Learn about Diamond Colors

Acting as a prism, a diamond can divide light into a spectrum of colors and reflect this light as colorful flashes called fire. Just as when looking through colored glass, color in a diamond will act as a filter, and will diminish the spectrum of color emitted. The less color in a diamond, the more colorful the fire, and the better the color grade. The more color a diamond has, the less light passes through the stone to make it sparkle. A colorless diamond allows more light to pass through it to create the maximum amount of brilliance. Colorless diamonds, however, are extremely rare.

Most diamonds have subtle shade differences, ranging from nearly colorless to light yellow. Most appear colorless to the unaided eye. The diamond industry uses a letter system to grade the color of diamonds, from D (colorless) to Z (light yellow). A diamond with less color is more valuable. At Jewelry By Net, we take pride in offering diamonds with a color grade of J or better.

Diamond Color

The diamond industry uses a letter system to grade the color of diamonds from D (colorless) to Z (light yellow).

A Note About Fluorescence
Related to, but not affecting diamond color, fluorescence is a unique effect that causes a diamond to produce a slight blue glow when exposed to intense, direct ultraviolet light. Some people seek diamonds that produce this unique effect, while others definitely avoid it - it's purely a matter of taste.

What Color Grade Is Best?

• For the purist, look for a colorless diamond with a grade of D-F and a fluorescence rating of faint, inert, none, or negligible.
   

• For an excellent value in a diamond with no noticeable color to the unaided eye, look for a near-colorless grade of G-I, and a fluorescence grade of medium or strong blue.
   

• Or, if you'd rather not compromise on color but would like to stay on budget, choose a diamond with a good cut, SI1–SI2 clarity, and consider going with a strong fluorescence. It will still be beautiful to the unaided eye and you may prefer the unique effect of a strong fluorescence.

The table below compares the prices of diamonds with the same clarity grade (VS1) and carat weight, but varying color grades.