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 |
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Range from Vivid
to Light
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Diagram of Non-fancy
Diamond
Range from Z - U
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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.
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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.
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GIA colored diamond
grading system
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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:
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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.
|
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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.
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