Diamonds come in a variety of colours, the most sought after being white diamonds. The classic appearance of a diamond is clear, bright and white but the subtle levels of yellow present in white diamonds will determine their grading and have significant impact on price. The less colour present in a diamond (thus the whiter it is) the rarer and more valuable it is and colour becomes more apparent the larger the diamond carat weight is. 

The GIA grading laboratories grading scale for white diamonds has been adopted by the diamond industry, grading diamonds D-Z based on the levels of colour found. All diamonds graded against this scale are considered white in spite of their varying levels of colour.

Colour found within diamonds can be extremely hard to detect to the untrained eye and the differences between colour grades can be minute. Grading is carried out by experts against a white background using example diamonds of each colour for comparison.

Colour becomes much harder to detect once a diamond has been set in a piece of jewellery. Any colour other than perfect white will be drawn into the diamond environment, making grading then impossible.

The colour of the mount itself will then affect the colour delivered by the diamond. White diamonds are most often set in white gold or platinum settings removing the colour often drawn into the diamond from yellow or rose gold. Yellow gold will also make the appearance of a yellow diamond less apparent as the human eye will assume the mount has played a part in it's appearance.

The majority of untrained observers cannot distinguish a colour grade from the grade above or below unless they are compared side by side.

Desirability of diamond colour is a personal preference and is something that we assess individually with clients along with consideration of their budget. We present a selection of diamonds of varying colour and quality grades to outline the differences between them and make sure the perfect diamond(s) are chosen for your jewellery.

What is a fancy colour diamond?

When a diamond has a unique or rare colour it becomes more desirable and valuable. The more intense the shade of colour, the rarer it is, thus increasing its value and price.

The range of desirable fancy diamond colours include:

canary yellow
blue
red
green
pink

We source the very best fancy colour diamonds and gemstones from around the world. Dependant on your tastes and budget we will find the perfect stones for your piece

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What is Fluorescence?

Fluorescence refers to a diamond’ tendency to emit soft coloured glow when subjected to ultraviolet light. Roughy 30% of diamonds fluoresce to some degree. While fluorescence is seen as a slight defect and deviation from a perfect diamond, a diamond with medium fluorescence or less will not show noticeable effects.

Fluoescence can make a colourless diamond appear exceptinally bright but can also make diamonds appear to be foggy, hazy, oily or milky, thus reducing their desirability. Certificated diamonds will have a fluorescence grading on their report as follows: