DIAMONDS
Diamond color guide
Color grades measure the absence of yellow, from D at the top to Z at the bottom. Past about J it becomes visible to a normal person in normal light, and below that it becomes a warm stone rather than a flawed one.
- D E F
- Colorless. A premium you pay for a difference you rarely see face up.
- G H I J
- Near colorless. Where we buy most of our stones.
- K L M
- Faint warmth. Beautiful in yellow gold, badly priced in platinum.
- N to Z
- Visibly tinted. Honest, cheap, and occasionally lovely.
Setting metal changes everything
A J color in yellow gold reads white because the mount is warmer than the stone. That same J in platinum next to a D looks yellow. Choose the metal and the color grade together or you will overpay for one of them.
Shape changes it too
Step cuts like emerald and asscher show color more than brilliant cuts, because there is less sparkle to distract the eye. Buy a grade or two higher in a step cut.