Color - A Variety of Choices
From colorless to yellow, a diamonds color refers to the grade assigned to indicate the color spectrum the stone falls within.
Diamonds are graded for color face down, against a white background. Graders are looking at the actual body tone (hue) of the stone and comparing it to a set of master stones graded by the Gemological Institute of America. The diamond is then assigned a letter grade as seen on the accompanying chart. Most diamonds used for jewelry purposes fall into the Near Colorless Category - G to J
The Gemological Institute of America (G.I.A.) grades color alphabetically from D (totally colorless) to Z (yellow).For a diamond to be considered "colorless," the G.I.A. requires that it be a D, E, or F. However, the D-Z scale is continuous, so the difference between an F and G is very small. The average color for engagement diamonds in the United States is G to H.
