Artical Details

Dr. Mohan Mulcahy

Has a PhD in the sociology of diamond valuation from the London School of Economics. Enjoys chatting about diamond engagement rings. And her cat.

• Lower color grades of 3-4 grades will not be detectable from higher color grades with an untrained eye.
• Opting for a slightly lower color grade with higher cut or carat weight can save budget, but a reminder that color becomes more obvious with a larger diamond.
• Choosing a diamond with a lower color grade set with a contrasting metal ring setting or slightly lower color grade side diamonds can make the center stone appear whiter.
• Some diamond shapes with a low color grade will appear more yellow than round brilliant cut diamonds of the same grade.

Diamond Color Grade Scale

Fun fact: diamonds are graded face down. It allows the grader to accurately assess the color without the distraction of the sparkle and brilliance the stone exhibits from the table top.

Each loose diamond is not looked at on its own, but is compared to a set of ‘master stones’ (usually a set of CZ stones in every color grade). The grader will pop the diamond face down on a white surface and then match up that particular stone with the identical colored master stone. “Why should I care about this, Rian?” I hear you cry. Well this information is valuable to you for two reasons, so quit your hollering. First and foremost, a diamond’s color actually looks very different from table-top and face-down or side perspectives:

From left to right we have a D H and J color in the colorless diamond range. As you can see (especially when it comes to the D and H), there is a fairly subtle difference when examined from the table-top position. And here’s where you come in my friend; you will not be scrutinising the color of your diamond from a face-down position, because it will most likely be placed in a beautiful ring setting for you and/or your partner to show off.

Secondly, unless you and/your partner plan you carry around a full set of GIA master stones in your pocket to show people the definitive color grade (weird), then you are unlikely to encounter a situation whereby your diamond color will be scrutinised to such a degree. The closest you might get to that scenario is if you choose a diamond wedding band, which can easily be picked so as to enhance the beauty of the engagement ring stone. Simple!

"You see, the visual difference between a ‘D’ and a ‘G’ will only be obvious when held directly next to each other, but the price differential will be substantial."

So, which color is the best value for money? This is completely up to you, but I do have a few nuggets of information that will hopefully help you make a decision that is right for you. Let’s begin with those top-o-the-range colorless babies. The cream of the crop. The best of the best. The crème de la crème (OK I’m done). For this range, I’m going to give you the same advice I gave you with regards to clarity - unless there is a specific reason why you really want a colorless stone (which is totally fine), it doesn’t make a huge amount of financial sense to fork out on these with the highest color grade.

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