Diamond - Color

The most important thing to know about color is--the less of it a diamond has, the more valuable it is. This is because the less color a diamond itself has, the more purely it can refract the light that enters it, making it sparkle with brilliance and fire. Diamond colors range from colorless to slightly yellow or brown, to more rare and costly pink, green or blue stones (commonly referred to as “fancy” diamonds). Excluding “fancy” diamonds, the ideal color for a diamond is colorless, although this is extremely rare.

Color is evaluated by comparing it to the High Council of Diamonds color scale (called Master Stones), which rates the visible amount of body color as seen through the side of the diamond. A diamond’s color is most accurately determined when it is not mounted in a setting, since settings can add tints of their own color into the diamond. This is more evident in yellow gold settings, and less so in white gold and platinum settings. Even a trained professional can’t always tell the difference between close grades of color in a diamond if it is still mounted in a setting. For this reason, gemological laboratories such as the High Council of Diamonds (HRD) will only grade diamonds that are unmounted.

The color grading system for diamonds uses the letters of the alphabet from D through Z. Each letter represents a different grade of color. (See illustration below) Diamonds with a color grade of D, E or F are considered colorless; G, H, I and J are near colorless; K, L and M have a faint yellow tint; N, O, P, Q and R have a very light yellow tint and S, T, U, V, W, X, Y and Z are light yellow. A diamond that is a D color is absolutely colorless, and is therefore the most valuable. However, it’s important to understand that color alone does not determine the value of a diamond. Its value is based on a number of factors, most important of which are the 4Cs, cut, color, clarity and carat weight. A diamond of D color that has imperfections or is poorly cut is not as valuable as a stone of a lower color grade that has a superior Cut and Clarity.

Because D, E and F are the highest color grade for diamonds, they are also the most valuable. Diamonds can have a color grade as low as X, Y and Z. These diamonds will have a visibly yellow color and are considered less desirable than diamonds with a D, E or F color grading. A diamond with a “D” color is considered to be colorless, and is therefore the most valuable. If a diamond’s color is more intense than “Z”, it is considered “fancy”. Fancy diamonds garner higher prices than even light yellow diamonds.

A diamond’s color also has a great impact on its cost. Since ‘colorlessness’ is the most sought-after trait in terms of color, diamonds that are higher up on the color scale (e.g. D, E, F) will command higher prices.

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