When describing a ring, you’ll almost always hear the weight (carats) of a diamond, plus the cut. The cut is partly the shape of the stone, but more specifically describes the method of cutting (more on that later).
Obviously, all 2-carat Princess cut diamonds are not equal. So we need to go to the next level of diamond description. Color and clarity make up the last of the four C’s (along with Carat and Cut, if you weren’t paying attention).
Color is pretty obvious; as a general rule, diamonds are typically more valuable the less color that they have.
Pure “white” diamonds are the standard ideal in color grading, using an alphabetical scale that, for some odd reason, starts at D. Those subversives in the American Gem Society use a numerical scale instead; these numbers are shown in parenthesis.
- D, E, F (AGS 0 - 1.5) = Colorless
- H, I, J (1.5 - 3.5) = Near Colorless
- K, L, M (3.5 - 5) = Faint Yellow
- N - R (5 - 7.5) = Very Light Yellow
- S - Z (7.5 - 10+) = Light Yellow
Anything with more yellow than Z is considered a “fancy color” diamond; this category also includes colors other than yellow or brown. Fancy colors use a separate scale that more resembles the grading systems for emeralds and rubies.
At a certain point, diamonds with color become more valuable than pure diamonds due their beauty and rarity. The legendary (cursed?) Hope Diamond, for instance, has been described as having the color of a fine sapphire, with unique luminescent and phosphorescent properties. The most rare and valuable diamonds are those with a vivid red color; “Fancy Red” diamonds resemble rubies to an extent but offer very different properties and color variations.
Black diamonds (called “Carbonado”) are also extremely rare, found only in areas of Brazil and the Central African Republic. The characteristics and origins of these diamonds present a tantalizing puzzle that has spawned theories including interstellar origins and meteor impacts.
