What Is Diamond Color?

Whether you are considering purchasing a loose diamond as the first step of an engagement ring, to upgrade an existing piece of jewelry, or for another design entirely, nothing compares to the brilliance and fire of seeing a diamond outside a setting. By purchasing a loose diamond, you are able to get the best look at the stone to really see the 4 C's up close— cut, color, clarity, and carat weight. You can view inclusions that a setting might otherwise hide or distract from, allowing you to make an informed decision about the diamond you are investing in. 

At Siebke Hoyt here in Cedar Rapids, we are proud to be diamond experts. We offer our customers an extensive collection of diamond shapes including round brilliant, princess, oval, cushion, and radiant cuts, and we carry diamonds graded by the most notorious gemological laboratories.

Ask a Jeweler: What Is Diamond Color?

Like all of the 4Cs, diamond color is an important consideration when buying a diamond. While color affects price, there are a number of factors that can help you decide which color grade is right for you.

With the exception of some fancy colored diamonds, the most valuable diamonds are those with the least color. The color scale for transparent diamonds runs from D-F (colorless), G-J (near colorless), K-L (faint yellow), to Z (light yellow). Completely colorless diamonds are rare.

 D color diamond is the highest grade and is extremely rare—the highest color grade that money can buy.

When diamonds are formed with traces of other minerals, rare and beautiful colors can result. These “fancy” colors range from blue to brilliant yellow to red, brown, pale green, pink, and violet. Because of their rarity, colored diamonds are highly desirable and may be quite valuable.

Keep in mind that color is more visible in large diamonds. If you are buying a diamond under 1 carat, you might consider choosing an I, J, or K color diamond. If you have your eye on a diamond over 1 carat, look at H color-grade diamonds or higher, since any color would be more visible.

If you have your heart set on a certain color grade and carat size that don't match the budget, consider a different shape. Certain fancy-shaped diamonds hide color better than others—and can cost significantly less than a round-cut diamond.

When setting your diamond, also consider the precious metal color of your setting so it can best compliment the color grade of your diamond. For example, yellow gold naturally casts a warm glow and looks best with diamonds with faint color, but platinum or white gold will make a near-colorless diamond look even brighter.  

Fancy Color Diamonds

Diamonds come in every color of the rainbow. Check out our vast selection of diamonds in yellow, blue, pink, green and purple. Fancy colored diamonds are graded based on the depth of color - Fancy Light, Fancy, Fancy Intense and Fancy Vivid.  

The Anatomy of a Diamond

Learn about the 4 C's from the diamond experts. Our diamond education center is loaded with information from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) so you can rest assured you are making an informed diamond purchase.

Create Your Perfect Piece

At Siebke Hoyt, you can work directly with one of our jewelers to create the engagement ring of your dreams. If you have a design in mind or have seen something you would like to create, our jewelers can help you design that special piece. We specialize in handmade jewelry and perform all the work right here in our store.