Diamonds are found in a variety of colors. The whiter the better. The yellow color in diamonds comes from trace amounts of nitrogen and as a rule the more yellow the stone, the less value it has. There’s a good reason for this. The yellower the stone, the less sharp and sparkly it appears. A whiter stone lets more light pass through it, making it sparkle and shine. The exception to the rule is the Fancy Yellow canary diamond, which is beautiful bright yellow and priced similar to white diamonds. There are four color grades of Fancy Yellow (Fancy Light Yellow, Fancy Yellow, Fancy Intense Yellow, and Fancy Vivid Yellow) with each deeper shade bringing a higher price.

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has assigned letters to the range of color grades and assigned descriptive categories as illustrated in the following chart. D is the clearest and most valuable while grades at the other end are dingy yellow and less expensive.

The amount of color you see in a cut diamond depends largely on its size, how it is cut, and whether or not it is mounted. The bigger the stone, the more obvious its color will be.

Some people are more sensitive to the color of diamonds. What may appear slightly yellow to you may look clear to another person so it will take a higher color grade to satisfy you. The average person cannot tell two color grades apart form one another; especially if the stone(s) are mounted.

What you see as the “color” of a diamond is really a combination of body color, brilliance, and dispersion. Body color is the inherent color of the stone and is caused by the different colors of light that are absorbed by the stone. Brilliance is the total amount of light returned to the eye by reflections from within the stone and from its surface. This often is referred to as the “brightness” and “life” of the stone. Dispersion, or fire, is a spreading or separating of white light into its component hues, much like a prism. Even a colorless diamond will flash rainbow colors due to dispersion. Both brilliance and dispersion are desirable for beauty but are not measured or documented on any certification. However, they are maximized by having a good cut.

The price for whiter color grades increases more dramatically than the actual visible color difference to the eye. Color grades D, E and F are colorless and it is very difficult to see the difference between these because by definition they are colorless. However, there is a moderate price difference because D color is rarer than E and both are much rarer than F color.

In the near colorless range (G, H, I, J), there is a more noticeable difference. While G color is very close to colorless, J color is very faint yellow. Most J color diamonds have a slight yellow tint. Diamonds with H and I color grades appear white and are great values because they are more plentiful than the colorless grades and therefore are less expensive.

To know what color grades you are comfortable with, go look at some diamonds side by side. Remember to be comparing GIA or EGL certified diamonds so you can be sure of the color you are actually seeing. It is also helpful to be looking at similar sizes and shapes. Some shapes, like rounds, are brighter than others. Diamonds with greater carat weights tend to show more color than smaller diamonds with the same color grade.