Diamond Color

When choosing diamonds, color is a very important factor to consider. Rarity and purity are measured by a diamond’s lack of color. Higher quality diamonds will have a pure, bright white appearance whereas those lower in quality will have noticeable color, and to the untrained eye, this can be tricky to spot.

In the mid-1950s The Gemological Institute of America devised a color grade scale between D - Z, to regulate and define the color spectrum of diamonds. With D classed as completely colorless and Z being slightly yellow or brown in appearance. It is good to note that the color of the diamond has a huge impact on its value.

However, this rule is not to be confused with colored diamonds. Colored diamonds are graded on a separate diamond color scale and can even be more rare or valuable than the diamond.

Top Tips

To help you choose the diamond color that is perfect for you, we have collated a few top tips

Colorless grades

To the untrained eye, most observers cannot distinguish a color grade from D to F, unless the diamonds are compared closely in a controlled environment.

Size or weight of diamond

It is good to note that diamond color is more noticeable in larger diamonds, so you may wish to choose a higher color grading.

Shapes

As a general rule, diamonds with a higher number of facets reflect more light which means they tend to hide color better than those with fewer facets. With that in mind, Round, Princess and other brilliant cuts are good shapes to consider for those opting for a lower color grade.

Metal color and setting

Yellow gold will complement the faint color of the diamond, and this means you can choose lower color grades. Note: a diamond's color becomes much harder to detect once a diamond is set in a ring and placed in natural light.

Group Grading:

For multi-stone items of diamond jewelry such as diamond earrings, diamond eternity rings, Multi-stone pendants etc. we provide a Diamonds Factory & EGL Jewellery Certificate of Authenticity which confirms the combined diamond carat weight and diamond quality for your peace of mind in the quality of your diamond jewelry purchase. As Multi-Stone Diamond jewelry has many diamonds, we offer a range of grading options like color grades D-E, F-G, H-I. It is very difficult to source the specific grade diamond, when many diamonds need to match together exactly.

GIA Color Grading Scale

ColorLess

Near Colorless

FAINT YELLOW

Very Light Yellow

Light Yellow

What Color Diamonds Do You Offer?

We only offer our customers the finest diamonds with a color grade of between D and I. Diamonds graded better than J are colorless or near colorless.

Fluorescence

Fluorescence refers to a diamond's tendency to emit a soft color glow when subjected to ultraviolet light (such as a "black light"). Roughly 30% of diamonds fluoresce to some degree.

A GIA Study Of Diamond Fluorescence:

A study performed in 1997 by the GIA found that the level of fluorescence has no widely perceptible effect on the color appearance or transparency of diamonds when viewed table down (upside down). In the table up position, diamonds of Strong or Very Strong fluorescence appeared to have better color than less fluorescent stones. The effect was most noticeable in the I-K colors.

The visible effects of faint to medium fluorescence are perceptible only to a gemmologist using a special UV light source.

Because the fluorescent glow is usually blue (which is the complementary color to yellow) fluorescence can make diamonds of H-I color appear up to one grade whiter. For this reason, H-I diamonds tend to sell at a slight premium when they possess Medium to Very Strong fluorescence. Overall, fluorescence should not be a major factor in the diamond purchase since its effects on appearance are negligible, if not slightly positive.

Get In Touch

If you'd like to talk to an expert gemologist , or a member of our friendly Customer Care Team about choosing the perfect diamond color for you, please get in touch on 888-888-3959 888-888-3959 or enter into a Live Chat as you prefer.