The Essential 4C's
Color : Diamond's Shade or Tint
A diamond's color is the soft tint of shade of yellow/brown that is seen inside the diamond. All diamonds on the GIA D to Z scale are considered white although on the lower end they can have a tinge of yellow color.
Color is a natural element in diamonds. The more yellow/brown the tint of color, the less the sparkle of the diamond because light performance/reflection is reduced. Color is essentially a visual distraction that affects sparkle. The grade is a representation of how much that color shade can be seen. Diamond color is grading by evaluating the body color of the diamond on a pure white background, face down. From face up, color is harder to identify.
Diamond Color Chart
D is the highest colour grade attributed to a diamond, denoting that the stone is completely colourless (white); as such, they are extremely rare and command the highest prices.
The colour difference between a D and an E graded stone is usually only visible to an expert gemmologist using master stones as a comparison, although E graded stones are slightly cheaper.
The colour difference between an E and an F is only visible to an expert gemmologist using master stones as a comparison. F grades are the lowest and therefore least expensive of the premium colours.
G graded diamonds are nearly colourless and a slight colour difference only become perceptible when compared to diamonds of grades D or E. G stones appear colourless especially once set and therefore offer excellent value for money.
H coloured diamonds are near colourless diamonds which still appear totally white or colourless if they are not compared side by side with higher colour graded stones. The H colour is generally considered the watershed between colourless diamonds and slightly tinted diamonds.
I coloured diamonds are very slightly tinted diamonds, however, once set in jewellery, these stones may appear colourless. If you are looking to maximize your budget, then an I coloured diamond offers great value for money.
J coloured diamonds are very slightly tinted diamonds, however, once set in jewellery, especially in yellow gold, it is harder to see the slight yellow tint which the J grade produces.
K coloured diamonds are slightly tinted diamonds, however, once set in jewellery, especially in yellow gold, it is harder to see the slight yellow tint which the K grade produces.
Seventy Seven Diamonds currently offers only stones in the higher range of D-J, as these are the only grades we recommend, however, lower clarity grades can be made available on special request.