Color

A perfectly colored diamond is, in fact, colorless-due to its extraordinary ability to absorb all rays of light equally. But the colorless diamond is extremely rare, and most diamonds contain slight traces of yellow, brown or gray.

Diamonds are evaluated according to the GIA letter scale and graded D to F if they have no detectable color tone to the unaided eye. Diamonds of these grades are highly prized because they allow a maximum quantity of light to pass into the stone. Diamonds in the G to I range are nearly colorless to the eye, but a trained gemologist can detect a slight yellow cast. In diamonds graded J to M, the untrained eye can detect a trace of color, but these shades of diamonds are still considered desirable as affordable jewelry pieces. Diamonds with color ratings of N and below carry a noticeable yellow tint, which some people prefer as a matter of personal taste.