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Diamond Colour

What is Diamond Colour?

Despite its name, diamond colour actually refers to the lack of colour in diamonds. Colourless diamonds are the most valuable colour, and are often described as ‘white’. The higher the colour grade of the diamond, the more colourless that diamond is. So what is the diamond colour grade?

Diamond Colour Grade

Diamond colour grading begins at Grade D and moves all the way down to Grade Z. Grade D refers to the rarest colourless diamonds, which is why they are positioned at the very top of the scale. The remaining gradings - between D and Z – show a variety of subtle diamond colours and tones.

Grade D

Exceptional white. Colourless diamonds are the most desirable diamonds as they allow the most refraction of light or ‘sparkle’. 'D' stands for Pure White, which is the most valuable diamond colour available.

Grade E, F & G

Rare White. Special whiteness and purity with no tint of colour. A specialist trained eye could only tell the difference between exceptional white and special whiteness/rare white.

Grade H

Good white brightness with a slight tint of colour - usually yellow or brown. Diamonds of this colour offer you an excellent combination of quality and value. However, compared to a higher colour graded diamonds, there will be a slight difference in colour.

At Shining Diamonds, we offer our customers the flexibility to choose their diamond colour - ranging from D to J. So, shop online or visit us in-store at our Hatton Garden or Brighton jewellery store. We also offer finance options for all of our diamonds! If you have any additional questions, contact our team – we’ll be happy to offer our advice!

Can you buy Coloured Diamonds?

Yes – whilst colourless or ‘white’ diamonds are the most popular on the market, at Shining Diamonds we also stock Fancy Coloured Diamonds. These diamonds are formed naturally and gain their colour when other elements interact with the carbon atoms during the diamond formation process.

Read the following list to see which elements create certain colours:

  • Yellow Diamonds – nitrogen atoms absorb blue light to create the yellow colour.
  • Blue Diamonds – boron atoms absorb red and yellow hues to create a blue diamond.
  • Green Diamonds – naturally occurring radiation can caused a diamond to develop a green hue.
  • Pink/Red Diamonds – intense pressure and heat cause distortions in the diamond to create the pink and red hues.

The best colour is a D grade or a colourless diamond. D grade diamonds are the rarest and most expensive colour of all.

Diamond colour grades are used to determine the colour of a diamond. These grades are part of a wider colour scale, which begins at D (colourless) and ends at Z (yellow or brown).

Natural diamonds can come in a wide variety of colours including yellow, pink, red, orange and blue. However, coloured diamonds are extremely rare – far rarer than colourless diamonds. So, they are significantly more expensive.

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