Unlike other gem stones, a diamond?s quality is judged mostly through the absence of color in them. The value of diamond jewelry is judged solely by the purity of its brilliance.
Like all other natural stone, however, diamonds are available in several shades of colors which can be beautiful in themselves.
So far, there’s a good range of colors in diamonds, apart from the in-demand blue and pink. Commercially accessible now are yellow, orange, green, champagne, grey, black, white, red, purple, chameleon and violet diamonds.
Absence of color and perfection
Among jewelers, the best possible diamond stones are those which can be totally colorless. They are graded D, meaning they are absolutely free of any color.
Theoretically, a chemically pure and structurally perfect diamond can be perfectly transparent with no color whatsoever. However, a large amount of all the diamonds used as gems are imperfect.
A tinge of color
The subsequent group are stones with very slight traces of color which is often seen by a diamond expert. When assembled right into a finished jewelry, the color shades of these stones usually cannot be discerned anymore. Still, they may be graded as E or F color diamonds.
Later on, those stones which show almost no traces of color are sorted as G or H color diamonds, or possibly I or J color, with respect to the strength of the color seen.
Grading and color
Those stones which are graded between D and F are believed colorless. Those that belong inside the G to J group are called near-colorless. Those within the K to M grading are slightly colored as well as the N to Y stones usually appeared to be light yellow or brown.
One peculiar twist towards the rule those diamond stones graded Z will also be rare and those bright yellow diamonds are priced higher than the ordinary.
The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) had developed the present color rating system for white diamonds (?D? as a result of Z, according to the intensity of the coloration). This has been universally recognized and adapted, overriding the last older systems.
Fancy
A considers diamonds with intense colorations as fancy. A powerful yellow coloration is regarded as one of many fancy colors and is associated with a different color grading system.
Gemologists have another rating system for fancy colored diamonds that is different from that used in white diamonds. However, this is simply not commonly used because these stones are relatively rare.
The colour seen in the stones either detract or enhance its value, depending on the color itself and the power of the coloration. Examples would include the grade Z bright yellow, or perhaps an intense pink or blue in the stones, each one of which commands a better price.
Impurities
There are causes of these colors in the stones. They are often structural defects in the crystal lattice with the stone or it could be a result of some chemical impurities.
Nitrogen is easily the most common impurity. It sometimes replaces a small proportion of carbon atoms inside the diamond causing a yellowish or brownish tone.
Many impurities and structural flaws produce different colorations within the diamonds. Impurities are almost always present in white diamonds. It is not detectable inside the rarest stones.
As always, choosing your diamond jewelry always go back to your own prerogatives around the pros and cons of owning either colored or white diamonds.