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 The best colour is no colour. Diamonds allow light to be reflected and dispersed as a rainbow of colour.
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This light dispersion, or colour flash, has no effect on the technical grading of colour. The absolute finest colorless stone carries a D rating, descending through each letter of the alphabet to Z, designating a diamond of light yellow, brown, or gray. This body colour may be caused by the presence of trace elements, such as nitrogen, within the atomic framework of the carbon crystal. These trace elements are so minute that they are scientifically measured in parts per million (ppm). As the body colour becomes more intense, the grade for colour descends the scale. These gradations are so minute and precise that discerning a single grade (even by an expert) under less than ideal laboratory conditions is extremely difficult. |
 Fancy ColourIt is often surprising to learn that diamonds also occur by rare accidents of nature in shades of pink, blue, green, amber, or even red. These rarely occurring colours are referred to as fancies and are evaluated by a different set of colour standards. These standards take into consideration various factors such as hue and saturation. Fancy coloured diamonds are the most expensive because of their extreme rarity. |
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Fluorescence  Fluorescence is not directly related to a diamond's colour. This separate characteristic refers to the diamond's ability to fluoresce under ultraviolet (UV) light. Our sun emits some UV light, but it is usually not great enough to detect fluorescence. The most common source of UV is a black light. When exposed to UV light, many diamonds will give off a distinctive glowing blue coloration. Although fluorescence may be displayed in various colours, blue is the most common in diamonds. The fluorescence of a diamond is defined by its intensity as either None, Faint, Medium, Strong, or Very Strong. Although fluorescence is a characteristic that can be measured, it is seldom an issue when selecting a diamond. |
To learn more about the 4 C's, simply click on the links below; » Cut » Colour » Clarity » Carat |
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