Diamond Characteristics - Colour

The colour grading for white diamonds starts from completely colourless, the most expensive to a faint yellow colour. The colour in a diamond is produced from chemical impurities contained in its composition. The whiter or colourless the diamond, the more brilliant it will be because it will allow more light to pass and be reflected back. Also the whiter the diamond, the more colours it will reflect back to achieve that desirable rainbow brilliance only a well-cut, colourless diamond can create.

The chart below shows the colour grading created by the Gemmological Institute of America (GIA) which is the professional colour scale for white diamonds.

	D E F = Colourless
	G H I J = Near Colourless
	K L M = Very Faint Yellow
	N O P Q R = Faint Yellow
	S T U V W X Y Z = Light Yellow

Diamonds graded D - F are the rarest and most expensive, whereas the ones graded G - J are seemingly colourless to the untrained eye. The diamonds with grades K - Z are more noticeably yellower, however the choice always depends on the buyer's preference.

The colour grading for fancy coloured diamonds is very different from white diamonds, see other types of diamonds to learn more about coloured diamonds.

About Buying Diamonds is a comprehensive guide explaining diamond characteristics like cut, colour, clarity & carat, as well as the different diamond shapes and types of diamonds. You can learn what to buy for your diamond jewellery needs such as diamond rings or diamond bracelets and how these grades will affect diamond prices. The process of buying diamonds online may be daunting to some, so throughout this site we offer advice and information on buying all types of diamonds including loose diamonds and wholesale diamonds and the reasons why you should always buy certified diamonds.