Color
When it comes to color, less is more.
Color: This part’s pretty simple. When you’re shopping for a diamond, you’re usually looking for a diamond with very little overall color. How much is really a matter of individual taste.
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The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has created a universal scale to measure and grade the color, or colorlessness, of a diamond (see below). Diamonds are graded for color under a lamp that simulates daylight, against a pure white background.
The lower on the scale you go the color of the diamond will become more intense. It’s actually possible for a diamond to go below a "Z" color, but at that point the diamond is re-categorized as a "Fancy Color Diamond." These diamonds exhibit intense colors such as blue, pink, yellow green or even red and have their own set of grading parameters. They are extremely rare — most of us will only ever see them in a museum!
See the differences in diamond color with our interactive color comparison tool.
For most people, the difference between colorless, near colorless, and even the highest range of faint yellow diamonds can be hard to see. But these tiny differences can have a huge impact on price. So when you’re looking at different diamonds, you might decide to give a little bit on color so you can afford a better cut — or more clarity. That’s up to you — and her!
