Diamonds come in various colours; the most popular jewellery item is the white series of diamonds.

The rarest and sought-after diamonds are colourless and demand the highest price. So, how do we colour-grade a diamond? The Gemological Institute of America, the world’s largest and most trusted diamond grading facility, invented the diamond colour grading scale. The highest and most colourless diamond is a D colour, so the scale starts here. Diamonds that show no colour are known as colourless, including D-E-F colours. Near colourless linearly show a very tiny hint, including G-H-I-J. At Polished Diamonds, we sell mainly D-J colours, but the scale goes down to Z, which shows significant colour – see the scale below.

The vast majority of gem-quality diamonds are represented in the above colour scale, which goes from colourless D to taking on yellow or brown overtones of colour down to Z.  So, as diamonds take on more yellow colour, they become less sought after and less expensive. You can see in the above image that the scale is very subtle and gradual indeed, and it’s not until J-K-L and with a direct comparison that the yellow tint starts to show.

We recommend that clients buy high-quality diamonds that best fit their needs and budget. If you are buying a ring made in Platinum, then a D-E-F is best suited as these are colourless and will not take on any reflection from yellow gold. Suppose you want diamond size but are limited in your budget. In that case, the G-H-I represent excellent value, and these can also be set in Platinum and look fabulous (I set a G colour in Platinum – it looks fantastic). So the G-H-I colours represent good value, and the D-E-F colours represent very high quality at a slightly higher price.

As you can see in the above graphic, the difference is very insignificant. If you want to use yellow gold, we recommend using G-H-I as you will get some colour reflection from the yellow gold, and use J colour to get the size up if your budget is tight. We find that diamonds in the K-L-M spectrum show faint yellow colours, and we prefer not to advertise them for sale as their sparkle and performance can be reduced. 

Once diamonds reach the Z colour in the white series, they start to take on a different colour scale. We know these diamonds as Champagne and Cognac diamonds. Champagne diamonds are known as C1-C2-C3, and when more brown is added, they become C4 to C8. Check the colour chart below to see the subtle change in colour. 

The Champagne and Cognac diamonds series above are much less expensive than the white diamond series and offer excellent values to increase the size and add a different dimension as the colour is quite visible. Some clients like combining a darker Cognac diamond in the centre with a halo or circle of white diamonds to frame it up. This can be done more subtly using the C1-C3 Champagne series; they look good and are a valid alternative. Contact us to quote and prepare a viewing of these remarkable diamonds.

The diamond mentioned above colours are the most popular, but we also have other colours available, like pink, blue, fancy yellow, and other items. These diamonds are rare and very sought after, so perhaps contact us for information about what is available, and we’ll match your budget.

Black diamonds are inexpensive, and the brown (Cognac) diamonds are next, followed by champagne and white diamonds. Fancy yellow diamonds are priced similarly to fine white diamonds and form the next price category. Pink, Blue, Red, Grey, Purple, and Green are very expensive, with pricing often around $30,000 for 1/2 carat on an average colour score. The more intense the colour, the higher the price. Contact us for information on these fancy colours; however, because these diamonds are so rare and in short supply, they are collectable with only up to 80 carats per year for worldwide production – the prices are very high, but we appreciate them. The fancy diamond colours have GIA certification to confirm the colour is natural and usually evenly dispersed across the stone. With trusted and reliable GIA documentation, you will buy an appreciating and remarkable gemstone.