Diamond Color Scale Guide
Learn everything you need to know about the diamond color scale to select the perfect diamond for you.
IN THIS GUIDE
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DIAMOND COLOR
What Is Diamond Color?
What Is Diamond Color?
Diamond color refers not to the presence of color within a diamond but to the absence or lack of it. As one of the 4 C's used to describe and determine diamond quality, it is an important factor in a diamond's appearance and value. A technically perfect diamond, like a drop of pure water, is colorless, while others may contain a slight yellowish tint or a fancy color, such as pink or blue.
Diamond Color Scale
Diamond Fluorescence
It is very rare for diamond fluorescence to impact the color appearance of your diamond under normal lighting conditions. If your diamond is fluorescent, you should only be able to tell under direct UV lighting.
Diamond Color Grading Process
Diamond Color Grading Process
To grade a diamond's color on the GIA scale, experts compare it to stones of known color, called master stones, under controlled lighting and precise viewing conditions on pure white paper. This comparative process allows for a precise and accurate description of the diamond's color on a scale between D and Z. Once the color grade is determined, it's added to the diamond's certified grading report alongside cut, clarity, carat, and other identifying details.
How Important Is a Diamond's Color?
Color can be a very important factor when picking your perfect diamond. Not only does the quality of color grading affect a diamond's price, but it can also significantly affect its appearance. Though icy, colorless diamonds are traditionally the most coveted, contemporary couples often opt for a diamond with a warmer tint, as it can display a unique and timeless look.
As always, finding the right diamond for you will involve discovering the right balance of the 4 C's and your budget. If color is the most important factor for you, you may need to sacrifice on carat weight, cut, or clarity. Or vice versa, if carat weight, cut, or clarity is the most important, opting for a near-colorless diamond can be a better option than a colorless one.
Should You Match Your Center Diamond Color with the Side Stones?
While your center diamond andside stone diamondsdon't need to match exactly, it's important to remember that they can affect one another. For example, if your center stone is a warmer J-color and your side stones are an icy D-color, your center stone may appear to have more of an intense tint than it does in contrast with the more colorless side stones. The opposite is also true: if you have a colorless E-color center stone and G-color accent stones, your center stone may appear even more icy white.
Tips for Choosing Diamond Color
Shape
A diamond's shape can help to hide a low color grade or, unfortunately, better display it. Generally, round brilliant-cut diamonds hide color better than any other cut, as they have numerous small brilliant facets that diminish the underlying color. A diamond with step facets, such as an emerald-cut, will show more color.
Carat
The carat weight of a diamond can play a role in the intensity of its color presentation. A larger diamond tends to show its color more than a smaller one. For example, if you put a two-carat J-color diamond next to a half-carat J-color diamond, the larger diamond will appear to have more color based on its size.
Settings
The metal type of your setting can significantly impact the color presentation of your diamond. For example, D, E, and F (colorless) diamonds are best set in white gold or platinum as the silver tint of the setting helps the stone show off its icy white hue. Stones with a faint color look stunning in golden or rose settings, as they can help calm any brownish-yellow tint of the diamond.
Fancy Colored Diamonds
Fancy Colored Diamonds
Fancy-colored diamonds feature colors that extend beyond the normal color range of D-Z. They are incredibly rare and come in every color of the rainbow, including blue, green, pink, yellow, orange, and red.
While diamonds within the normal range decrease in value as their color becomes more apparent, the opposite is true for fancy-colored diamonds: their value increases exponentially with the strength and purity of the color. Generally, the more vivid a fancy-colored diamond is, the more expensive it'll be.
Lab-grown fancy-colored diamonds are available and can be more affordable than their natural counterparts while featuring the same physical, chemical, and optical properties.
Diamond Color FAQ
Diamond Cut FAQ
What is the rarest diamond color?
What is the most important color diamond?
The most common diamonds used in engagement rings and fine jewelry are diamonds within the near-colorless range: G, H, I, and J.
Diamond clarity vs color . Which is most important?
Both diamond clarity and color are important. Which one is more important depends on which quality factor is more important to you. If a perfect, flawless stone is the most important to you,clarityis the most important. If an icy white, colorless diamond is the most important to you, color is the most important.
Does diamond fluorescence make a yellow diamond look whiter?
It is very rare fordiamond fluorescenceto impact the color appearance of your diamond under normal lighting conditions. If your diamond is fluorescent, you should only be able to tell is under directUV lighting.
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