Diamond Color
Posted by: | Comments
If you’re out there looking for the best diamond for your money, then please contact me and let me know your budget and what you’re looking for. I’ll sift through thousands of diamonds online and send you a list of 4 or 5 suggested stones to choose from that fit your needs the best. Unlike the other sites, I’m not looking to sell you anything – my advice is objective and in your best interest. The service is free, and there is absolutely no commitment to buy any of my suggestions. You have nothing to lose!
Diamond Color Bottom Line Recommendation:
- White Gold / Platinum Ring
- Round: H-J – higher than H and you’re paying for a feature you won’t be able to appreciate
- Princess, Emerald, Asscher: G-I
- Everything Else: F-H
- Yellow Gold Ring
- Round: K-M – the yellow color of the gold is absorbed into the diamond color, so anything higher than K is going to look slightly yellowish anyway
- Princess, Emerald, Asscher: J-K
- Everything Else: I-J
(This article is about the color scale that describes white diamonds. If, however, you’re looking for information on fancy color diamonds, then see the series of articles under the appropriate heading in the menu bar.)
According to Blue Nile, diamond color is the 2nd most important characteristic of diamond quality. In fact, they claim that “When looking at a diamond, the human eye notices the diamond’s cut first and its diamond color second.”
The truth is, this statement is ridiculous. As I have mentioned time and again, you cannot trust the person trying to sell you a product to provide you with an objective opinion about that very product.
I believe James Allen says it much better in their article about Diamond Color. According to them, “Most people find it very difficult (if not impossible) to tell the difference from one color grade to another. The difference in price, however, can be significant.”
Lets try to understand why Blue Nile’s claim is not true. First of all, it’s simply preposterous to suggest that your eye first notices one of the 4 C’s, and then moves on to the other, as if somehow the light that is bouncing off the diamond and into your eye first bounces off the cut, and then bounces off the diamond’s color. A diamond is an organic whole. What your eye perceives is a balance of many factors and characteristics, including, but most definitely not limited to, the 4 C’s.
If you’re thinking, “well, it’s just a matter of semantics – what they probably mean is that when balancing out all the factors and characteristics that describe the diamond, Diamond Color, after Diamond Cut, has the most influence in the beauty of the diamond.” But even that’s not true.
To get into the subject a little deeper, we need to differentiate between the different diamond shapes. The different facet arrangements of the different shapes can greatly affect how much light is captured inside the diamond. If I had to rank the importance of diamond color on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being the least important, and 10 being the most important) for the most common shapes, this is what I would come up with:
- Rounds – 3
- Princess – 5
- Emerald & Asscher – 6
- Oval, Marquise, Pear, Heart – 7
- Radiant, Cushion – 8
So for most of you (Round buyers) The Truth about Diamond Color is that if you showed just about anybody, excluding people who look at diamonds all day, an I or even a J colored diamond they would think that it is colorless. And that’s only talking about loose diamonds. If you’re going to set the diamond in a yellow gold setting, you could easily go down a few notched to a K, L, or even M color, and the diamond would still look fantastic. Even white gold or platinum engagement ring settings mask the diamond’s color somewhat.
To see a clear example of this, have a look at Zoara’s Diamond Color Tool. This is a great demonstration of just how slight the variations are between the color grades between D and J on a Round Brilliant diamond.
Especially for Rounds, but also for other shapes, Diamond Color is primarily a relative characteristic. What I mean by this is that an I-colored diamond really only looks like an I-color when it’s placed next to a higher-colored diamond for comparison. In fact, this is how even expert diamond dealers and gemologists grade color — they place the diamond to be graded on a white folded card next to a master diamond to compare it to. Nobody can reliably assess a diamond’s color simply by looking at the diamond in question. So unless your bride to be plans on walking around with a set of GIA Diamond Color Samples in her pocket to take out and constantly compare to her ring, then you have nothing to worry about. This will become relevant, though, if you’re purchasing an engagement ring with side diamonds, or perhaps a Three Stone Ring. It is recommended that side (or accent) diamonds always either match the color of the center stone, or be slightly darker to accent the higher color of the center stone.
If you’re buying just a classic solitaire engagement ring setting with no accent diamonds, then don’t waste your money on a feature you will never be able to derive benefit from!
Another aspect to consider is Diamond Fluorescence and how it interacts with color. Strong or Medium Blue Fluorescence will generally dull the brilliance of a colorless diamond (D-F, and even G, better to stay away from Strong Fluorescence), but will often make a diamond with a lower color appear whiter. So if you were really looking for great bang for your buck, look for a J or K color with Strong Blue fluorescence.
If you have any questions, please post them in the comments below. I will usually respond within 24 hours.
