Key Info
Typically when hearing the word colour, we think of the presence of colour and different shades. With white diamonds, colour refers to the absence of colour.
Diamonds come in many colours, white, pink, yellow, blue, black, red, green etc. White diamonds being the most sought after.
Some diamonds are colourless, some have coloured tints to it, lighting conditions also play a part in this too.
Diamonds are categorised as 'colourless' or 'fancy coloured'. Colourless diamonds are graded from D - Z (colourless - light colour). Diamonds graded between D to F colour are very icy, bright and the most white in the spectrum, for engagement rings these are the most popular choices.
High colour graded diamonds are determined by the lack of colour.
Low colour graded diamonds have a slight yellow - brown tint.
Fancy coloured diamonds, like yellow and pink diamonds, are not graded on a colour scale like colourless diamonds are, but are graded based on their intensity.
The higher the colour grading the higher the price will be, unless there are other quality flaws which will drive the price down.
The presence of nitrogen in a diamond can cause slight yellowing on the diamond.
Below is a diamond colour chart developed by GIA. You’ll notice little to no difference between colours D - F, a very mild change as you enter G, from H you'll see a small yellow tint, onwards you’ll see this tint intensify. In reality D - H are the relevant colours.
Setting & Diamond Colour
The setting style, metal, design and shape of the diamond can impact the perceived colour.
Some lower graded diamonds can appear colourless as a solitaire, the untrained eye will struggle to identify any difference. When the diamond is accompanied with a halo you'll notice an immediate shade difference, as the smaller diamonds tend to be in the D - G colour range and a combination of small diamonds' sparkle more and look more bright than a single lower graded diamond.
The colour of the metal also plays a part, whiter colours are better in white metals (18k white gold or platinum). Darker metals like rose or yellow gold can blend with a lower colour diamond and not highlight its low colour, while white metals highlight the low colour.
What do the different diamond grades mean?
D - F: Colourless
D: Top colour grade, no tints of brown, yellow, green, completely colourless, highest grade a diamond can get. The peak of quality, emits brilliance, with a premium price most of the time.
E: 2nd best colour grade, essentially the same as D colour in reality, excellent brilliance and sparkle, you have an extremely similar look to D colour but make a small saving in the process.
F: Clean to the eye and hard for the naked eye to differ from the higher colours. There may be miniscule colour traces but not visible to the naked eye, you need strong magnification and a trained eye to spot any colour traces. Colourless high quality diamond with far less premiums paid.
G - J: Near Colourless
G: Perfect balance of beauty and budget. Best colour of the near colourless range. G colour boasts an outstanding appearance at a more affordable price than the higher colour diamonds.
H: Value for money diamond, has excellent quality and appearance with a very subtle tint of yellow.
I & J: Shows slight colouring, especially when side by side with other diamonds, if the diamond has been cut well it can seem colourless to the untrained eye.
K - M: Tinted
The presence of colour is more noticeable upon close inspection, these colours offer great value for money as you’re able to go bigger in carat weight (diamond size) while still having beauty and fire from your diamond.
N - R: Very Light Colour
The tint is more pronounced with little to no whiteness to be found, you can achieve a nice sparkle but this is purely down to the quality the diamond was cut to.
S - Z: Light Colour
You’ll see the presence of colour with the naked eye, they’re often undesirable as it is an awkward colour that doesn’t suit most jewellery or outfits.
How Are Diamonds Colour Graded?
Diamonds are upside down when colour graded, to lower light interference. Then they’re put on a pure white background in natural lighting conditions, then compared with a set of master stones to determine a grade.
The grader determines the colour grade based on the saturation of colour against the master stones.
If a diamond looks between two grades, for example F and G, it will be given the lower grade, in this case G (some may call it G+).
Awarding the lower grade usually happens with GIA as they’re intense in scrutiny, so if GIA issues a certificate for a high spec diamond, then it is a really good diamond, other certifiers may call a diamond D colour grade while GIA call it E or F.
GIA (Gemological Institute of America), are a leading firm of diamond graders & certifiers.
What's the cause of the colours in white diamonds?
Low grade diamonds can vary in its white colour, it can have brown, yellow and green tones and more. Why? Trace elements can be found within the pure carbon diamond which boosts the presence of colour. Nitrogen causes brown and yellow tints. The more nitrogen there is, the stronger the colour will be.
Fancy coloured diamonds also have trace elements that make their colour, e.g blue diamonds have boron. Some diamonds are coloured due to the crystal structure, which absorbs most colours in the spectral range, e.g pink diamonds absorbing colours then emit a pink-red light.
What’s the best diamond colour grade to choose
D - F. When there's colour on a diamond it’s very apparent and visible, yes between each grade there's little difference but as you go lower, the colour is more visible and less appealing.
To the naked eye, lower colour is visible, unlike clarity where inclusions are visible under magnification.
More than likely, you're after a white diamond, to achieve this, your colour range should be D - F, the price goes up as the quality goes up. For this high demand colourless diamond, you pay a premium, but there’ll never be a moment where you regret it.
In some cases G is also safe but this depends on the stone shape & size, setting style and metal colour, so you can achieve the colourless look and make a saving. If you're working with a slimmer budget, you can consider G - H colour grades. Beyond H the price drops notably as well as the quality, yellow/brown tints are easily visible.
As mentioned earlier, the colour of the metal would also influence which diamond colour to go for. If you’re going for platinum/white gold, there’ll be a sharp contrast with the metal and off white diamond colour. With yellow/rose gold settings, you can step into G - H colour diamonds, as the metal colour almost masks the off white tint.
Read about Cut, Clarity and Carat.
Want to know more?
If you want more clarification or have any questions, contact us via Instagram @aylahfinejewellery, call us on 0203 196 1630, WhatsApp us on 07785 924722, email us on info@aylahfinejewellery.com. We’ll help you!
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