Fancy Color Diamond Grading

Fancy color diamonds come in all colors and shades of the rainbow. Among them, yellow ones are most common. They are usually used in fashion jewelry.

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Diamonds being very precious and expensive, certain factors should be taken care of before buying them. As known to all, the Four Cs are the most important characteristics to be considered for judging the quality of a diamond. But these factors differ slightly for fancy colored ones.

Diamond Color Grading

The color grading technique for fancy color diamond is slightly similar to that of colored gemstones. The two basic aspects to be considered while judging the color of the colored diamond are Hue and Intensity. Hue refers to the color of the diamond which may include pink, red, blue etc. Intensity means how light or dark the color is. The more intensity, more beautiful will the diamond look and more expensive it will be.

Diamond Cut Grading

Like colorless diamonds, the most excellent/ideal cut colored diamonds emits maximum brilliance. A colored diamond with a good cut derives its most intense color, hence increasing its worth and beauty. Facets add more color to the diamond and if cut properly, gives the best appearance to the stone.

Diamond Clarity Grading

For a colored diamond, clarity is not the most factor for judging its quality. Even a lower clarity diamond will appear inclusion-free depending on the color intensity. Secondly, if the color of the inclusion is same as that of the diamond, then it will be nearly invisible. Also the appearance of the inclusions (if any) will be noticed only if they are present directly on the table of the diamond. Usually fancy colored diamonds with higher clarity are rarely found.

Diamond Carat

Carat weight of a colored diamond is computed or analyzed in the similar way as that of the colorless ones. The more carat weight, more expensive it will be.

Diamond Certification

Apart from the four Cs, the certification of the diamond should also be taken care of. All the major gem laboratories like GIA, IGI, and EGL certify and provide report for fancy color diamonds. The certificate ensures that the diamond is naturally colored and an not enhanced one.