be small variances in web based images. By knowing the intent of each image and how to evaluate them individually and collectively, we believe our customers gain an accurate portrayal of our products with which to make well informed decisions.

Virtually every photograph on the internet is edited to some degree or another. Photos are re-sized to fit better on web pages, they are digitally compressed so that web pages load quickly, and of course many are “photoshopped” and changed materially for some intended effect. At Whiteflash we do not manipulate light performance images with the intention of concealing defects.

For aesthetic purposes all diamonds regardless of actual size appear approximately the same size relative to the website template. Therefore a 0.30ct diamond is enlarged more than a 2.00ct. To accomplish this every diamond is digitally taken from its original background and placed onto a template which allows for a more consistent viewing experience between diamonds. While image sizes vary, magnification levels are fairly consistent across the entire inventory and approximate the view you have when looking through a jewelers’ loupe.

First, inclusions are sometimes visible in these images, particularly SI1 and SI2 grades, and so information is conveyed about the location and nature of these inclusions. Information is available separately indicating whether the inclusions are visible to the naked eye. If the diamond is noted as ‘Eye Clean’ on the diamond detail page, the stone meets the Whiteflash definition.

Secondly, it is possible to see facet patterns and symmetry aspects such as “arrows” in Hearts and Arrows diamonds (also evident in Ideal Scope and ASET view). Diamond images are captured with the camera facing the table of the diamond which sits on a dark surface to reduce glare. The arrow pattern appears dark due to “obstruction” and is essentially produced by a reflection of the camera itself. When actually viewing the diamond a viewer’s head similarly acts to obstruct light from the highest angle. Contrast patterns in a well designed diamond create sparkle and scintillation.

A third aspect that this frontal view conveys, and which is particularly helpful in understanding non-round diamonds, is the outline of the shape. Length to width ratio is often very important in the visual appeal of a diamond, and individual tastes vary widely. For instance, one may prefer a slender marquise or a roundish oval and this image conveys that information.

The Magnified Diamond Image is NOT intended to be used for color or clarity grading between any diamond on the Whiteflash website or external diamonds. Color and clarity are graded at the laboratory in highly controlled lighting environments where the diamond can be viewed in a full range of positions. The AGS or GIA certificate is viewable in the image package and can be relied upon for this purpose.

The Ideal-Scope is a useful reflector instrument that provides visual information about the light handling properties of diamonds. Light return appears in shades of red, while light leakage appears in white to grayish colors. Black is the result of reflection from the camera lens which mimics the obscuration of light caused by a viewer’s head.

The image is captured with the camera facing the table of the diamond with the pink colored Ideal-Scope on top of the diamond with the diffused LED light source illuminating from below. The diamond itself is sitting in a transparent tray.

The ASET (Angular Spectrum Evaluation Tool) is a very important reflector device that provides even more specific visual information about the light performance of the diamond. ASET is the graphical expression of the AGS Laboratories cut grading system. Both red and green colors represent light return. Red is generally higher intensity light direct from the source and green is light entering the stone from lower angles generally representing light reflected off of objects in the environment. Blue represents obscuration and is important in creating the structured contrast needed to create scintillation.

ASET images are captured with the camera facing the table of the diamond with the filter on top with the diffused LED light source illuminating from below. The diamond itself is sitting in a black tray.

* AGS Laboratory platinum reports contain an ASET image that is computer generated based upon 3D scan data of the diamond run through the highly sophisticated AGS light performance software. There may be small differences between this image and the actual photographic image in the Image Package.

It is important to limit interpretation of both ASET and Ideal Scope to relative colors within an individual image. Color saturation between images can result from several different factors including the size of the stone and very minute variations in lighting intensity resulting from electrical fluctuations in the power supply of the photographic equipment.

Diamonds possessing excellent symmetry in three dimensions (optical symmetry) will exhibit a pattern of eight arrows when viewed through the table, and eight hearts when viewed through the pavilion with a special reflector device. Since one of the hallmarks of our A CUT ABOVE® Hearts and Arrows Super Ideal Diamond is a hearts and arrows pattern that conforms to the highest standard in the industry, we post hearts images for all round diamonds in that category. Round diamonds in our Expert Selection category possess distinct hearts and arrows patterning. Patterning of Expert Selection diamonds must be within industry standards, but may have some slight irregularities.

Hearts images are captured with the camera facing the pavilion of the diamond and with the purple colored Hearts and Arrows Viewer on top. The diamond itself is sitting on a black surface with diffused light coming in from all sides.

360 degree HD Diamond Videos are the newest tool for Whiteflash customers and can be very helpful in fully understanding a loose diamond. When shopping online it is pretty much the closest thing you will get to an “over the counter” experience. A good video will reveal aspects of the diamond which are dynamic in nature, such as scintillation, and which static images cannot convey.

Video is not a replacement for light performance images, but is rather an additional piece of information that can be used effectively in conjunction with gemological data and light performance imaging to enable a comprehensive understanding of the diamond’s overall quality.

But certain aspects of video capture need to be understood in order for it to be useful. As with other magnified images, clarity features that may be invisible to the naked eye can often be very easy to see in HD video. This is particularly true as the camera captures side angles or views through the pavilion of the diamond.

The lighting environment also has an impact on what you can see in video. Certain environments are conducive to seeing different aspects of the diamond better than others. Diffuse light (such as daylight on a cloudy day) will favor brightness, whereas directional lighting (such as direct sunlight) will favor fire (color sparkles). Whiteflash videos are captured using a mix of both soft (diffuse) and hard (directional) light, and are captured in a light box that provides a standardized way in which comparisons can be made between Whiteflash diamonds. It should be noted that video systems and lighting environments vary widely, which is why it is necessary to use video together with other forms of imaging to get the complete picture.

Most Whiteflash purchases are also eligible for another nice extra benefit – a beautiful creative photo of your finished ring or jewelry item. Our distinctive and colorful “flower shot” is something fun and exciting that our clients love sharing with friends and family and posting on social networks such as Facebook and Instagram. These photos are available upon special request and will be emailed to you as soon as possible.

Our image package is intended to be evaluated in a holistic way. No single image can adequately provide all the relevant information needed to truly understand the diamond. But combining the lab grading information with the diagnostic light performance images, and viewing a video of the diamond in motion for a sense of its dynamic personality, a very accurate understanding of the quality and beauty of the diamond can be achieved.