Color
Diamonds are found in a vast spectrum of colors. For most diamonds, though, a lack of color is what gives them beauty and value. The closer to colorless a diamond is, the more valuable it is. That said, there are diamonds sought after because of their extreme color. These "fancy colors" include Reds (Pinks), Blues, Greens, and Fancy Intense Yellow.
Graded on a scale from D (Colorless) to Z (Light Yellow), diamonds darker than Z are termed "fancy yellow." From that point, they gain value as they gain color.
Our discussion, however, will concentrate on the colorless (grades of D-E-F) and near-colorless (G-H-I-J) diamonds. The chart below illustrates the color quality of each grade:
[Diamond Color Diagram]
| Diamond Colors |
| D | Perfectly colorless. |
| E | Colorless: remote color only a gemologist can detect. |
| F | Colorless: subtle color only a gemologist can detect. |
| G-H | Near-colorless: Modestly perceptible color. |
| I-J | Near-colorless. Barely perceptible color. |
| K-M | Perceptible color. |
| N-Z | Perceptible color. |
The Right Color
Those who insist on perfection and for whom budget is not a consideration, should look at colorless diamonds with a grade of D-F. However, diamonds with no noticeable color to the unaided eye are great values; these near-colorless diamonds of grade G-I are the ones we recommend for anyone on a budget.