Color of a diamond
A diamond’s color refers to how clear or yellow it is. Basically, the highest quality diamonds are totally achromatic, although lower-quality diamonds can usually have a slight yellow tint.
The highest color grade for a diamond is “D”.” D” color diamonds are very scarce and are generally found in customary jewelry. Most diamonds use in jewelry have a minor presence of color. Diamond color rating is one of the features of diamond grading that is done completely with naked eye. It is possible for diamonds to have a very high concentration of fascinating color. These diamonds are known as Fancy and they can be found in wide diversity of colors including yellow, pink, blue, green and the rarest of all, red. Your intention with diamond color should be to find a diamond that appears colorless. To do this, you don’t need to go to the top of the diamond color scale. Very high grades offer little visible difference, but come with a big increase in price.
When you’re looking for diamonds to buy, the diamond color is one aspect of the purchasing process that you shouldn’t overlook. Opposing to how it sounds, diamond color is determined by the absence of color. The less color present in the diamond the more color is returned. Diamonds also has a big impact on diamond’s look and value.
4Cs of a diamond:
Out of diamond cut, clarity, color, and carat – color is the easiest of the diamond 4 Cs for consumers to evaluate on their own. Diamonds can vary hugely in price based on their color, meaning that picking the right color for your specific needs could help you save a lot of money. If you are sure, you want a diamond that is in the colorless range, you can go for F color – it is the cheapest colorless grade, and the dissimilarity between it and D color won’t be observable with the naked eye. G and H colors of diamonds look rationally white, and the only time you may observe a difference between them and a colorless stone as if you put them next to each another, and then, the difference will be sight.
Most natural diamonds have some type of light yellow or brown tint to them – only the rarest of gem quality diamonds have totally no color tint. When it comes to shopping for a diamond, there are lots of variables to choose. You need to be well aware of the 4 Cs of diamonds: Cut, Carat, Clarity, Color which actually gives you an overview how to choose the best color and clarity of a diamond.
What Gemological Institute of America (GIA) says about diamond colors:
The G.I.A (Gemological Institute of America) grades diamond color using the following grading ranges and letter grades: Colorless (G, H, I and J grades), Faint Yellow (K, L and M) , Very Light Yellow (grades N to R ), and Light Yellow ( S to Z ). If you are searching for a diamond that will not show any color tint to unskilled eye, stick with diamonds with a GIA color grade of D-I or an AGS color grade of 0-3.49.
Diamond Colors:
Diamonds are not just found in a colorless form but, although found far less frequently, there are myriad of color combinations as well. Color diamonds exist with different hues of pink, yellow, green, blue, red, purple, violet, orange, gray, black, fancy white or a combination of two or more of these colors. However, as a result of its rarity, supply, and demand certain colors are considered far more valuable than others which also shows the clarity of a diamond. On the whole, the best color for a diamond is the color that best fits your personal tastes and preferences, the shape of the diamond, the metal used for the setting and your budget. The color of a diamond plays a foremost role to gauge the quality and so as its value.
Clarity of a diamond:
Diamond’s clarity is the second most important of the diamond 4 Cs which can impact the optical quality of a diamond and its durability. A diamond’s clarity is the quality of diamonds that are associated to the existence and clear appearance of internal components of a diamond called inclusions, and surface defects, called blemishes. Diamond clarity can be difficult for consumers to judge just by looking at diamonds.
Five factors to consider diamond’s clarity
Five factors are considered when appointing a diamond’s clarity grade. The size and number of imperfections, their position within the diamond, how they impact its durability, and the noticeable contrast between the imperfections and the diamond itself.
Diamonds Clarity 6 categories and its 11 grades:
The GIA diamond grading scale is divided into 6 categories and 11 diamond clarity grades, where the best diamond clarity rating is Flawless (FL). These are the rarest diamonds in the world; less than 0.05% of all diamonds are Flawless or Internally Flawless and then IF (Internally flawless) diamonds came some small surface mark which may be visible under a microscope, and then VVS1 VVS2 and VVS (very very slightly) these diamonds have minuscule inclusions which is not easy to find with 10x magnification for even trained eyes.
If you are on a budget and want to get the most bang for your buck, it’s recommended that you choose a diamond with a VS2 or SI1 clarity grade. However, if you are buying a diamond that is larger than 1.5 carats, it’s better to buy at least VS3, since inclusions are easy to notice in larger sized diamonds. Diamond clarity is a measure of the purity and rarity of the stone, graded by the observance of these characteristics under 10-power magnification. A stone is classify as flawless if , under 10-power magnification, no inclusions ( internal flaws) and no blemishes ( external imperfections) are visible. If the flaws are hidden well, you could actually find yourself with a nice diamond for a decent price. It is when you get into the area of I1, I2 and I3 that you are not going to see a lot of intensity, fire an rarity. These are highly included stones. Some have feathers, and many have small black carbon inclusion very visible to the naked eye.
Most diamonds have flaws and imperfections. After IF, comes VVS1. Very slightly included. 99% of people on this earth would never be able to tell the difference and though they are still quite exorbitant, not nearly as expensive as an internally flawless stone. Clarity is often a “Mind Clean” issue rather than a Necessity. The most important question when it comes to clarity is whether it is worth it to pay a premium for a Flawless or Internally Flawless stone. In reality, diamonds graded VS2 or SI1 do not look much different when worn. Since diamonds come in numerous different shapes and cut quality grades, there isn’t a single “best” clarity grade for every type of diamond. The reason for this is that different types od diamonds show inclusions differently. It is also important to note that diamonds with the fewest and smallest inclusions receive the highest clarity grades – and higher price tags to reflect that. Diamonds with higher clarity grades are more valued, with the exceedingly rare “Flawless” graded diamond fetching the highest price. A clarity grade is assigned based on the overall appearance of the stone under ten times magnification four loupes used in the gem world. Each diamond is unique but in general, VI and SI are the finest value for diamond clarity. For the best value, select a diamond with additions that can’t be seen through the crown without magnification so that determine the clarity and color of a diamond.