Diamond Color and The Valuation of Diamond Jewelry

When establishing the quality and value of a diamond, color is one of the four main characteristics that are taken into account, known as the four Cs. The other three qualities include cut, clarity, and carat weight. If you plan to buy a diamond jewelry accessory or a loose diamond, it is important to know what the four Cs of diamonds are.
Diamond Color refers to the presence or absence of color in white diamonds.

A colorless diamond can be likened to a transparent window, which is perfect for light to pass through. When light passes through a colorless diamond it produces the maximum fire and brilliance. Because there are very few diamonds that are genuinely colorless, expectedly those that are whiter have greater value than the rest.
The GIA’s professional color scale is used by most jewelers when grading the whiteness or colorlessness of a diamond. In this color scale, colorless diamonds are given the highest grade of D. The color scale goes through the alphabet to grade diamonds that are nearly colorless (G-H-I-J); faintly tinted and are usually yellow (K-L-M); lightly tinted and are usually yellow (N-O-P-Q-R); and tinted and are usually yellow to brownish (S-T-U-V-W-X-Y-Z).

Those diamonds that are graded D through F are rare and so expectedly, they are the ones with the highest value. But it’s still possible to acquire an attractive diamond that is a little less than colorless. Diamonds with G through I grades are almost colorless, at least to an untrained eye. The faint tint of yellow seen in diamonds graded J through M can be reduced through a meticulous selection of the right setting for your diamond.

Setting, as well as other factors such as fluorescence and diamond color treatment, can influence a diamond’s color. The setting you choose for your diamond can help in enhancing its color. For instance, to make a light yellow tinted diamond appear whiter it is best to mount it in either a platinum or white gold setting. Choosing a yellow-gold setting will only enhance this diamond’s yellowish tint.

Whether or not a diamond has fluorescence is usually indicated in diamond reports issued by GIA or other diamond labs. Diamond fluorescence refers to a diamond’s tendency to change its color when exposed to ultraviolet radiation. Under UV light, those diamonds that generate a blue reaction look whiter or more colorless. Diamonds that produce a yellow reaction look more yellowish when exposed to some lighting conditions.

Diamond color treatment is a process developed by the Diamond Jewelry industry in an effort to turn unattractive diamonds into those that consumers demand. High Pressure High Temperature Treatment (HPHT) is a technique utilized by many companies to dramatically transform diamonds, such as the unpopular brownish diamond, into a more costly colorless diamond. Another method used to enhance a diamond’s color is called coating, in which a substance is used to mask the yellowish tint in a diamond. Unlike HPHT which produces a permanent change in a diamond, coatings applied to a diamond are just temporary.

Though a diamond’s color grade can affect its price, it shouldn’t be the most important thing to consider when buying a diamond. If you’re tight on budget, you can still have diamonds with lower grades and still possess a beautiful and fine gem that is most suitable for you.