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From the faintest yellow or brown to the very
rare pinks, blues, greens and other colors (known as "fancies"
in the trade) it is still no color at all that takes the cake when
it comes to diamonds.
A completely colorless diamond allows white
light to pass through it effortlessly - dispersing it again as
rainbows of color.
Note:(In 1987 Sotheby's auctioned an
approximately .95 ct. pink to purplish natural fancy color
diamond and received $800,000 plus. Because of rarity.)
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In Diamonds that are seen in the trade, most are near
colorless to light yellowish.
There are only about 25 impurity elements that effect diamond.
In fact, 99.95% of all diamond is pure carbon.
Some elements, that affect Diamond color, are:
- nitrogen ... yellow
- boron ... blue
- crystal irregularities ... pinks, browns and reds
- natural radiation ... green
Some diamonds are "fluorescent". Some even glow.
This fluorescence is caused by the reaction between the light's
energy and the diamond's atoms. Diamonds that fluoresce usually do
so in blue.
Fluorescence should be disclosed and explained when a diamond is
being viewed.
Remember slight to moderate fluorescence could be a means of
identification.
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To grade color, Gemologists
use master stones
(stones graded and recorded
at the GIA gem trade lab),
white light and proper procedures.
The graph on the right illustrates
color grading from colorless to yellow
with corresponding Color grades.
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D(0+) - F(1+) Colorless |
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G(1) - J(1) Near Colorless |
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K(5) - M(7) Slightly Tinted |
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N(8) - R(12) Very Light Yellow |
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S(13) - Z(20) Light Yellow - Yellow |
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