Briolite Simulated Diamond

Briolite is a synthetic gemstone created using a method called radio frequency induction to match natural diamonds in virtually every aesthetic property. The chemical composition of the stone, combined with ideal cutting achieved through extraordinarily precise faceting machines, makes briolite the best diamond substitute on the market.

Refractive Index

Although briolite is heavier and more dense than a natural diamond, the refractive index of briolite is closer than any other known counterpart. This means that the stone exhibits a very similar brilliance and shine when compared next to a diamond of similar size.

Cutting Quality

Briolite is a "machine cut" stone. This means preformed rough briolite was cut by robotic arms to attain perfect proportions and angles. This maximizes the light performance of the stone, and is one of the most important factors in determining brilliance, fire, and scintillation. Comparing a poorly cut natural diamond to a briolite will demonstrate that briolite shines significantly brighter. This is due to light escaping out of the diamond because of poorly aligned facets.

It is nearly impossible to achieve a 100% accurate, perfect, ideal cut when faceting by hand. Since briolite is cut by robotic machines which use computer-aided lasers to determine thickness and size, the cutting symmetry is flawlessly precise. It goes beyond simple measurements of width and depth to measure a stone's "ideal" cut. A three dimensional model is created in a computer using an optical measuring device that compares the stone's proportions and angles. The ratios between the dimensions of a stone will significantly influence how much light is reflected once it enters the stone.

Scintillation and Fire

Scintillation refers to the pattern of light and dark areas as seen in a diamond. It also indicates how bright the flashes of light are seen when the diamond moves. Precision in cutting vastly affects how dramatic the flashes are. Since briolite is cut by machines, the stones exhibit an extremely higher amount of scintillation than any other diamond substitute.

Fire refers to the colored flashes of light reflected back from inside a stone, similar to reflections from a prism. Fire is largely affected by the accuracy and precision of the facets on the stone. These colored flashes are highly valued in natural diamonds, and due to briolite being machine cut, it exhibits a higher amount of fire than any known diamond simulant.

Polish and Symmetry

The polish and symmetry of a stone also greatly affects how much the stone will shine. The polish indicates how smooth the surface of the facets are. The symmetry grade determines how well-aligned the facets of the stone are. A badly polished stone will have a dull surface, and can lead to dulled brilliance, fire and scintillation. What happens is that light is misdirected and hits a facet at the wrong place, causing its reflection to be inaccurate. Since briolite is cut by machines using very sophisticated instruments designed to measure the polish and symmetry of the stone, every ray of light is perfectly directed to reflect without lose of sparkle. This is a significant reason why briolite looks essentially identical to a natural diamond.

Color Grade

A gemstone can separate light into a spectrum of colors and emit this light as fire. These colorful flashes are most prominent when the color of the stone is perfectly white. Any hint of color will act as a filter and reduce the spectrum of light which is emitted. The less color in a stone, the more colorful the flashes, and the better the color grade.

Since briolite was created to be a perfectly white D color, the flashes of light are extremely colorful and pronounced. The fire in briolite is so close to that of a natural diamond, that some testing equipment designed to look for the signature fire in a diamond shows briolite as a natural stone.

While some people desire fluorescence, others avoid it. This phenomenon is essentially a reaction to UV light, is graded from “None” to “Very Strong,” and can make a slightly colored stone like a diamond look whiter. Purely white stones without fluorescence, like briolite, are much more highly valued because the full spectrum of light is allowed to reflect and results in a much more colorful garden of light flashes.

Clarity Grade

Stones that are absolutely clear are denoted “internally flawless,” and stones that are perfect inside and out are labeled “flawless.” Inclusions like scratches, trace minerals, clouds, feathers, and black spots can all dull the stone by blocking the reflection of light. For this reason a flawless stone can exhibit as much as ten times the brilliance as a heavily included counterpart. All but the rarest gemstones have inclusions, which are created during the stone’s formation in the earth. Since briolite is created in a laboratory under ideal conditions, no imperfections are every found in briolite. For this reason, all briolite is graded as “flawless” – internally and externally.

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