D to Z Diamond Colors

Few diamonds are completely colorless, and those with a strong tinge are rarer still. Most diamonds fall under a range of subtle hues. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) places these diamonds on a scale of D to Z, with D being the lightest and Z being the most visibly tinted. While no one color is better than another, some grades are more in demand than others, making clear grading important.

Initial diamond color grading was subjective. Terms such as “Jager” and “Top Cape” were used, though it wasn’t clear to customers what these phrases indicated. Adding to the complications was that one vendor’s idea of “Jager” may be another’s “Top Cape.” While later dealers used alphabetical scales to name diamond color, terms for the lightest hues varied between sellers, such as “A” or “AAA.”

When GIA developed its color scale, “D” was chosen for its lightest color for several reasons. One of the major ideas was to distance GIA’s scale from others that used “A” or variations thereof, making GIA’s grading distinct. “D” was also chosen because the letter was perceived to have different connotations of quality than “A,” reducing the likelihood that “D” would be misused.

Multiple hues can tint diamonds. Most D-Z diamonds have hints of brown or yellow, due to trace elements or naturally occurring radiation. A few D-Z stones may have faint amounts of other colors, but these tend to be very subtle, such as a greyish J color diamond or a pinkish F stone. If their hues were more concentrated, they receive color grades from other metrics.

GIA grades diamond color with the help of neutral backgrounds for the jewels, controlled lighting and masterstones. These diamonds represent the lightest possible hue for a given color grade. A set consists of a minimum of three masterstones across the D-Z range, running from colorless to yellow. As masterstones measure depth of color, they’re still used to grade brown, grey and other jewels. The masterstones should be cleaned regularly to prevent dust from influencing grading and examined for possible damage that may impact grades.

Diamond color is one of the major traits GIA examines when grading diamonds. The left side of the certificate lists the grades and other traits of the stone, including its hue. On the rightmost side of the certificate are various scales outlining the different grades, including the D-Z color range. This allows those reading the report to better determine where the jewel’s grade sits on the color scale.

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