When
jewelers speak of a diamond's color they are
usually referring to the presence or absence of
color in white diamonds. Color is a result of the
composition of the diamond, and it never changes
over time.
Because
a colorless diamond, like a clear window, allows
more light to pass through it than a colored
diamond, colorless diamonds emit more sparkle and
fire. The formation process of a diamond ensures
that only a few, rare diamonds are truly
colorless. Thus the whiter a diamond's color, the
greater its value.
(Note
that fancy color diamonds do not follow this
rule. These diamonds, which are very rare and
very expensive, can be any color from blue to
green to bright yellow. They are actually more
valuable for their color.)
To
grade 'whiteness' or colorlessness, most jewelers
refer to GIA's professional color scale that
begins with the highest rating of D for
colorless, and travels down the alphabet to grade
stones with traces of very faint or light
yellowish or brownish color. The color scale
continues all the way to Z. Begin your search
below, or return to Understanding
Diamonds.
