COLOR

Diamonds should be like water: colorless. Why?  Because the best color is no color.

Diamonds range from “colorless” to “yellow.” Think of the alphabet, where D is “the most colorless” (or white) and Z is “the most yellow.” The closer to D, the higher the value and price. Differences between color grades are very, very subtle and require a trained eye to discern.

Colorless diamonds are the most valuable and expensive because they’re the rarest. Although an increased shade of yellow — moving down the alphabet toward Z — means decreased value, it doesn’t necessarily mean decreased beauty. If a diamond is cut to optimize refraction and dispersion of light (as Mervis diamonds are), it will appear more colorless than it actually is.

The two major groupings are colorless and near-colorless. That’s D through J on our alphabet scale. Almost all Mervis diamonds fall into this range, so almost all Mervis diamonds are at the high end of the brilliance and beauty scale.

After cut, color is generally considered the second most important characteristic when selecting a diamond. This is because the human eye tends to detect a diamond's sparkle first, and color second

Fluorescence

One additional factor in grading the color of a diamond is fluorescence. Fluorescence is the emission of visible light by a diamond when it is exposed to ultraviolet radiation. Approximately 10% of all diamonds on the market today exhibit fluorescence. Years ago, these diamonds were referred to as blue white diamonds. Today, fluorescence on a diamond certificate is divided into five different categories: none, faint, medium, strong, and very strong.  Most diamonds that do fluoresce do so in a blue color; however yellow and other colors are possible.

Fluorescence can be both a negative and a positive.  In the strong and very strong range a diamond may appear oily or cloudy which will greatly reduce the attractiveness and value of the diamond.  However, diamonds of I color and lower can actually look whiter with some fluorescence which; enhances their value. Better quality diamonds with fluorescence generally sell at a discount to similar ones without. The reason for this is not that it is less beautiful, but that the general public is under the opinion that fluorescence is a negative. It is easier for a jeweler to sell a diamond without fluorescence.

Learn about Diamond Cut
Learn about Diamond Clarity
Learn about Diamond Carat Weight