The engagement ring of Selena Gomez
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All about Color
- UPDATED:
The color of a diamond ranges from D to Z, D being the whitest!
The GIA color scale
GIA´s color grading scale for diamonds is the industry standard. The scale begins with the letter D (for colorless diamonds - or extremely white) and goes up to Z (for diamonds with a light yellow or brownish tint).
- D, E, F: are colorless
- G, H, I, J: are near-colorless
- K, L, M: have a faint yellow tint
- N, O, P, Q, R: have a very light yellow tint
- S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z: have a light yellow tint
From a color grade to another, the color distinction is so subtle as to be invisible to the untrained eye, while jumps in color grades make the distinction clearly visible.
Price vs color: the exception of fancy color diamonds
Diamonds are valued by how closely they come to being colorless. The less color, the higher their value.
The exception to this is fancy colors. Diamonds actually come in every color you can think of. Red, green, purple, and orange are generally the rarest, followed by pink and blue. Yellows and browns are the most common fancy colors, but they are generally less valuable than the other colors.
NB: A Z diamond is already yellow, but is still too faint to be called “fancy”. With fancy diamonds, the more intense and vivid the color, the more expensive obviously.
Which color should you go for?
- If you want a white diamond:
You do not need to buy a D color diamond to have a beautiful white diamond.
EXPERT TIP: We suggest going for a G, H or I, J color to still have a very white looking diamond to the naked eye!
- If you want your diamond to look whiter than it is:
You may want your diamond to look extremely white, while not having the budget for it.
EXPERT TIP: Choose yellow or pink gold for your ring. By contrast, your diamond will appear much whiter!
- If you opt for a faint yellow/champagne color diamond:
You can also go lower than I and decide to go for a faint yellow diamond (K to M). Faint yellow diamonds are also very attractive and described by many as having a “champagne” color! If the cut and clarity grades are high, you can obtain a very beautiful diamond, and at a much lower price than a colorless one!
Both diamonds displayed below have an SI2 clarity, a 1.00-carat weight, and an oval shape. Only differences: color… and PRICE! The D graded color diamond costs almost 2.500 euros more than its champagne K color counterpart. Which one would you go for?
Choose your own diamond!
At My Diamond Ring, you can configure your own engagement ring by choosing your diamond. We offer more than 5000 diamonds in different qualities and price ranges, in order for you to find the diamond that meets your expectations and budget.
LEARN MORE: How to configure your engagement ring in 3 simple steps
LEARN MORE: Diamond Buying Guide - All the tutorials you need to find the perfect diamond!
No matter what you choose, the important thing is that you like the diamond. All diamonds we offer are GIA certified and have been mined under the conditions of the Kimberley Agreement. This guarantees an ethical supply and production chain and prohibits trade with conflict regions worldwide.