Diamond Information: Color
While it might seem easy to look at a diamond and say, simply, that it's colorless, it isn't that simple. In fact, jewelers and experts take special care in ascertaining just how colorless a diamond is. The Gemological Institute of America created a color scale for rating diamonds that ranges from "D" (colorless) to "Z" (light yellow). In theory, the most desirable stones are those that are colorless. But when shopping for diamond jewelry, it's really up to you to decide whether the slight differences in colorlessness are even noticeable. Most consumers shopping for diamonds select those that range from D to J. Those stones rated D, E or F are considered "colorless," while stones rated G, H, I and J are considered "near colorless." Most untrained consumers can't tell the difference on the scale until a stone is rated I. The color of a diamond will likely impact up to 15 percent of its overall retail value.
Variations in color
Diamonds are composed entirely of carbon and slight chemical reactions in the stones can cause changes in color. In fact, diamonds come in a variety of colors including yellow, green or blue. Hints of nitrogen can turn diamonds yellow, and boron will turn a diamond blue. These colored diamonds can be very rare and valuable. Many jewelers call these truly colored diamonds "fancy" diamonds. They can be extremely expensive and are becoming popular in jewelry design today. The most common fancy diamond is yellow. If you find a "fancy" diamond, it isn't likely to be very large; they generally are cut to show off their color and not necessarily their clarity. These stones are evaluated slightly different than the traditional colorless diamond scale. Instead of degrees of colorlessness, these fancy stones are graded on a nine-stage scale from "Faint" to "Fancy Vivid." The Gemological Institute of America labels fancy diamonds according to these categories:
- Faint
- Very Light
- Light
- Fancy Light
- Fancy
- Fancy Intense
- Fancy Dark
- Fancy Deep
- Fancy Vivid
If you find a pink fancy stone that is labeled FLP, it has been graded Fancy Light Pink. Yellow is the most commonly found fancy diamond. These stones can be enhanced by heat, but these treatments also will diminish their value dramatically. If you are in the market for a fancy diamond, be sure to inquire as to whether they are naturally colored or feature enhanced color.
Diamonds and settings
The type of setting you choose can affect the way your stone's color appears. For example, platinum or white gold settings will make any inherent yellow hues in a stone more obvious. Conversely, yellow gold could cover up any yellow-ish colors that are native to a diamond. You may prefer to have a stone that has some color, but if you want a colorless stone you should look at a platinum or white gold setting.
