Ericjewelry

Color

The Essential 7C's

For white or colourless diamonds (as opposed to coloured diamonds, which is a whole different story), the diamond industry has adopted an alphabetical colour scale from D to Z, with D as the highest grading. As you go down the scale, the diamond starts to develop a yellow or brown tint.

Experts in the world of diamonds determine the colour by comparing a diamond against a master set of diamonds of different colours. Without comparing diamonds side by side, it is very difficult to see the difference between a D and a G.

Completely colourless diamonds (such as D and E) are much rarer than others which is why they come with a higher pricing premium. The key question is always where to draw the line when choosing the colour of a diamond - how far can you compromise colour before the diamond is too tinted? The answer to this question is relative to your budget and quality expectations.

Expert Tip 1

For colourless diamonds the differences between D to G are barely visible but can offer 20 to 40% better value. D is generally more for the investor or diamond connoisseur.

Expert Tip 2

H graded diamonds are often considered on the border between premium colourless and tinted diamonds, and therefore offer great value without any visible yellow or brown tint unless compared side by side with a whiter diamond.

Expert Tip 3

I and J colours will generally face up white from the top, but you will be able to detect slight yellow or brown tints when viewed from multiple angles. Ericjewelry highly recommend staying with GRA only for these colour grades, as any other certificate in this range is likely to fall below your colour expectations.

Expert Tip 4

K and L are acceptable on a GRA certificate in terms of tint if that major compromise is needed to reach size within a budget. Ericjewelry strongly recommend setting these diamonds in Yellow or Rose Gold jewellery to make the diamond appear less tinted.

Grades

Color D

Colour D
D is the highest colour grade attributed to a diamond, denoting that the stone is completely colourless (white); as such, they are extremely rare and command the highest prices.

Color E

Colour E
The colour difference between a D and an E graded stone is usually only visible to an expert gemmologist using master stones as a comparison, although E graded stones are slightly cheaper.

Color F

Colour F
The colour difference between an E and an F is only visible to an expert gemmologist using master stones as a comparison. F grades are the lowest and therefore least expensive of the premium colours.

Color G

Colour G
G graded diamonds are nearly colourless and a slight colour difference only become perceptible when compared to diamonds of grades D or E. G stones appear colourless especially once set and therefore offer excellent value for money.

Color H

Colour H
H coloured diamonds are near colourless diamonds which still appear totally white or colourless if they are not compared side by side with higher colour graded stones. The H colour is generally considered the watershed between colourless diamonds and slightly tinted diamonds.

Color I

Colour I
I coloured diamonds are very slightly tinted diamonds, however, once set in jewellery, these stones may appear colourless. If you are looking to maximize your budget, then an I coloured diamond offers great value for money.

Color J

Colour J
J coloured diamonds are very slightly tinted diamonds, however, once set in jewellery, especially in yellow gold, it is harder to see the slight yellow tint which the J grade produces.

Color K

Colour K
K coloured diamonds are slightly tinted diamonds, however, once set in jewellery, especially in yellow gold, it is harder to see the slight yellow tint which the K grade produces.

Color L

Colour L

Seventy Seven Diamonds currently offers only stones in the higher range of D-J, as these are the only grades we recommend, however, lower clarity grades can be made available on special request.

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