One of the most important C’s of the 4C’s is color. Color significantly affects the price and overall look of your diamond. The color of a diamond is graded and commonly referred to the GIA’s professional color scale which gives a letter grade of D – colorless diamonds to Z – diamonds that display yellowish or brownish color. It is an important rule of thumb that the diamonds which are the most colorless are the most valuable and diamonds showing the most color are the least expensive.

Diamonds with the D, E, F grades are very ‘white’ diamonds and expensive and are categorized as the “colorless” category. Colors G-H is probably the most common and affordable color grade for diamonds. Depending on the cut of the diamond and what is the clarity of the diamond these diamonds will also appear as ‘white’ diamonds. I-J is also an acceptable diamond color as it is the last two grades in the category categorized as “near colorless” which contains the color grades G-H, I-J.

It is known that diamonds reflect light and it is important to use this fact to your advantage. If you know the metal type of your diamond jewelry is going to be platinum or white gold then selecting a diamond with an average color grade will not affect the overall look. The diamonds will be reflecting the white of the metal upon itself giving you the impression of a really white diamond. This does not apply to diamond jewelry with yellow gold for their metal type.

 

Since round and princess cut diamonds really reflect light great, it is a great choice to go with average color grade for these cuts of diamonds. Not only will you save money but you will have brilliant diamonds for everyone to gaze upon. For diamond cuts such as the emerald cut it is recommended to go with the highest color grade you can afford. Because emeralds are open face, ‘naked’ diamonds it is really easy to see the imperfections with your own eyes.

White diamonds are not the only color diamond that is sold. There is the extremely rare and very expensive blue color diamonds. There are also fancy colors such as yellow, orange, and black that can be found and turned into beautiful diamond jewelry. Pear cut diamonds looks really nice with a fancy yellow color in an elegant gold setting.

The color of the diamond is also greatly impacted by the cut and clarity of the diamond. Be sure to shop around and find the best combination of color, cut, clarity and carat weights for your money. Being properly educated with the 4C’s will save you money and help you get exactly what you are looking for as well as make you comfortable knowing you got the best deal for your money. When purchasing your diamonds, be sure they come with their proper certificate and appraisals detailing all the specifications of the diamond such as the color. Having this paperwork you will be able to have your diamond jewelry insured and be protected no matter what happens.

Color diamonds
D	Absolute Colorless. Highest color grade available, extrememly rare diamond.
E	Colorless. Faint traces of color can be seen by a diamond specialist. Very rare diamond.
F	Colorless. Slight color can be seen by a diamond specialist. High quality diamond.
G	Near-colorless. Color detection only noticeable when compared to higher graded stones. An excellent value for a dimaond.
H-I	Near-Colorless. Color detection slightly noticeable. Excellent value.
J	Near-Colorless. Color detection slightly noticeable to the untrained eye. Excellent value.
K-M	Noticeable Color. Not available at Primestyle.com
N-Z	Noticeable Color. Light Yellow in color. Not available at Primestyle.com