Best Diamond Color
When it comes to buying a diamond, what most people notice first is the color. Color refers to the diamond’s natural body color. So, the color of a diamond serves as one of the important factors that affects the value of this precious gem. The white diamonds are the finest and most expensive. A trace of brownish or yellowish tint is showed mostly on those diamonds. But there also are diamonds in every color of the rainbow. One an say that the most beautiful diamonds are simply natural colored diamonds.
How to evaluate a diamond color?
There are color differences in white diamonds, from one grade to the next subtle one. A mounted diamond has a low chance of seeing the differences between the grades. Always remember that a mounted diamond can’t have an accurate grade color. However, even a non-diamond expert can spot the color differences of the stones in an unmounted diamond when viewed properly.
Due to the dispersion and high brilliance of the diamonds, the color grade can’t be accurately determined by just having a look on the stone from the top, or face-up, position. The best thing to do in observing the color is to examine the stone by the pavilion with the table down. You can do this by making use of a flat white surface such as a grading trough, a white business card, or the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). Then, you can view the stone with the pavilion side down and the culet that is pointing toward you.
What is diamond body color?
When we talk about the diamond body color, we talk about the huge amount of brown or yellow tint that is seen on a white or colorless diamond. Countries like America and Russia are grading most of their white diamonds in an alphabetical scale starting from the letter D, meaning it is the rarest, finest, and most colorless diamond that continues down to letter Z. Each letter next to the letter D means an increased amount of brownish or yellowish tinge to the body color.
Understanding the diamond body color is easy. You just have to keep in mind that the letters closer to the letter D indicates a whiter diamond while the letters closer to the letter Z indicates a more yellowish or brownish diamond.
The grading system with its corresponding letters is part of the diamond grading system of the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). It is widely used in the diamond trade all over the world. Grades E to F is exceptionally fine diamonds and can be referred to as colorless although E and F are technically not colorless since there is a very slight trace of yellow. However, the trade agrees them to be referred to as colorless.
What color grade is most desirable?
The diamonds having the colors D to F are all grouped as exceptionally white or colorless diamonds. They are commonly described with this by the diamond dealers. The colors G and H are referred to as rare white or fine white. All these grades are considered as very good. I and J colors are slightly tinted white. The colors K and L are showing a yellowish or brownish tint but usually mask the slight tint by settings. The colors M to Z show a progressive more tint color and have a definite yellowish or brownish cast. Diamonds having a strong yellowish or brownish tint are commonly referred to as cape stones in trade.
The diamond color D to J seems to have a better resale potential compared to the K to Z diamond color. This does not imply that a very tinted diamonds means it is unattractive or undesirable. They can still be a lovely piece of jewelry considering the other quality factors of a diamond and the overall personality color as well. Always remember that even if the diamond color is important, it is just one of the four factors that you should learn in weighing your judgment to the whole stone. There is a website that provides good and general information on diamond color – Yourdiamondteacher.
Diamond 4Cs
What does the 4Cs of diamonds stand for?
The first ‘C’ is the carat weight of the diamond. One carat is about 200 milligrams so a diamond with less than one carat is usually the equivalent of one one-hundredth of a carat (2 mg, or 0.01 carat). Generally, the diamond’s price per carat increases directly proportional to the diamond’s carat weight. The larger the size of the diamond means the higher the cost. Hence, this factor should be adapted to the preferences and the budget.
Perhaps, the cut of a diamond is the most important of the 4Cs and can improve the overall quality, value, and beauty of that diamond. There will be a less sparkle if the diamond has a poor cut and might not show the full actual visual size to the weight ratio too. This is frequently the case with the USA-based diamonds that are under the expensive “hearts & arrows” or the “ideal” diamond cut. These cuts are set to its proportions that allow the visual size to be impaired when there’s a comparison of a diamond cut to another set of proportions.
Color is another important factor of a diamond. The color ranges from the whitest “D” to the most yellow “Z.” The first 5 colors belong in the “white” range, while the next three belong to the “light-tinted” range and “tinted” range from L down.
Your personal preference and your budget will determine the diamond color of your choice. However, don’t go for the color below the “K” color range if you plan to get a diamond set in white metal. The “H” color range is the borderline for the eye that doesn’t perceive any diamond “tints.”
The fourth important factor is the clarity. It ranges from internally flawless (IF) through VVS1, VVS2, VS1, VS2, SI1, SI2, I1, I2 to I3. The ‘V’ stands for ‘very’, the ‘S’ for ‘slight’, and the ‘I’ for ‘inclusion.’
Diamonds from SI2 below will not be eye-clean. This means the flaws or imperfections will be seen with the naked eye. Once within the I2 to I3 imperfection the refractive qualities of the diamond will be impaired too. Imperfections can be colored as well as kept to white and can be situated on the side or in the center of the diamond. In this way, it will influence the value of the diamond.
Lastly, there is a 5th important factor when buying diamonds; that is the confidence that you have for yourself and your supplier. Best of luck in buying your diamond jewelry. May you find the one that best suits your personality and budget.