With the second article of the 4 C’s series, Schwanke Kasten would like you to explore a diamond’s color. Diamond color refers to the presence of any color at all. A perfect diamond is completely colorless, allowing the most amount of light to pass through creating a wonderful effect. Along with being completely colorless, diamonds can also have a slight cloudy appearance or can contain some yellow color. The more color a diamond has the lower its quality and the less valuable the diamond is.

An alphabetical scale was developed by the Gemological Institute of America (G.I.A.) to represent a diamond’s color. The scale ranges from D – Z. (According to the G.I.A., the scale starts at D in order to differentiate itself from other scales at the time, all of which started with A)

D-F: Colorless

G-J: Near Colorless

K-M: Faint Yellow

N-R: Very Light Yellow

S-Z: Light Yellow

Obviously, it is ideal to purchase a diamond rated D-F. However, even though a diamond rated G-J might contain a minuscule amount of color, it is almost always invisible to the untrained eye, so it is perfect for someone whose budget doesn’t allow for them to purchase the highest rated diamonds.

Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers has a great selection of diamond engagement rings.  Visit our diamonds on the Schwanke-Kasten website.