GIA's colour grading scale for diamonds is the industry standard. The scale begins with the letter D (for colourless diamonds - or extremely white) and goes up to Z (for diamonds with a light yellow or brownish tint).

• D, E, F: are colourless
• G, H, I, J: are near-colourless
• 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 colour grade to another, the colour distinction is so subtle as to be invisible to the untrained eye, while jumps in colour grades make the distinction clearly visible.

Diamonds are valued by how closely they come to being colourless. The less colour, the higher their value.

The exception to this is fancy colours. Diamonds actually come in every colour 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 colours, but they are generally less valuable than the other colours.

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 colour, the more expensive obviously.

• If you want a white diamond:

You do not need to buy a D colour diamond to have a beautiful white diamond.

EXPERT TIP: We suggest going for a G, H or I, J colour 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 rose gold for your ring. By contrast, your diamond will appear much whiter!

• If you opt for a faint yellow/champagne colour 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” colour! If the cut and clarity grades are high, you can obtain a very beautiful diamond, and at a much lower price than a colourless one!

Both diamonds displayed below have an Si2 clarity, a 1.00-carat weight, and an oval shape. Only differences: colour… and PRICE! The D graded colour diamond costs almost 2.500 euros more than its champagne K colour counterpart. Which one would you go for?

At My Diamond Ring, you can customise your own engagement ring by choosing your diamond. Explore our selection of over 5,000 natural and lab-grown diamonds in various sizes, colours and price ranges, making it easy to find the perfect diamond to suit your style and budget, with options starting at just €350.

LEARN MORE: Choose your own engagement ring in 3 easy 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. All of our lab-grown diamonds are IGI certified.

MORE: Why do I need a diamond certificate?

MORE: GIA vs. IGI: What’s the Difference?