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The best color is no color. Diamonds allow light to be reflected and dispersed as a rainbow of color. This light dispersion, or color flash, has no effect on the technical grading of color. The absolute finest colorless stone carries a D rating, descending through each letter of the alphabet to Z, designating a diamond of light yellow, brown, or gray. This body color may be caused by the presence of trace elements, such as nitrogen, within the atomic framework of the carbon crystal. These trace elements are so small that they are scientifically measured in parts per million (ppm). As the body color becomes more intense, the grade for color descends the scale. These gradations are so tiny and precise that discerning a single grade (even by an expert) under less than ideal laboratory conditions is extremely difficult. When directly comparing diamond colors, most consumers are unable to perceive the difference unless the diamonds are at least two or three color grades apart. We recommend selecting a diamond with a color grade of I or better.
When purchasing a large diamond make sure to select side diamonds that are no more than 2 letters apart. i.e. for center stone with color D, do not select side stones lower than G. For color F do not go lower than I.
Fancy Color
It is often surprising to learn that diamonds also occur by rare accidents of nature in shades of pink, blue, green, amber, or even red. These rarely occurring colors are referred to as fancies and are evaluated by a different set of color standards. These standards take into consideration various factors such as hue and saturation. Fancy colored diamonds are the most expensive because of their extreme rarity. Some fancy colors can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars for diamonds of one carat or less!
Fluorescence
Fluorescence is not directly related to a diamond’s color. This separate characteristic refers to the diamond’s ability to fluoresce under ultraviolet (UV) light. The sun emits some UV light, but it is usually not great enough to detect fluorescence. The most common source of UV is a black light. When exposed to UV light, many diamonds will give off a distinctive glowing blue coloration. Although fluorescence may be displayed in various colors, blue is the most common in diamonds. The fluorescence of a diamond is defined by its intensity as either None, Faint, Medium, Strong, or Very Strong. Although fluorescence is a characteristic that can be measured, it is seldom an issue when selecting a diamond. Conservative gemologists will always go with a diamond with the least possible fluorescence.
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