Diamonds, whether natural or lab-grown, are revered for their everlasting brilliance and invincible strength. This is the reason why diamond center stones still rule the charts for engagement rings and also in male wedding bands. But, tell me something, what is it that you look for in your white diamond jewel? Is it the color or clarity?
Talking about diamonds, the 4Cs determine the quality of these gems. Though each of them has a great say in your purchase decision, the most important ones have always been color and clarity. So, through this article, we’ll shed some light on the diamond color and clarity chart.
Diamond Color Scale By GIA
The color range for diamonds lies between colorless and pale yellow or brown color. The color scale for colorless diamonds given by GIA ranges from D to Z, with D being the highest and Z the lowest. The color grading scale is divided into the following categories.
- Colorless: from D to F
- Near Colorless: from G to J
- Faint Yellow: from K to M
- Very Light Yellow: from N to R
- Light Yellow: from S to Z
What is the relationship between a Diamond color and its price?
In general, diamonds without any hint of color, which are completely colorless, are valued the most. On the other hand, diamonds with a tinge of yellow or brown are valued less. Hence, the price increases or reduces exponentially with the rise or the fall in the color grade.
So, What About the Diamonds with Yellow and Brown Color?
It’s not that yellow or brown diamonds are of no value. The ones with a very low concentration of these colors are put in the lowest color category and priced lowest. But once their color surpasses the Z color grade for white diamonds, they become valuable fancy yellow and brown diamonds.
How to Match a Diamond Color to the Metal?
A diamond’s color, when paired with the metal, can make a big difference in how your diamond appears.
Yellow Metals: Yellow and rose gold give a warm tone to colorless diamonds. This is because the diamonds reflect the shades of the metal.
But when the same metal is combined with lab-grown diamond earrings, it makes your diamonds appear whiter in contrast. Try it with faintly yellow-colored diamonds. The combination will turn out the best, with the diamonds reflecting a golden sheen.
White Metals: High-color-grade diamonds set in yellow gold give the same visual effect as lower-grade diamonds. Would you want that? Not really, right? So, make your colorless or near-colorless diamonds shine their best by choosing diamond necklaces in white gold and platinum. These will make your white diamonds reflect more white light.
Yellow & White Metals: Another wonderful idea is to mix the metal colors in your jewelry. For instance, your diamond engagement ring can have a white metal prong and bridge with a yellow metal shank. This way, the white bridge will make your colorless to near-colorless diamonds exhibit whiter hues. At the same time, the yellow gold shank will make the diamonds give off more whitish touch.
Diamond Clarity Grade
The clarity of diamonds is defined as the absence of any impurities or blemishes in the stones. Talking about a diamond’s clarity, no natural diamond can be 100% clear. But the fewer the inclusions, the clearer the diamond. The diamond clarity scale given by GIA defines six categorizations.
- Flawless (FL): These gems have neither internal inclusions nor external blemishes visible under 10x magnification.
- Internally Flawless (IF): Such diamonds have no inclusions to be seen under 10x magnification.
- Very, Very Slightly Included (VVS1 and VVS2): These gems have minimal inclusions that are quite difficult even for a skilled grader to see under 10x magnification.
- Very Slightly Included (VS1 and VS2): Such diamonds exhibit minor inclusions visible under 10x magnification when seen with effort.
- Slightly Included (S1 and S2): The inclusions in these diamonds are visible under 10x magnification.
Included (I1, I2, and I3): Such gems significantly impact the clarity of the stone as the inclusions can be seen clearly under 10x magnification.
If the diamond color and clarity chart make you feel overwhelmed, trust your eyes and look for white-hued, eye-clean diamonds for your diamond accessory. After all, what pleases your eyes is all that matters.
Diamond Glam @GemsNY
Whether you’re looking for a loose diamond birthstone or a tennis bracelet diamond, GemsNY has it all. The brand offers a huge in-house inventory of 100% certified loose natural and lab diamonds for sale. Buy them today and set them later in your preferred jewelry setting.
Otherwise, you can shop for preset diamond jewelry at the best prices and with a lifetime warranty. Get to know more about the brand’s product offerings and customer satisfaction stories from the GemsNY reviews section.
Recommend0 recommendationsPublished in Jewelry
