In the mid-1950s The Gemological Institute of America devised a colour grade scale between D - Z, to regulate and define the colour spectrum of diamonds. With D classed as completely colourless and Z being slightly yellow or brown in appearance. It is good to note that the colour of the diamond has a huge impact on its value.
However, this rule is not to be confused with coloured diamonds. Coloured diamonds are graded on a separate diamond colour scale and can even be more rare or valuable than the diamond.
Group Grading:
For multi-stone items of diamond jewellery such as diamond earrings, diamond eternity rings, Multi-stone pendants etc. we provide a Diamond Factory & EGL Jewellery Certificate of Authenticity which confirms the combined diamond carat weight and diamond quality for your peace of mind in the quality of your diamond jewellery purchase. As Multi-Stone Diamond jewellery has many diamonds, we offer a range of grading options like colour grades D-E, F-G, H-I. It is very difficult to source the specific grade diamond, when many diamonds need to match together exactly.
GIA Colour Grading Scale
What Colour Diamonds Do You Offer?
We only offer our customers the finest diamonds with a colour grade of between D and I. Diamonds graded better than J are colourless or near colourless.
Fluorescence
Fluorescence refers to a diamond's tendency to emit a soft colour glow when subjected to ultraviolet light (such as a "black light"). Roughly 30% of diamonds fluoresce to some degree.
A GIA Study Of Diamond Fluorescence:
A study performed in 1997 by the GIA found that the level of fluorescence has no widely perceptible effect on the colour appearance or transparency of diamonds when viewed table down (upside down). In the table up position, diamonds of Strong or Very Strong fluorescence appeared to have better colour than less fluorescent stones. The effect was most noticeable in the I-K colours. The visible effects of faint to medium fluorescence are perceptible only to a gemmologist using a special UV light source. Because the fluorescent glow is usually blue (which is the complementary colour to yellow) fluorescence can make diamonds of H-I colour appear up to one grade whiter. For this reason, H-I diamonds tend to sell at a slight premium when they possess Medium to Very Strong fluorescence. Overall, fluorescence should not be a major factor in the diamond purchase since its effects on appearance are negligible, if not slightly positive.
Top Tips
To help you choose the diamond colour that is perfect for you, we have collated a few top tips
Colourless Grades
To the untrained eye, most observers cannot distinguish a colour grade from D to F, unless the diamonds are compared closely in a controlled environment.
Size/weight of diamond
It is good to note that diamond colour is more noticeable in larger diamonds, so you may wish to choose a higher colour grading.
Shapes
As a general rule, diamonds with a higher number of facets reflect more light which means they tend to hide colour better than those with fewer facets. With that in mind, Round, Princess and other brilliant cuts are good shapes to consider for those opting for a lower colour grade.
Metal colour and setting
Yellow gold will complement the faint colour of the diamond, and this means you can choose lower colour grades. Note: a diamond's colour becomes much harder to detect once a diamond is set in a ring and placed in natural light.
Get In Touch
If you'd like to talk to an expert gemologist , or a member of our friendly Customer Care Team about choosing the perfect diamond colour for you, please get in touch on 020 7138 3672 or enter into a Live Chat as you prefer.
