DIAMOND COLOUR
Likely the most misunderstood of the 4 C's, learn everything you need to know about cut.
What is Diamond Colour?
Arguably the most important of the fours C’s, color is the quality most easily seen by even the untrained eye without magnification.
It is important to note that color variations are often very subtle and when we speak of color in a diamond, we are speaking about the body color of the stone itself and not the reflected color from the light as it passes through the facets. In gauging the most desired color of a diamond, we are generally speaking about a lack of color or a diamond as near colorless as possible. A chemically pure and structurally perfect diamond has no color, like a drop of the purest water.
What is the “Best” Diamond Colour?
While often asked, this question misses the most important issue of what is the best color diamond for you. Diamond color like clarity, cut and carat weight are features of a diamond. What is “best” depends on what is important to you. Everyone wants a diamond that looks great but which features (color. cut, clarity, or carat weight) matter most will depend on your individual taste and budget. Our experts will be happy to assist you in prioritizing the color, clarity, cut, and carat weight that best match the look you want and stay within your budget.
Diamond Colour Scale
Diamonds naturally occur in a wide range of colours from absolutely colorless to the rare fancy shades of pink, blue, and bright yellow among others. While fancy colour diamonds do exist, here we will concern ourselves with what most people want in a diamond and that means as little color as possible. The universally accepted color grading scale for diamonds was developed by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) to allow people all over the world to have a common description for the various colors of diamonds and to understand the value of what they are buying. This scale for evaluating color begins with a colorless diamond which is considered a “D” color.
Why Does the Colour Scale Start at ‘D’?
Why does the scale start with D rather than A? Prior to GIA creating the scale used today, there were different grades used by various people with multiple meanings. Some started with “A” or were numerical (1, 2, 3 etc.). GIA wanted to start fresh with no similarities to other less understood or proprietary measurements. Today the scale developed by GIA is used by Origin and virtually all other legitimate diamond dealers.
D COLOUR
G COLOUR
J COLOUR
Diamond Color Advice: Settings & Shapes
The color grade of a diamond is judged when it is not mounted. A trained gemologist looks at the loose diamond through the side of the stone rather than the top. They use a set of pre-graded comparison stones seen side by side with the diamond being graded in a controlled environment to eliminate any reflected color. If a diamond exactly matches a comparison stone that is the grade assigned. If it is between two grades such as darker than F but lighter than H, then it would be assigned a G color grade. Diamonds can reflect colors not present in the stone. For that reason nearly all mountings offered by Origin feature prongs that are either white gold or platinum to minimize any reflection caused by a choice of yellow or pink gold used in the mounting. By and large, the body color of a diamond is likely to be more apparent in shapes with less depth or faceting such as emerald-cut diamonds. Round brilliant diamonds, especially ones with “Good” or better-cut grades offer more fire and scintillation making any body color less obvious when mounted.
White Diamonds vs Fancy Colored Diamonds
“Fancy” colored diamonds are quite rare in nature. Their color is usually caused by the presence of a chemical such as nitrogen which will create a yellow diamond or boron which creates a blue color. Fancy colored diamonds have color as their primary grading feature and may be termed as “Fancy Light”, “Fancy Deep” or “Fancy Intense” depending on the hue and depth of color present in a particular diamond. Some colored diamonds are also the result of treatment or “enhancement” that is applied to less desirable color diamonds that are still within the traditional scale. Fancy color diamonds are most commonly used in fashion-oriented fine jewelry. Fine white diamonds remain the standard in bridal jewelry.
white yellow orange red blue Pink Purple cognac black
Diamond Color & Origin Diamonds
All the diamonds sold by Origin Diamonds have an accompanying certificate from IGI (International Gemological Institute) with color grade clearly stated. We offer diamond colors from D through K. This ensures that you will have a diamond that faces up without any distracting color visible. You will also see a specific grade in the item description. The diamond's features of color, cut, clarity, and carat weight all impact the diamond’s cost. However, as they say, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” therefore only you can be the judge of the diamond that is right for you. Our experts are well trained to help you to choose the diamond and ring style that will be the perfect choice for you.
Diamond Color FAQ
“Will a yellow gold setting bring out the yellow in a diamond?”
Not necessarily. You will find that all the yellow and rose gold mountings sold by Origin have the center diamond set in white gold prongs. If a diamond has a lower color rating, then the stone may show more of a yellow color if it is also set using yellow gold prongs. With white gold prongs, that concern is eliminated. It is really the color of the prongs surrounding the diamond that may affect the color displayed not the ring itself. If the mounting you choose is all yellow gold, including the prongs, then we would suggest the diamond with the highest color grade, that is affordable for you, would be the best choice.
“Will the side diamonds in the mounting match my center diamond?”
Side diamonds in Origin mountings are a minimum G-H color and SI clarity. Please note that these are minimum grades and the actual diamonds will be chosen to best highlight your center diamond. Because of their small size and good clarity and color, they will look great with any center diamond we offer.
“I have heard jewelers refer to certain diamonds as “warm”. What does that mean?”
This is an old term usually referring to a diamond with faint yellow body color. There are some people who prefer this look. For the most part, none of our diamonds have a low enough grade to be called warm.
“What about the diamond studs offered by Origin? Are these good color and clarity?”
All diamond studs offered by Origin are a minimum J color and SI1 – SI2 clarity grade. This is better than most diamond studs commonly offered by department stores and chain retail jewelers. In general, most people prefer to spend less for the diamond in earrings than for rings because unlike a ring, they are less exposed to view at all times and when they are, they receive less light than a ring. Our stud earrings offer a beautiful choice and excellent value.