DiamondonNet Dictionary
DiamondonNet dictionary of common loose diamonds and diamond jewelry terms in the industry and their meanings.
Click on the letters below and choose the word or phrases you'd like to learn.
Select a Letter: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | SHOW ALL
Color
Refers to the degree to which a diamond is colorless. Diamond color has a significant impact on its value. The color scale ranges from D to Z, from colorless to light yellow. Warmer colored diamonds (K-Z) are particularly desirable when set in yellow gold. Icy winter whites (D-G) look stunning set in white gold or platinum.


Color Grade Diagram



Color Grade
Description
D
 This is the highest Color Grade and absolutely colorless. Price is high due to its rarity but hey, if you can afford it, go ahead...
E
 It is colorless to the unaided eye. Only a trained gemologist using special equipment can determine any color difference between a D- and an E-color diamond. This is considered a rare diamond.
F
 Colorless, a slight color detected by an expert gemologist, but still considered a Colorless grade and a high-quality diamond. This will work with any white gold or platinum.
G
 This diamond is nearly colorless with an extremely faint tint that is noticeable only to a trained gemologist. G-color diamonds are ideal for beautiful jewelry because they offer an outstanding value at a lesser price compared to the colorless grades, but it still appears to be colorless when mounted.
H
 This has an advantage of exceptional value due to the near colorless range. This diamond will appear colorless when mounted on a very slight tint of color.
I

Near-colorless with a slightly detectable tint and is an excellent value.
J
 J, J, J... what can i say. Might look better when viewed in the day. Or even better if you may... less to pay to go for a K.
K
 This grade begins to show a tint of color when they are of half carat or more. If mounted in white color metals, they may appear as a J-grade.
L
 Diamonds graded L show visibly more marked color, and are classified as faintly tinted or colored.
M
 Slightly tinted, the line between an L- and M-grade diamond is so thin.
N - Z
 Color noticeable by the naked eye.


Fancy Color Grade Diagram



Color Grade
Description
FLY

Fancy light yellow.
There is slight yellow tint that can be detected by human eye on this color range. The buyer perception of color for yellow diamonds is confident, intelligent and wordly. Lighter shades are a great value because they still look yellow, yet you can have more size for the money.
FY
 Fancy Yellow.
This color range has yellow hue but less saturated. These stones are very beautiful but less expensive than intense and vivid range.
FI
 Fancy Intense.
Intensity color range for diamonds have richer color and quality. Values of this kind of diamond are higher.
FYV
 Fancy Yellow Vivid.
Vivid yellow diamonds are the rarest and most unique diamonds. These characteristics make it the most expensive kind from any other range.


Grading Natural Fancy Yellow Color Diamond
Range from Vivid to Light


Diagram of Non-fancy Diamond
Range from Z - U
Most diamonds used as gemstones are basically transparent with little tint, or white diamonds. The most common impurity, nitrogen, replaces a small proportion of carbon atoms in a diamond's structure and causes a yellowish to brownish tint.

Beautiful yellow diamonds exist in tones from light yellow to fancy intense vivid yellow, also named Canary Yellow, depending on the concentration of nitrogen when the crystal is formed. Yellow diamonds are more desirable than white diamonds, due to their warm color. In fancy diamonds, inclusions are mostly not noticeable to the naked eye because of its rich color, inclusions does not affect the look or its sparkles not like in clear diamonds.

Natural fancy coloured diamonds are very rare and expensive. Most people believe that yellow diamonds are less desirable and valuable than white diamonds. While this is true of faintly coloured or off-white diamonds, intensely coloured diamonds are very attractive, rare and expensive. The Kimberley Octahedron is the largest diamond in the world at about 616 carats, and is yellow.
Grading fancy color diamonds
Yellow or brown color diamonds having color more intense than "Z", as well as diamonds exhibiting color other than yellow or brown are considered fancy colored diamonds. These diamonds are graded using separate systems which indicate the characteristics of the color, and not just its presence. These color grading systems are similar to those used for other colored gemstones, such as ruby, sapphire, or emerald, than they are to the system used for white diamonds.

GIA colored diamond grading system
The GIA issues grading a Colored Diamond Grading Report for colors that are not in the normal color range of diamonds. Formal GIA terms used to describe natural yellow diamonds:
Fancy Vivid Yellow- Vivid yellow diamonds are the rarest and most unique diamonds. These characteristics make it the most expensive kind from any other range. This range has the richest and most intense hue of all.
Fancy Intense Yellow- Intensity color range for diamonds have richer color and quality. Values of this kind of diamond are higher.
Fancy Yellow- This color range has yellow hue but less saturated. These stones are very beautiful but less expensive than intense and vivid range.
Light Fancy Yellow- There is slight yellow tint that can be detected by human eye on this color range. The buyer perception of color for yellow diamonds is confident, intelligent and wordly. Lighter shades are a great value because they still look yellow, yet you can have more size for the money.
Gran Colorimeter
Color can also be determined using a device called the Gran Colorimeter, manufactured by Sarin Technologies. It measures from D to Z to Fancy Intense with an accuracy within ±½ of a color grade on loose stones from 0.25 to 10 carats (as low as .15 carat or as high as 20 carats with reduced accuracy), and you can specify which grading scale it should use (GIA, GEM, IGI, AGS, HRD, and others). The accuracy is within ±1 color grade for mounted stones. If you diamond is a "G" color it will tell you whether it's a "high G" or a "low G". The Gran colorimeter was first developed by Paul Gran in 1972 at Gran Computer Industries Ltd.