Diamond Color

When people picture a diamond, they often imagine a bright, white sparkle—but not all diamonds are completely colorless. 

Diamond color refers to the subtle presence of yellow or brown tones in a stone, and it plays a significant role in a diamond’s overall appearance and value.

While these color differences can be hard to spot at first glance, they become more noticeable depending on the diamond’s size, shape, and setting. 

Understanding how color is graded can help you choose a stone that looks beautiful to the eye without going over budget.

What is Diamond Color?

In gemological terms, diamond color measures how colorless a white diamond is. The less color a diamond shows, the higher its color grade and value. 

The most desirable white diamonds are those that appear icy and colorless, since they allow more natural light to pass through, enhancing their brilliance.

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) created the industry-standard color scale to grade white diamonds from D to Z. The D grade level is completely colorless.

As the scale goes down towards Z, the presence of yellow/brownish hues becomes more prominent. 

Here’s a quick overview of the GIA color grading scale:

• D-F: Colorless. These diamonds are extremely rare and appear icy white.
  
  

• G-J: Near colorless. Slight hints of warmth may be visible under magnification or in certain light, but these diamonds still appear mostly white.
  
  

• K-M: Faint color. A soft yellow tint may be visible to the naked eye, often more noticeable in larger stones or those set in white metals.
  
  

• N-Z: Noticeable color. These diamonds have a visible yellow or brown tint that can be seen without magnification. These stones are more affordable.
  
  

Although D-F diamonds are considered the most valuable in terms of color, many buyers find that G-H or even I-J diamonds strike a great balance—they appear white in everyday settings and come at a more approachable price point.

At the time of the creation of the diamond color scale, there were other scales that useds A, B, and C demonations. It’s for this reason that the GIA made the color scale start at D - to start a scale afresh, that was blatantly separate from any other scale.

What Causes Diamonds to Have Color?

The color in diamonds is typically caused by trace elements or structural irregularities that occur during their natural formation deep within the earth. 

For example, the presence of nitrogen atoms can give a diamond a yellow or brown tint, while other elements like boron can create rare blue hues.

In white diamonds specifically, color results from how much—or how little—coloring material is present in the crystal lattice. 

The fewer impurities, the more colorless and rare the diamond tends to be. These subtle variations are what gemologists assess when assigning a color grade, and even a single grade difference can impact both appearance and value.

Fancy Colored Diamonds

While in most cases diamonds are prized for how little color they have, there is a subset of diamonds that are prized for their colors. These diamonds are known as “fancy colored diamonds”, and fall outside the traditional D-to-Z scale and include shades like yellow, pink, blue, green, and even rare colors like red or violet.

Their color is typically caused by trace elements (like nitrogen or boron) and other unique phenomena that occur during regular diamond formation.

Unlike white diamonds, which are judged on the absence of color, fancy diamonds are graded by intensity, using terms like Fancy Light, Fancy Intense, and Fancy Vivid. The more vibrant and evenly distributed the color, the more valuable the stone tends to be.

Fancy colored diamonds are often chosen for their uniqueness. These stones are extremely rare, and can be incredibly expensive. 

Factors that Affect How Diamond Color is Seen

Color grade is important, but the actual perception of color also depends on other elements like the diamond’s shape, size, and setting.

• Shape: Round brilliant diamonds tend to reflect more light, which helps mask subtle color. Step-cut shapes like emerald or Asscher, with their open facets and long lines, tend to show color more easily.
  
  

• Metal Color : White metals like platinum or white gold will make any hint of yellow more obvious. Warmer tones like yellow or rose gold, on the other hand, can help downplay visible color and even enhance the overall look of slightly lower-color diamonds.
  
  

• Size: This is pretty straightfoward - the larger the diamond, the more noticeable its body color. This holds especially true in diamonds over one carat, where small differences in color grades become more apparent.
  
  

If you're considering a step-cut shape or a larger stone, you may want to lean toward a higher color grade. 

If you're going with a round cut or a warm-toned setting, you might comfortably choose a near-colorless diamond without sacrificing visual quality.

Color vs the Other 4Cs

Color is just one part of the 4Cs—cut, color, clarity, and carat weight—that work together to define a diamond’s overall beauty and value.

Whereas judging clarity or cut often requires magnification or a trained eye, color is one of the easiest qualities to detect, especially when comparing diamonds side by side. 

However, most people don’t view diamonds under ideal lighting or in comparison rows. In everyday settings, subtle differences in color often go unnoticed, particularly when the diamond is well-cut and properly set.

That’s why many buyers gravitate toward near-colorless diamonds, especially in the G–H range. These stones appear beautifully white to the eye and offer significant savings compared to higher color grades. 

At the end of the day, selecting the perfect diamond for you depends on your priorities and budget. Choosing a slightly lower color grade can free up your budget for a better cut—which has the biggest influence on a diamond’s sparkle—or allow you to invest in a larger carat weight, enhancing the overall visual impact.

At SUNSHINE, we help guide you through these nuances so you can feel confident in your selection. 

Whether you’re shopping for an engagement ring or upgrading your diamond, our expert team—including an in-house GIA gemologist—can walk you through side-by-side comparisons, explain trade-offs, and help you find the stone that best fits your needs and your budget.

Visit us at either of our Philadelphia-area locations and experience firsthand why we’re one of the region’s most trusted fine jewelers.