Monday, December 1, 2008

Diamond Series: Colour

The first image that comes to mind when we think about diamonds is that of the pure, colourless, glacial stone. Most stones however, possess a tint of yellow, brown, or grey which can often become visible under certain lighting conditions.

Using the G.I.A (Gemmological Institute of America) grading system, the colour of each diamond is graded on an alphabetical scale ranging from D (totally colourless) to Z (diamonds with a definite colour).
As a general rule, the less colour a diamond possesses, the more desirable it becomes. Coloured diamonds have however, been growing steadily in popularity with a variety of colours, ranging from yellow to brown, green to pink, and black to blue depending on the impurities present.


Consumers should be aware that like many gemstones, diamonds can be thermal treated to alter poor quality stones into fancy (strongly coloured) diamonds. This should significantly lower the price tag of these treatable stones when compared to their naturally occurring counterparts.

When searching for the perfect colourless diamonds, we recommend limiting yourself to a range of E-G. Any stone farther down the scale and your diamond runs the risk of making any colored hues more obvious.

It is also important to note that the colour of the setting will also affect your diamond. If your diamond is a very white stone, keep it in a white gold or platinum setting. Putting it in a yellow setting will cause your diamond to seem less white. If a yellow band is what you desire, consider having a yellow shank and a white 'head' where the diamond sits.

If you diamond has a yellow tinge, a white setting will make it more prominent. A yellow setting on the other hand could make the diamond seem whiter when compared to the gold sheen of the band.