The Colour of Diamonds
To the untrained eye, “ White” diamonds may all seem to be of a similar colour but this is far from the case and if you obtain a grading certificate from the GIA, you will see that a grading on a scale from D- Z is awarded to a diamond based on it’s colour. This independent grading forms part of a comprehensive range of reports on the characteristics of a diamond and will provide you with an expert appraisal of your diamonds attributes.
A diamond without any colour or hue whatsoever will be chemically pure and exceedingly rare, the colour in a diamond comes from impurities or internal flaws and to a certain extent will depend on what was surrounding the diamond during it’s formation.
The GIA colour scale ranges from D to Z and is actually a scale of the lack of colour in a diamond. D represents a diamond that is practically colorless, this type of diamond is exceedingly rare and very expensive.
After the cut of a diamond, the colour is regarded as the next most important attribute. Diamonds naturally take on a pale yellow hue and as the human eye detects sparkle before colour, the less colour a diamond has, the more it will sparkle and hence the more desirable it will be.
It should be pointed out though, that the difference between many of these grades is quite subtle and any diamond with a rating that is J or less will appear colourless to the untrained eye. Here is the scale.
|D, E , F||Colourless|
|J, K L, M||Faint Yellow|
|N- Z||Very Light to Light Yellow|
Are Coloured Diamonds more expensive.
This is a very common question when people are researching the purchase of an engagement ring. The simple answer is both yes and no. Whilst in the case of ” White” diamonds, which are far more prevalant and easy to obtain, the more yellow the hues in the diamond the less expensive it will be, however coloured diamonds such as pinks and blues can be very expensive depending on their rarity or the intensity of their colour.
There is a wide variety of coloured diamonds and as with white diamonds, the colour in the stone results from impurities becoming trapped at the time the diamond was forming.
Different mineral deposits will produce different colourings. Typically, the larger the mineral deposit, the deeper the colour. Pink diamonds are highly prized for their clarity, other rare specimens include “ champagne” diamonds which have a lovely warm tan colouration and blue diamonds with some examples exhibiting a deep blue colour almost like a sapphire. We suggest a good deal of research and expert help when choosing a coloured diamond as valuations may vary considerably although the important four Cs will still apply.
These will carried out to the same exacting standards that are used in the grading of white diamonds, however with coloured diamonds, when grading colour it is the strength and saturation of colours that result in higher prices, this is contrary to white diamonds where any colour is considered a flaw.
At Assetsure, we will be pleased to offer jewellery Insurance for any item containing diamonds. Please contact our office for a quote