Diamond Color
One of the characteristics of a diamond that makes it such a beautiful object to own and enjoy is the fact that, despite its lack of color, a diamond provides us with a fascinating and wonderful light show of colors and scintillating pinpoints of brilliance. Many things influence the ability of the diamond to provide us with this display. One of them is its color. But didn’t I just say that it has no color? Well, yes I did but diamonds do have color, some more, some less.
Color standards
Usually, when looking for a diamond we look for the clearest and most colorless diamond possible. Less color makes the stone more beautiful, rarer and more expensive. But how can we know how much color a diamond has and whether it has a lot or a little? Once again, there are internationally accepted standards for grading a diamonds color:
· D, E & F – this is the standard describing diamonds that have almost no color. These diamonds are rare and extremely valuable. Within this classification are two sub-divisions: D-E describes diamonds that are almost colorless. F category diamonds have coloring that can only be detected by a qualified gemologist when inspected from the base of the stone.
· G, H, I & J – Diamonds falling within this category are classed as “nearly colorless”. In practice, this means that when viewed from above, no color is evident. However, if placed on a white background and viewed from the bottom (culet) some slight coloration will be visible. It is important to note that once the stone has been set in its mounting, this coloration will be virtually unnoticeable to the untrained eye.
Fluorescence
You may have heard this term used before in relation to diamonds. However, it can be confusing. It does not mean that the stone glows in the dark as some people believe. What it does mean is that some diamonds, when viewed under ultraviolet light will glow. This glow is defined by four terms: inert, faint, medium and strong. Often the glow will be colored. Blue is the most common coloration followed by white, yellow and orange. This glow usually has no effect on the appearance of the diamond when viewed under normal lighting.
How should color influence your choice of diamond?
To be honest, most people cannot tell the difference between colors. However, where the difference is very evident is in the price! If you want the purest of diamonds, you will only buy from the D-F range, and you will pay a high price. If, like most of us, you are shopping on a budget, buying diamonds from the G-I range can provide you with stones that have no apparent color at a very reasonable price.
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