How to Buy a Diamond
Not all diamonds are equal in value or beauty. To distinguish the valuable diamonds from the mediocre you need to pay attention to the Four C's of diamond grading: color, clarity, cut, and Carat.
-- Arthur Miller
The Four C's: Color
Of the 4Cs criteria - Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat - the quality of color refers to a diamond's body color, not the rainbow surface of reflected light.
Why less color is more valuable
When buying a diamond, it is the absence of color that makes one diamond more precious than another. The whiter or more colorless the stone, the more rare, and the higher the price. The exception is "fancy" colored diamonds, which can occur in shades of blue, pink, red, yellow, green and brown. Some of these are exceptionally rare and considered collector's items.
Most diamonds that are mined have a great deal of body color while very few are completely absent of color. For a mental picture of "colorless" or the "absence of color," just think of pure water.
A whiter or colorless stone allows the diamond to cleanly reflect and refract light. When white light enters the diamond, part of the ray is reflected back to your eye, but the rest penetrates the stone. That ray is deflected toward the center of the stone by the facets, then bounces back to the surface. Like a prism, the diamond refracts the white light into its full spectrum of color. The whiter the stone, the greater the refraction.
Making the grade
Color is graded by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) with letters ranging from D (completely colorless) to Z (light yellow).
|
GIA Color Rankings |
Description |
|
D, E, F |
Colorless |
|
G, H, I, J |
Near Colorless |
|
K, L, M |
Faint Yellow |
|
N, O, P, Q, R |
Very Light Yellow |
|
S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z |
Light Yellow |
Simply use your mouse to drag the diamond left to right to view its color rankings.
More than meets the eye
Color is actually one of the most difficult factors to evaluate. For one thing, everyone sees color differently. Differences in color between stones are very, very subtle, and may be imperceptible to an untrained eye. In fact, even the experts will compare an ungraded stone to one previously graded to properly assess its color. Small differences in color can make large differences in the price.
Color and the Setting
A diamond may exhibit the color of its setting, which is why most ring settings will have a white gold or platinum head. White gold and platinum have the least effect on the diamond's color. Conversely, a diamond with more body color is often best enhanced by a yellow gold setting. Of course, the setting you choose is a matter of personal preference.
Facts about fluorescence
Some diamonds naturally exhibit a bluish tint when viewed in daylight or under fluorescent lighting. Under candlelight or normal incandescent lights, the blue disappears. This blue tint is the result of the stone's degree of fluorescence. It is not considered either good or bad, but simply an inherent characteristic of the stone.
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