The factors that affect the quality of colored diamonds may be overlapping with that of the achromatic ones, but they are read quite different in case of the colored variety. In preparation for an imminent purchase, one must understand these factors very well to be able to choose the best grade fancy colored diamond sold at the available budget.
Let’s go over the 4Cs of a diamond to find the subtler points of differences and how they affect the quality of the stone. Be well-read on the subject before you exhaust your fund on a seemingly attractive stone.
Color: The rarer a stone is, the steeper it is priced. In diamonds, the colorless variety is the rarest of all, which explains why they are always at the peak of the pricing structure. Next comes the fancy colored diamonds. Saturated pink is perhaps the most valuable because of its scarcity in the nature, followed closely by greens and blues. What’s worth noticing here is that the slightest difference in shades reflects sharply on the price figures.
Diamonds that are yellow and brown in color are less valuable than those bearing more vibrant shades. Some particular stones that are of high value in colored diamonds are red, blue and green. Moderate saturation and dark tones are the rarest of all.
The color gradation of GIA (Gemological Institute of America) distinguishes the stones into four categories, namely, Fancy Light, Fancy, Fancy Intense and Vivid. These are the color strengths, fancy light being the most common to Fancy Vivid being the most uncommon.
Clarity: The clarity of a diamond is a crucial value factor. In colored diamonds, those with considerable inclusions are sometimes priced high because of their face-up color. However, it should be borne in mind that inclusions in any gem can reduce the durability of the stone and that is why low inclusion stones are always high value. Color graining in colored diamonds is considered as a type of inclusion too.
Cut: In cuts, options are quite a few when it comes to colored diamonds. However, in all of them, the best ones are those that feature a deep pavilion. That ensures that the light passes all the way through the depth of the stone giving it a richer tone.
Carat: Large diamonds in the colored category are few and far in the D to Z range of colors. Because they are rare, they are pricier than smaller ones.
