What to know about the color of your diamond

When purchasing a diamond, there is a lot that goes into the stone that you may not be aware of, like the color. The diamond clarity or color grade is actually dependent on the lack of coloring of the stone. A diamond is graded on the lack of coloring, the clearest diamond being the most brilliant, rare and expensive. The grading system was developed in the 1950s by Richard T. Liddicoat at the Gemological Institute of America and it is still used today.

Diamonds are graded on their color because the clearer the stone, the fewer impurities it gathered throughout the thousands of years it was in the earth. The more yellow the stone looks, the less brilliant it will appear when placed in a setting. And who wants a dull diamond? The color ranges from white, or colorless, to a soft yellow. These tones are also dependent on the tone and saturation of color.

Grading scale

The grading scale ranges from D, which is the lowest and clearest, to X, which is light yellow. Diamonds that are graded from D to F are the most valuable, rare and beautiful, but also the ones with the highest price tag. To the untrained eye, a diamond cut graded between G and I will look colorless. Diamonds graded between J and M may have a slightly noticeable yellow hue to them, but you can ensure that it isn't as stand-out by pairing the stone with an appropriate setting. Some people even prefer the warm glow of a lower grade diamond.

Fancy color diamonds

This grading scale does not include fancy color diamonds, which are green, blue, purple, red, pink, yellow and orange stones. Rubies, sapphires and emeralds are graded more so on the vibrancy of the color. The presence of carbon, similar to diamonds, differentiates these stones from regular colorful gemstones.