Name: Gabriel Edward Jewelers
Price range: $$

Color Grade denotes the amount of brown or yellow hue detected in a diamond. The modern color scale was established by the GIA and ranges from “D” to “Z”. A “D” color diamond contains no hues of color, while a “Z” color diamond is the color of honey mustard.
These are gross. Please don’t buy one.

GIA Color Scale — Courtesy of the Gemological Institute of America

At Gabriel Edwards, we like to keep things simple. Don’t get overwhelmed by the excessive amount of color options.

The vast majority of engagement ring Center Diamonds fall in the “Near Colorless” (“G” to “J”) range.

For a typical-sized diamond this range represents the perfect intersection of price and quality. “Near Colorless” Diamonds can look nearly as white as “Colorless” Diamonds but are significantly less expensive.

What’s the best Color Grade for my Diamond?

Best color grade = the lowest color grade at which your selected Center Diamond’s shape and carat weight looks “white” to you. We call this determining your minimum viable Color Grade. The best way to do this is in person. Until you’re ready to visit us (we make GREAT coffee and we validate parking) or if you’d rather shop from home, read on…

Let’s play a game 🙂

Here are 4 round diamonds, all GIA Graded around 1.00 carat.
All similar proportions, all “Excellent” Cut. All shot ~amateurly~ on my Canon Rebel T7i. In no particular order, we have a “G”, an “H”, and “I” and a “J” Color.

Which diamond is which?

Four Round Diamonds, varying color grades from "G" to "J"

I know what you’re thinking…

~~If MJ came back in ’99 the Bulls definitely would’ve won 7~~ It’s nearly impossible to tell on a picture and much easier to tell in person, right? *BUZZER SOUND* It’s probably tougher to tell in person, because the diamonds are all reflecting light, and these pictures are all magnified on your screen. So, which stone is which color?

Sooo, they’re actually in alphabetical order from “G” to “J”.

This is why the color scale is broken into ranges. It’s also super important to note that color is graded table-down by the GIA (position of stones in the pictures below). It’s easier to tell table-down because the table’s not reflecting light at the grader and making coloration harder to pick out.

4 Diamonds, Color Grades G, H, I, J, table-down

The “Near Colorless” range represents a collection of stones with slight levels of included coloration. Table-up, like they’ll be set on your Ring, these grades are nearly imperceptible from each other on a typical-sized Center Diamond (around 1 carat).

A typical set of eyes sees the faintest bit of “yellow” on a “J” Color 1.00 carat table-down or table-up from certain angles and in warmer lighting. Some people won’t see color on a 1.00 carat “J” at all.

Let’s go one-on-one…

“J” on the left, “G” on the right.

“J” on the left, “H” on the right.

“J” on the left, “I” on the right.

A typical set of eyes sees the faintest bit of yellow/brown coloration on a “J” Color 1.00 carat table-down, or table-up from certain angles and in warmer lighting. Some people won’t see color on a 1.00 carat “J” at all. Not to sound like a broken record, but again, verify this for yourself in person ????

Some general guidelines for Center Diamond Color Grade:

For Rounds:

Rounds mask color better than any other shape, because their facet pattern reflects the most light. A well-cut Round (“Excellent” or “Ideal” Cut Grade with ideal proportions) will reflect so much light, color tints get lost in the brilliance.

<1.00 carat: Grades “J” or better will look white, bump to “I” for a slightly brighter white. Set filters to: “I” – “J”
1.00 – 2.00 carats: Set filters to: “I” – “J”
2.00 – 3.00 carats: I’m seeing “white” at “I” Color or better. You’ll get more of a “pop” of white at higher grades, but a steady price increase comes with it.
Set filters to: “H” – “I”
3.00 carats+: As you start clearing 3 carats, color tints get easier to see.
Set filters to: “G” – “H”

For Fancy Brilliants:

Since fancies reflect less light than rounds, you’ll likely want a higher color grade to compensate for the lower brilliance / color masking. But, fancy-shape diamonds are less expensive than rounds, so upping your color grade by a letter or two shouldn’t put you out of budget.

<1.50 carats: Set filters to “H” – “I”
1.50 – 2.00 carats: Set filters to “G” – “H”
2.00 – 2.50 carats: Set filters to “F” – “G”
2.50 – 3.00 carats: Set filters to: “E” – “F”
3.00 carat+: Set filters to: “D” – “E”

For Step-Cuts:

Step-Cuts are beautifully elegant shapes, but they reflect much less light than Brilliant-Cuts. Aim for slightly higher colors to avoid noticeable tins of yellow or brown.

<1.25 carats: Set filters to “H” – “I”
1.25 – 1.75 carats: Set filters to “G” – “H”
1.75 – 2.25 carats: Set filters to “F” – “G”
2.25 – 2.75 carats: Set filters to: “E” – “F”
2.75 carat+: Set filters to: “D” – “E”

Javi Perez,
President

I’m here to help you create the PERFECT Engagement Ring for thousands off retail price. Keep saving for a lifetime with your soulmate while creating a Ring she’ll adore forever.

Let’s Create Your Dream Ring Together