D-E-F Colorless Diamonds vs G-H-I-J Near Colorless Diamonds
“I’m in the market for a diamond engagement ring, big surprise, right? I think I’ve got a pretty good handle on what I prefer in terms of diamond clarity, something in the range of VS-2 clarity, or maybe even a really nice SI-1 clarity diamond should do the trick, assuming of course that it is 100% eye clean, so probably VS-2 clarity. But what I can’t figure out are the differences in color between D-E-F Colorless and G-H-I-J Near Colorless diamonds, and how blue fluorescence will affect my perception of color. Can you tell me where should I draw the line if I want the diamond to face-up bright and white with no yellow?”
Understanding the different ranges of diamond colors:
The most important thing to understand when considering diamonds of different colors, is that each color grade is based upon a range of color, and each color grade lies within a broader range of color, but that when diamonds are color graded, we are actually grading them for an absence of color, and not the presence of color.
It is also important to understand that the proportions of a diamond, as well as the degree of optical precision can affect our perception of diamond color, and how bright the diamond appears to be, which is why people frequently think that Brian Gavin Signature diamonds are higher in color.
Diamonds that are graded as D-E-F Colorless are referred to within the diamond industry as being “higher in color” whereas diamonds that are faint yellow in color, such as those in the K-L-M-N range are described as being “lower in color” because they are farther down on the alphabetical scale used to represent diamond colors.
Note that the color grading scale for white diamonds begins at D-Colorless and goes down to Z-Yellow. The letters A-B-C are not used to represent diamond color grades, most likely because some jewelers were using those letters to refer to clarity grades of diamonds prior to the GIA Diamond Grading System being created.
When people are first introduced to diamond color grading, they often feel that they must buy a diamond that is higher in color, in order for the diamond to be beautiful, however the reality is that diamond color has very little to do with the actual beauty of a diamond, it is merely an indication of the body color of the diamond crystal, the actual volume of light return, sparkle, and even the intensity of sparkle will be dictated entirely by the proportions and cut quality of the diamond.
The D-E-F Colorless range of diamond color:
The diamond color grade of D-color is reserved for diamonds that exhibit a complete absence of color, when positioned with the table side (top) of the diamond facing downward on a white plastic tray so that the culet (bottom point) fo the diamond is facing upward, and being viewed through the side-profile of the diamond, under the controlled light of a GIA Diamond Light (GIA Diamond Lite) in a room which is otherwise completely dark, so that the color and hue of the diamond is less likely to be influenced by the color of anything else that might be present in the room, such as the color of the shirt worn by the diamond grader, or a lamp, or book cover, etc.
An E-color diamond exhibits a little more color than a D-color diamond, but not so much that it would be easy for the average person to distinguish without a great deal of coaching.
An F-color diamond exhibits a bit more color than an E-color diamond, but it will be difficult for the average person to detect color in an F-color diamond, but they might be able to distinguish the difference between a D-color and F-color diamond, if viewed in the right lighting environment… but it would be difficult.
The G-H-I-J Near Colorless range of diamond color:
G-color diamonds tend to be so close in appearance to F-color diamonds, that it can be quite difficult for the average person to tell them apart when viewing the diamonds under normal lighting conditions.
It seems like people begin to be able to pick up on diamond color easier around H-color, and this is because diamonds in the near-colorless range do exhibit a little bit of color, but not so much that they are going to look faint yellow, which is why there is a range designated for faint yellow and diamonds that are clearly yellow in color.
Most people can pick up a hint of warmth in an I-color diamond, but not so clearly that they are generally able to describe what they are seeing, it is almost like the color of the diamond needs to be pointed out for them to be able to notice it, and thus this is a really good color grade to consider if you want to be able to save some money, or maximize the carat weight of the diamond, while still maintaining the appearance that the diamond is white in color.
J-color diamonds exhibit a bit more warmth than I-color diamonds, and it seems to be easier for people to detect a hint of color in J-color diamonds, especially if they are comparing them to diamonds in the colorless to higher near-colorless grades, but it still isn’t distinct enough for the average person to think “that diamond is yellow” when they look at it, which might explain why we seem to sell a ton of J-color diamonds… they represent a great value, especially if the diamond has blue fluorescence, which will help to filter out some of the yellow in a diamond when it is exposed to a light source containing higher amounts of ultra-violet light.
