When I talk about color in diamonds I am describing the body color of
the stone, not the sparkle. Most people think of diamonds as a colorless or nearly
colorless gem, because that is what one usually sees in jewelry stores. The
"Normal" range of color runs from colorless to tints of brown, gray and yellow.
Diamonds actually occur in every color of the rainbow. Diamonds of colors other than the
normal range are considered a "Fancy" color.
Fancy colors result naturally as atoms of impurities replace
atoms of carbon. The Hope diamond on display at the Smithsonian Museum is a good example
of a fancy color, as it is very blue. A fancy color can be obtained from irradiating a
diamond (you won't glow in the dark, it is very safe) or combining irradiation and
heating. Irradiation and heating creates color changes that are normally permanent.
When searching for a diamond you will, most probably, be
looking for one of normal color. The more colorless the diamond, in the normal colors, the
more rare and expensive it will be.
The Gemological Institute of America developed the world's
most recognized system for color grading. The GIA's system uses the alphabet. Beginning at
D color which is colorless to Z color which is a light yellow.
The grading system and descriptions detailed in the table to
the left.
When I talk about color in diamonds I am describing the body color of
the stone, not the sparkle. Most people think of diamonds as a colorless or nearly
colorless gem, because that is what one usually sees in jewelry stores. The
"Normal" range of color runs from colorless to tints of brown, gray and yellow.
Diamonds actually occur in every color of the rainbow. Diamonds of colors other than the
normal range are considered a "Fancy" color.
