Diamond colour grading system. D-Z Range. Diamond Colour. The four C's. Diamond Quality.

Diamond Colour Explained

Diamond Clarity Explained Reading Diamond Colour Explained 4 minutes Next She's Your ?

A diamond's value and quality is determined with the help of the 4 C's. Namely, Carat, Cut, Clarity and Colour. 

It is highly important to associate with these factors and learn a bit about them before buying a diamond. Our in store team is always ready to offer you the information required in order for you to make an informed decision. The end goal is not buying a diamond from us, but buying the right diamond for you.

Here we will offer a brief explanation into Colour and how it affects a diamond. 

We talk about colour but what we really want is our diamond to be colourless. This means basically see-through. The less colour the diamond has the higher its quality and value. This of course relates to the diamonds in the D to Z colour range. If a diamond is naturally coloured, for example blue, pink etc then the higher the colour intensity the higher its value.

Here we will focus on the D to Z range and not on coloured diamonds. With that said let us explain the international colour grading system established by the Gemmological Institute of America (GIA). The graph below will help us understand the various colour grades.

Basically we are looking at five categories the Colourless, Near Colourless. Faint, Very Light and Light categories.

Beginning from the Colourless range the diamond is see-through and has no colour to it when looked at a Face-Down and Face-Up position. As we drop to the other categories the diamond begins to show colour which becomes more obvious as we go nearer to Z. A diamond in the Very Light and Light categories can be seen as light yellow, brown or grey.

What is important to remember is that the less colour these diamonds have the better their quality and thus the higher their value.   

Diamonds in the D-F range are more rare and thus more valuable. At Anatol we work with diamonds that fall within the D-H category keeping our standards as high as possible. We are able to source any colour grade requested by the customer but will always educate the customer first as to the importance of a diamonds colour.

Why is it important for a diamond to have no colour? Diamonds with the least colour shine brighter showing off the diamonds luster and brilliance making the diamond more attractive. The untrained eye might not be able to spot differences between a diamond in the D category and the E category but as a diamond descends in colour even the untrained eye will be able to spot the difference between two stones in different colour grades.

Above it is obvious what the difference in colour is between a D and an H colour diamond. The D colour is the purest of all, with no colour whatsoever. Each letter following D has a little more colour than its predecessor.

Having read the above you are now better prepared to search for your perfect diamond. It is important to constantly educate yourself before choosing a piece of jewellery. It is our pleasure to offer more information on diamonds and their characteristics. Feel free to book an appointment by emailing us at:

anatolanswers@gmail.com

Our in house Diamontologist will sit with you and give you a full brief of everything you need to know before buying a diamond.

In the meantime get your self associated with our beautiful selection of diamonds by viewing our Solitaires Collection.

Interested in learning more, read our article on Diamond Clarity.

Sources and Material

Learn What Diamond Color Is and What it Means | GIA 4Cs of Diamond Quality

Comparing the Different Diamond Colour Grades | Beldiamond