Colour
Colourless diamonds and diamonds that are yellow or yellowish brown are grouped into the categories shown below.
These grades do not apply to fancy coloured diamonds. They have their own colour grading standards.
D-E-F
Colourless.
G-H-I-J
Nearly colourless.
K-L-M
Faintly tinted, usually yellow.
N-O-P-Q-R
Lightly tinted, usually yellow. Tint can be seen with the naked eye.
S-T-U-V-W-X-Y-Z Tinted, usually yellow, may progress to brownish. Tint visible to the naked eye, even when mounted.
Other Factors That Affect Diamond Colour
Fluorescence
GIA diamond reports and many other lab reports indicate whether or not a diamond exhibits fluorescence, which means the diamond's colour changes when it is exposed to ultraviolet radiation. Since UV radiation is a component of daylight and is also present in fluorescent lit rooms, diamonds with this characteristic can appear to change colour quite often.
- Diamonds that produce a blue reaction usually appear whiter, or more colourless, under UV light.
- Stones that fluoresce yellow appear even more yellow under some lighting conditions.
When jewellers speak of a diamond's colour, they are usually referring to the presence or absence of colour in white diamonds. Colour is a result of the composition of the diamond, and it never changes over time.
Because a colourless diamond, like a clear window, allows more light to pass through it than a coloured diamond, colourless diamonds emit more sparkle and fire. The formation process of a diamond ensures that only a few, rare diamonds are truly colourless. Thus the whiter a diamond's colour, the greater its value.
To grade 'whiteness' or colourlessness, most jewellers refer to a professional colour scale that begins with the highest rating of D for colourless, and travels down the alphabet to grade stones with traces of very faint or light yellowish or brownish colour. The colour scale continues all the way to Z.
Diamonds graded D through F are naturally the most valuable and desirable because of their rarity. Such diamonds are a treat for the eyes of anyone. But you can still obtain very attractive diamonds that are graded slightly less than colourless. And diamonds graded G through I show virtually no colour that is visible to the untrained eye. It’s important to note that fancy colour diamonds do not follow this rule. These diamonds, which are very rare and very expensive, can be any colour from blue to green to bright yellow. They are actually more valuable for their colour.
And while a very, very faint hint of yellow will be apparent in diamonds graded J through M, this colour can often be minimized by carefully selecting the right jewellery in which to mount your diamond. Keep in mind that, while most people strive to buy the most colourless diamond they can afford, there are many people who actually prefer the warmer glow of lower-colour diamonds.
If your setting is white gold or platinum, you may wish to opt for a higher colour grade than if the setting is yellow gold.
At Diamond Manufacturers we recommend:
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For those people who like the finest diamonds that money can buy: D
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For those people who have a flexible budget: F
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For those people who have a tight budget: G or H
- For those people who prefer size over colour appearance: I or J
At Diamond Manufacturers we don’t sell diamonds with a colour grade lower than J.
- What diamond cut should I choose?
- What diamond size should I choose?
- What diamond clarity should I choose?
