subject: True colors: Finding the right diamond color [print this page] True colors: Finding the right diamond color
What is color on diamonds? Isn't it just a clear stone that is pricey? There are so many things a regular person would not know about these stones. Diamonds react to light, to size; to the manner of cut and the littlest of nuances can actually affect the overall price of diamonds. This is where color comes in. Color is not just a mere quality. There is a big amount of effort given just to find the clearest of the diamonds and set them into the right price range. Here is how this process works:
The gemologist is a trained expert. He or she will start by getting the diamonds that are cut already. Diamonds set in metal cannot be checked anymore as the metal could interfere with the true color quality of the diamonds. The next thing is to set the diamonds on a white sheet and then a control diamond, a perfect or nearly perfect clear color is placed in the middle. The gemologist then will check the diamonds for color distinctions. They use a certain gauge using alphabets. The letters D to F are the highest ones and they are colorless. The next ones are G to J that is very faintly tinted with yellow which is not at all bad. The letters K to M are fairly yellow tinted. If the diamond is N to Q, the yellow tint is visible through the naked eye. R to Z means the diamond has a yellow tint with a brown tone.
Another method a gemologist would use is the Fluorescence. This method is about exposing the diamonds to UV light. In this method, the diamonds with bluer tints are closer to white than the others. This is another effective way of analyzing colors for diamonds. The highest gauges are expensive and together with the other characteristics, the price is set and is bought for jewelry making.
Depending on the setting and metals used, the diamond tones can be taken advantage of. Platinum setting makes the diamonds whiter since the metal is white. The diamond set in yellow shows its yellow tones more. This is a very essential tool for analyzing diamonds. Color does not at all mean that diamonds of very clear color are the only ones you should select. These are very rare. In this case, you have to understand how diamonds would react and how you prefer your diamonds to be. Aside from color, there are so many other considerations to take advantage of.
