Color: less is more
While most diamonds appear not to have any color at all, gases and other elements present at the time they were formed billions of years ago result in slight traces of yellow or brown in some diamonds. The less color a diamond has, the more valuable it is. Many times the color differences are so slight they can only be detected by comparing them to other diamonds.
Color differences are measured by the internationally-accepted, industry standard, grading scale established by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) grading scale. The highest grade for a diamond with absolutely no color is D and letter grades are assigned alphabetically all the way to Z. The farther away from the letter D a grade is, the more traces of yellow or brown it appears to have. Each letter grade has a clearly defined range of color appearance and each diamond is color-graded by comparing them to stones of known color under controlled lighting and precise viewing conditions. |
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.
Many color distinctions are so subtle as to be invisible to the untrained eye. But these slight differences make a very big difference in diamond quality and price. |
Denver Merchandise Mart 451 E. 58th Avenue Suite 2389 Denver, CO 80216 (303) 297-9696 email
Home ♦ About ♦ Custom Design ♦ Engagement ♦ Fine Jewelry ♦ Featured Collections ♦ Diamonds ♦ Contact
