The 'Color Factor' When Selecting a Diamond Ring

When choosing a diamond wedding ring, the color in the diamonds plays an important role. The Gemological Institute of America sets guidelines that the industry follows, and you might be surprised at what you find there.

Several different systems have been applied to grading the color of a diamond over the years. Some have used numbers and some have used letters. So, when the GIA decided to create a system for grading color in diamonds, they purposely started with the letter d and worked their way down to z.

It's important to note that if you’re choosing a diamond wedding ring, and you’re looking at diamond with a grade of d, you’re not looking at a diamond that is four notches down the color scale. You’re actually looking at the highest rating a diamond can have.

When discussing the 'color' in a diamond, it might be surprising to discover that the the ideal is to get a diamond that is completely COLORLESS. Color in a diamond actually gives a dingy look that interferes with the natural beauty of the diamond and how it’s able to reflect light.

There are rare diamonds that offer unique colors such as yellow or pink, however we’ll discuss those in another post.

Choosing a diamond requires a close look at its color. You don’t necessarily need to purchase the highest quality of color, but at least make sure you chose a diamond that is colorless enough to fool the naked eye.