How to Buy Diamonds Part 3

Diamond Color

• Color refers to a diamond's lack of color, grading the whiteness of a diamond.
• A color grade of D is the highest possible, while Z is the lowest.
• Depaula's only sells diamonds with a color grade of J or higher.

Color manifests itself in a diamond as a pale yellow. This is why a diamond's color grade is based on its lack of color. The less color a diamond has, the higher its color grade. After cut, color is generally considered the second most important characteristic when selecting a diamond. This is because the human eye tends to detect a diamond's sparkle (light performance) first, and color second.

At Depaula's, you'll find only the finest diamonds with color graded D-J. Diamonds graded J or better are colorless or near-colorless, with color that is typically undetectable to the unaided eye.

• Z-N Noticeable color. Not carried by Depaula's.
• M-K Noticeable color. Not carried by Depaula's.
• J-I Near-colorless. An exceptional value with slightly detectable warmth or tone.
• H-G Near-colorless. Color difficult to detect unless compared side-by-side against diamonds of better grades. An excellent value.
• F-E Colorless. Minute traces of color can be detected by an expert gemologist. A rare diamond.
• D Absolutely colorless. The highest color grade. Extremely rare.