Diamond Color

Diamond Color  

The second most critical indicator of a white diamond’s value after cut is its color – or rather its lack of color. Color occurs naturally in a diamond; it lasts forever and varies from virtually colorless to visible coloring which may be from slightly yellow to increasingly deeper shades of brown or even grey. The specific coloring of a diamond is caused by varying levels of impurities that are present during its formation. There are very few that are truly colorless and that is why they are so highly prized.
 

It is actually the absence of color that distinguishes the purest of white diamonds. The less color there is in the stone, the more valuable it is. However, don’t confuse this with “fancy” colored diamonds which can come in a variety of shades such as pinks, yellows, blues, even chocolate. These are considered different and are graded on a separate scale. In a white diamond, the presence of a yellow tint actually lowers its value. The less body color there is in a white diamond, the more true color it will reflect, and thus the greater its market price. In order for a diamond to give its characteristic brilliance, which is called “dispersion” or “fire”, it needs to be virtually color free so that more light passes through it. Light passing through a diamond is divided into a spectrum of color, similar to a prism, so a diamond with the lowest level of color, allowing maximum possible light penetration, will emit a more colorful “fire” and make it infinitely more appealing to the eye.

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has developed an international industry standard for color which goes from “D”, which is the highest quality and virtually colorless, to “Z”, which is likely to have brown tones and is not even offered by most retailers. To the untrained eye, color is very hard to detect in a gem. A “G” graded diamond may look exactly the same as a “D” grade under normal lighting conditions, so diamond experts are careful to use an all white background when grading stones.

Sylvia’s Antique Jewelry only offers diamonds of the highest color quality.

D: This is the highest possible grade of diamond. It is colorless, very rare and expensive.
E: Still considered colorless, but has traces of color which can be detected by an expert. This is a very high quality diamond.
F: Still considered colorless, but an expert can detect color traces. A high quality diamond nevertheless.
G-H-I-J: Nearly colorless and still excellent value
K-L-M: Faintly tinted, usually yellow.
N-O-P-Q-R: Lightly tinted in progressively darker tones of yellow. Color can be seen with the naked eye.
S-T-U-V-W-X-Y-Z: Tinted, usually yellow, may progress to brownish. Visible to the naked eye.

The color of the setting can also play tricks with the eye. Yellow gold can make slight amounts of yellow in a diamond appear less obvious, while platinum or another white metal brings out its undesirable yellowish tones. For this reason, the choice of settings is even more critical when buying a lower quality diamond.

Many professional gemologists even find it hard to distinguish a color grade from the one immediately below or above unless they compare them side by side in a controlled environment, so don’t be concerned if you find it almost impossible too. Our best advice is to decide first on your budget and go for the best possible grade you can afford, given your preferences for carat weight and clarity.

Give us a call at 800-969-6930 or Email Us. We are here to help answer your questions and concerns.