show me the yellows!

[sumi]

I really love yellow diamonds, but I''ve only seen huge rings of 5+ carats. I''d like to see some examples of smaller pieces. I''m not too picky about whether they are officially and technically fancy yellows, or if they are just really low on the color scale (but not technically fancy yellow). I love the lighter color yellows anyway (champagne?). So, if you have any studs or rings or even loose stones please post a picture!

 

[valeria101]

Right on target! I don't have any, but this is what I like too. There is a big differennce between tinted whites and fancy yellow, but the fancy-light grades inbetween are just great too. Nothing from my jewelry box, but here are a few links to some rather rich display of yellows: diamondsbylauen (you can look up his posts around here too) and fancydiamonds.net. There are a few in rings at jewelryexpert...

Oh, and isn't this is great line-up (fancy and fancy light on show)

 

[sumi]

droooool, those are really nice Valeria101. We seem to have similar taste. Great minds think alike, right?

Like I said, I've only seen these in huge diamond rings. I saw some real beauties at a great place in Santa Barbara once, but they were really huge! Do you think yellow diamonds only look good in larger stones? If they are small, like anything less than 1/2 carat, do they tend to look bad? Hmmmm.....even if you don't own any in your collection, has anyone even seen a fancy yellow in a smaller stone?

 

[Jennifer5973]

I went through a fancy yellow phase and visited the NYC Diamond District just to see some and try them one. I tried on all kinds from monster 5 ct fancy intense yellows (well into the six-figure range) to 1.8 radiants, 2.2, 2.5 type stones. They are out there. I also got a good eye-lesson is the visual difference between "fancy light yellow" and fancy yellow"... and found that the light yellows are too light for me... I actually decided to wait until i could get a fancy yellow which is truly yellow...some certed light yellows look like J, K, or M-N colored stones to me... And my personal advice? NEVER buy a fancy yellow without a GIA cert. EVER.

I have been doing long-term research into my dream three-stone and am not so much into the yellows now after seeing them...have gravitated back to whites...but the event (10 yr anniv) is still 2+ yrs away, so who knows where I'll end up?

Good luck--sorry no pics.

 

[mike04456]

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On 1/19/2004 2:05:25 PM Jennifer5973 wrote:





NEVER buy a fancy yellow without a GIA cert. EVER.

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You should never buy a fancy-color diamond of any color without a GIA report that specifies natural or treated color, or at the very least an origin-of-color report from another reputable lab. There are many treated-color diamonds on the market (probably a lot more than natural colors) and not all retailers are scrupulous about disclosing the treatment.

 

[sumi]

When would you buy any diamond (whether it be fancy or white) without a certificate? I guess if the stones are very small, you wouldn't need one?


I'd love to have yellow studs, but I guess you have to be careful that the yellow color is strong enough so that it doesn't just look like a low colored white stone.

 

[Jennifer5973]

From what I have learned-which is, admittedly, not everything--GIA is really the most trustworthy when it comes to fancy colored diamonds...

 

[valeria101]

There is some gimmick about how yellow diamonds are graded: the colro grade should reflect their appearence face up. So, if a 0.5 cts stone is graded "fancy yellow" it surely looks it - that's what the grade is all about. I believe you would be pleased with a "fancy yellow" grade. There is some visible variance of color within this class (from close to "light" to close to "intense"), so seing is believing when it comes to these stones. A set of fancy intese yellow accents (say, 0.05 cts each) looks like chips of crayon, not lemon juice drops: meaning that yellow diamonds can hold their color regardless of size. Oh, and I surely love that idea of yellow studs! Would you pursue them online?

 

[sumi]

I'm not seriously looking yet. I'm just starting to consider yellow studs. I think I have to see some smaller stones in person to make up my mind. I don't care if they aren't technically graded "fancy" yellow. I like the lighter yellows anyway, and I want to see what a very low color diamond, that isn't technically a fancy, looks like. Would that be like a W-Z? I'm not sure if this is correct, but it's my understanding that fancy yellows have their own color grades that starts after Z. Is that right?

 

[Jennifer5973]

You are right... Diamonds in the W, X, Y Z range are definitely "light yellow" to the eye..but the GIA has 4 separate classifications after the end of the alphabet spectrum: Fancy Light Yellow, Fancy yellow, Fancy Intense Yellow, and Fancy vivid Yellow. these are the fancy yellow shades. this is another reason why a GIA cert is so critical--you want a true "Fancy" not a W stone passed off as fancy...

In my fancy yellow adventures, i found Val's sentiment to be 110% right on--seeing is believeing...It wasn't until I was in the NYC Diamond District and saw dozens of "yellows" that i raelly understood what I liked and what the differences are...the real differences to the eye, not just on paper.

keep us posted...I'd love to see what you end up with!

 

[marriahlyn]

Sumi-

My diamond is a y-z and definitely shows distinct yellow, especially close to the white diamonds. I wasn't sure of the light color but when I went to the dentist the nurse said "wow is that one of those canary diamonds" from a distance.