Related posts:
- Now THIS is a Robbery
- Michele Velazquez
- How to Propose: 9 Frequently Asked Questions
- Los Angeles Proposal Idea
- Make Your Proposal Personal
Hi Ira,
This website is awesome. I just wanted to know what is the best ring I could get for my gf; my budget is $500 – I know it’s not a lot but I want the best for my money.
Thanks,
Randy
I forgot to mention that she likes the sparkle/color in a diamond more than anything else.
Hey Randy. See our Pre-Set Engagement Ring Guide.
Hi,
I jujst purchased a ring online and I am unsure if i got a good deal. It is a 1.79 ct soliatire but the color is a K. The setting is white gold with a S12 clarity. I paid $3,700. Do you think the color will be obvious?
It won’t be obviously yellow, but it’ll be obviously very warm. Also, what kind of certificate does it have?
I have a ring my girlfriend loves. Im not thrilled. It she likes it. It has 4 smaller diamonds in the middle that make it look as one. I do t like that part of the ring. It is under $2000. Which is my budget. It is from Fred Meyer. The style number is 1288679. I don’t know if you would look it up and at least tell me if it’s a decent deal or do you have any ideas. Please help!
Dennis
Those big stores have very high profit margins, so it’s probably not a good deal. The problem as I see it is that the better online stores that have MUCH smaller profit margins, don’t really deal in this kind of invisible set princess rings that are made to look like one larger stone.
Could you point me in the direction of a reliable website that discusses white gold setting vs. platinum for an engagement ring? All the websites that come up on google are jeweler websites and I’m not sure if they’re pushing the platinum for the “sale” since it’s more expensive. Thanks! (Not sure if it matters but I’m purchasing a pear shaped diamond with color “F”)
Hi Stefanie. I don’t know of any site that discusses it so much, but I think I can give you the basics. Platinum, I believe, is more hypo-allergenic. Platinum also requires less upkeep as WG will turn yellowish every year or two or so and will need to be rhodium plated to maintain the white color. This is a very easy process that any local jeweler should be able to do and doesn’t take very long. Other than that, the obvious benefit to WG is that it’s cheaper.
After all the research I’ve done your website is by far the most helpful when researching diamonds. I (and I’m sure the other readers too) appreciate your honest discussion and education!
Thanks!
Hi Stefanie and Mike. YOu guys should do a little more research. Platinum is LESS expensive than gold right now. DON’T get ripped off paying more for Platinum just because your jeweler may have bought it when it was higher. Good luck!
Bill, Platinum is less expensive per weight, but platinum is a denser (ie, heavier) metal than gold. In other words, a 1 pound bar of gold will be a lot larger than a one pound bar of platinum. So a ring in platinum will weigh more than the exact same size ring (ie, same volume) in gold. The difference in weight more then compensates for the cheaper price per weight. This is why Platinum rings are more expensive.
Hello
I am purchasing a verragio ins 7059 Mr white gold or platinum ring. The side stones are g in color and vs2 in clarity. The setting will fit a round 0.9 to 1.1 carat stone. I will be replacing the stone below the set with a blue saphire if that makes a difference. What would you recommend for a center stone. From your article I understand I will require a g color or higher but do I need to match clarity? I am budget oriented but I would like something that looks the best to the human eye. Thank you for your assistance in advance.
Martin Goman.
Hi Martin. It’s funny you ask because I was actually at one point Verragio’s top diamond supplier when I was working in New York! In a ring like this, you don’t need to worry so much about color matching because the side stones are so extremely tiny, the color doesn’t really show. You’d be fine putting an H or an I color round stone in the center.
Drop us a line using the Contact Form and tell us your budget for the diamond, and we’ll be happy to send you some great suggestions!
Ha
great! Through this same forum?
No, best to use the “contact us” form here: http://www.truthaboutdiamonds.com/got-questions/
What a terrific website! Thanks for all that you are doing to help us clueless fellas out here by demystifying this intimidating process.
I have a budget of about $4500, but could probably go up to $5000 if need be. I’m choosing between a solitaire setting with pave diamonds (about $1600) and a flashier setting with sidestones, shown here:
http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/settings-with-sidestones/ring/item_58-4145.asp
The hang up is the color. I have found some great looking round diamonds in the $2500 range by looking for diamonds in the H-J range, per your guidance above. But your guidance also says that diamond color is not critical unless the stone is in comparison with others. Well…the sidestones in this setting are F or G. The irony then is that if I spend more on the setting, I will have to spend more to get a stone that matches or exceeds the sidestones, which I can’t afford to do. Could I get away with a H-J diamond in this setting with F/G sidestones?
Bottom line – I’m looking for an eye clean round diamond that is at least 0.7 carats that will look good in this setting, but with an OVERALL budget of $5000. Can you offer some guidance here?
Thanks!
Hey Steve. Thanks for the compliments! I think your next step should be this – contact James Allen and ask them if they can make that setting with I color side stones and if so, will the price be less.
If it’s just pave, then the color differential isn’t such a big deal because you can’t really compare color directly between tiny stones and a big center stone. But this setting you linked to will be a problem. If they can make it a bit cheaper and give you I color side stones, it’d be very helpful.
Let me know what they say!
Great advice…hadn’t thought of that. I’ll let you know what I find out!
I have a 3 stone engagement ring that also has side stones that are all color G and radiant cut.. I was looking for an affordable wedding band and the best I could find was a baguette anniversary band but the color is IJ. I bought it already online but I just want to know if the color is going to be too yellow compared to G. I can’t find anything to compare the two.
It’s a close call. You really have to wait and see for yourself. Radiant cuts typically show color very strongly, so it’s possible that a G radiant will look, color-wise, like an I round. Plus, we dont’ really know if they’re IJ or JK and they just say IJ.
Hello. I’m looking to buy an engagment ring for my girlfriend soon. I have a buget of between £700 and £1000. I’m wanting the brightest diamond available for my budget (princess or round cut). Also it has to be set in 9 carat if possible. The size of the stone is not really an issue. Could you steer me in the right direction please. Also, it seems to me that I would get better value for money if I bought online. How safe is this?
I’d be grateful for any help.
Thanks
Hi Jay. Happy to help. What exactly do you mean “it has to be set in 9 carat?”
Hi Mike. Sorry for the delay. I had a ‘random’ chat with my girlfriend about what style ring she would eventually like to have, as an engagment ring. I said 9 carats purely as this is the metal that most of her jewellery is made of. I have found a ring on EBay.
It’s an 18k yellow gold, Marquise diamond ring (surprisingly this was her top choice), 0.50CT, colour is H/I (white), and clarity is l1. The company is selling this ring for £665 which they say would retail for £1495 on the high st. They say the clarity is not noticeable, but from looking at online charts, this seems misleading! Im after a bit of sparkle. What do you think?
Jay
No way to tell without seeing a picture!
Hi Ira, i’m so glad to find your website because I really need some help.
My fiance proposed at christmas very romantically, with a ring we chose together after he had asked my father’s permission. It was perfect.
We chose a 3 stone, Claw set radiant cut platinum ring in a local jewellers and paid £7250. Centre stone is 6.40x480mm, depth is 290mm, weight is 0.73 carat, side stones 0.55 each. We were told the stones would be minimum vs1 or vs2 and G or H colour. This was a compromise for us because we wanted better stones for our money.
While the ring was resized, a valuation was also carried out and the details came back yesterday. The stones are vs2, good proportions, good finish and in fact colour is I.
I’ve done some research on stones of the same size, clarity and cut, comparing average prices on as many stones as possible, excluding the most and least expensive, both for UK and the US, and the percentage price difference is in the region of 16%, meaning more than £1000 on the ring we chose.
I spoke to the jeweller and initially he offered 15% off wedding bands, but now is going to investigate having the stones replaced. I am feeling very emotional about this because we can never have the romance of that proposal back, and it feels like we were sold a mercedes but overnight the doors fell off and the engine dropped out.
What stones do you think we should expect for this price? What’s your opinion please?
Hi Zoe. Before I get into any specifics, what exactly are your options? Could you return the ring if you wanted?
What you’re saying isn’t really very surprising. You bought at a bricks and mortar store, so you have to expect that profit margins are high. You bought uncertified stones, so a little variance is to be expected. People can always claim that there are different standards of grading, and that this is what THEY call an H color, etc.
Hi mike, thanks for your reply, at the moment I think my options are open- if the jeweller can’t supply better replacement stones then I can get a refund- that’s my expectation under the Law here anyway. The issue is that he promised something which he didn’t deliver and his own valuer is the person who evidencede it! In the meantime i’ve been to other shops and the best deal was to have the ring made, either same weigt stones F VS1 for £7500 or F VS2 for £7000. And you’re right, the profit margin is narrower on that- under 50% instead of more like 100%. He was very transparent and showed me the weekly trade price lists per carat. I don’t think high street jewellers would ever be my first calling point now!
They’re still pulling your leg regarding showing you the weekly trade price lists (Rapaport). See my article about diamond prices here: http://www.truthaboutdiamonds.com/truth-about/diamond-prices/
Basically, diamonds are almost always traded at a discount to those prices you saw.
Thanks mike, that is the price list I saw. Your article makes absolute sense to me. I’m left not knowing what best to do. If I get the money back on saturday, is there someone on this website who can look for stones for me?
Sure. Me! Be in touch!