Colorless to a Touch of Hue
When most people think of diamond color, clear jewels come to mind. Most gem quality diamonds have a hint of hue. The Gemological Institute of America grades diamond color on a range of D to Z. D is for the lightest of diamonds and Z with the strongest tinge. What color people want for their diamond engagement rings depends on personal taste and the design of the ring.
Over ninety percent of diamonds have traces of nitrogen in their crystal. In most instances, the nitrogen provides a yellow tint to the stone. Underground conditions may also give diamonds a brownish cast. Gems with no discernable color make a tiny percentage of available stones.
Every so often, a diamond appears with color outside the D-Z range. These gemstones are known as fancy colored diamonds. Their rarity makes them an attractive, but hard to find option. Some designer engagement rings work around this by using fancy diamonds as an accent. A halo of fancy diamonds may help underscore the beauty of the ring’s D-Z stones.
Depending on the precious metal, a diamond’s color may stand out or be camouflaged. Platinum or white gold engagement rings may compliment lighter diamonds. Jewels closer to Z may appear to have a stronger shade. Likewise, yellow gold wedding bands may downplay the hues in stones with a richer color.
Valentin Magro’s Custom Diamond Collection offers jewels between D and K. These hues range from colorless to faint, which is only noticeable by a few. Those who want a visible hue may click on “Extra Colors?” to broaden their choices up to P. No matter which grade you choose, all diamonds come with a GIA certificate to confirm their color and other qualities.
