When looking at a diamond, one might think that they are colorless or white. Generally speaking, it is hard to see color in a diamond unless it is a fancy color such as yellow, pink or blue. Color grades on a diamond are actually referring to the lack of color in a diamond as they tend to show yellow color as you move down the color scale. The diamond color scale starts at “D” and goes down the alphabet to Z. Once the scale moves past Z, it is considered a “Fancy Yellow” which has a different grading system. When diamonds form deep down in the earth, there may be different elements present that can affect the color of the diamond. The D-Z scale will determine the degree of yellow caused by the presence of Nitrogen within the diamond. D is the most valuable color grade a diamond can receive as D colored diamonds have no presence of Nitrogen at all. Otherwise, it is generally accepted that most diamond have some presence of color, the value is determined by the degree of the color presence. The diamond color scale can be divided into colorless, near colorless, faint yellow, very light yellow, and light yellow ranges.

The D-E-F grades are considered colorless. D and E diamonds have practically no color, and an F has an almost undetectable amount of color that is reviled only when the diamond is turned upside down or “face down”. When looking at this range, it is good to note that the differences in color in these grades are extremely slight and often hard to detect by the untrained eye.

The G-H-I-J grades are considered “Near-colorless” diamonds. Diamonds within this range look colorless when looking at them ‘face up’ but will reveal slight traces of color when looked at ‘face down’ or turned to their sides. When these diamonds are mounted, the color is difficult to see by the untrained eye. This diamond range is the most popular as the color is difficult to detect and the price point of these diamonds are significantly lower than the “Colorless Range” without an extremely noticeable difference.

The K-L-M grades will show a faint yellow when looking at the diamond ‘face up’. When diamonds in this range are mounted, smaller diamonds will be more difficult to detect the color, but in larger center diamonds, they will show a yellow tint. This range can benefit from florescence as it may mask the yellow color to make the diamonds look whiter. Also, a high cut grade can affect the way the diamond color looks face up.

N - R diamonds are generally very light yellow. They show very light yellow face-up as well as face down, and will reveal color when they’re mounted in jewelry.

S - Z diamonds are light yellow. They show considerable color face-up or face-down.

Once a diamond passes the Z color range, it is considered a “Fancy Yellow” and will increase in value as Fancy colored diamonds have their own color grading system.

As a general note, when choosing a center diamond, it is best to stay within the D – J range. As mentioned previously, a combination of all 4 C’s will determine the price of the diamond. If you are looking for the biggest diamond possible at a certain price point, you may have to go down the color scale in order to stay within a price range.