|
The "color"
of a diamond refers to its degree of "yellowness."
The ideal diamond is completely colorless, and therefore it will
be the most expensive. The Gemological Institute of America
(G.I.A.) grades color alphabetically from D (totally colorless)
to Z (yellow):
For a diamond
to be considered "colorless," the G.I.A. requires
that it be a D, E, or F. However, the D-Z scale is continuous,
so the difference between an F and G is very small. The
average color for engagement diamonds in the United States is
G to H.
Jewelers have
two tools at their disposal to judge the color of a given diamond.
The first is what's known as a "reference set" of
stones. A jeweler will compare the stone in question
with a set master stones of known color, and make a qualitative
determination as to the color grading of the stone in question.
When judging
the color of a diamond, it is crucial to see the diamond unmounted.
Ask the jeweler for a master set of stones to make the comparisons
yourself. To do this, place the diamond in question next
to the reference stones face down on a white piece of paper,
and compare the color of the stones until you get the best match.
Perhaps the
most important factor to consider when selecting color is the
type of setting you plan on using. If you plan on mounting
the stone on a platinum or white gold setting, consider a diamond
in the D-G range. Yellow gold will be much more forgiving to
a less than colorless stone, but regardless of the setting,
the diamond will start to appear yellow if the color grade is
lower than about J.
Wholesale Canadian Diamonds only brokers D-H
color diamonds for our clients.
Clarity
|