At what color grade do YOU start "seeing" color?

[Rhea]

My centre stone is supposed to be G and I can see colour from the side. I can''t tell the colour face up or without another stone there for comparison. I''m not sure when I start seeing colour face on.

 

[isaku5]

My original e-ring was a .64c rb in F colour- absolutely no tint that I could see from any angle. My current 1.77c princess is an E and there''s no tint that I can see unless I wear a yellow top.

I went to Birks Jewellers when they had a special showing of their Amorique (cushion cut) rings. Because they, like Tiffany''s, pride themselves on their quality diamonds, I looked at an H in their largest Amorique. It was definitely tinted from every angle even with mine out of sight.
A G asscher compared to the E princess showed no tint either. As Storm pointed out, the different cuts change the colour requirements.

I really don''t care for warmth in a diamond; it''s a personal thing, and if you love it, that''s fine too.

 

[Deelight]

Depends on what store I am in and what stones I am looking at

At Tiffany''s I guessed the colours correctly for each of the stones they presented to me but I think the one near me has some funky butt lighting everything looks warm even the D-F stones (though they looked a little whiter) but they through rainbows like heck

.


I can tell the difference between an F & H in AGS certs but I have also seen a fancy patented cut cushion in 4ct''s and it was a G and I could have sworn it was a D that thing was icy as can be.

for an E-ring it would bug me to have anything lower then an F but but for another ring or earrings I would consider going down to a G possibly a H even if I saw warmth for it is a case by case basis .

When it comes to clarity though I have a hard time finding inclusions but BF has the eagle eyes and can spot them from a mile for me .

 

[lyra]

Apparently, H is where I can see colour. I took out my tiny .26 original e-ring set (3 rings soldered together now), and cleaned it and examined it. Darn PS!!!

I swear I''d never seen any colour in that stone ever before, but from the side today I think I did see some. Normally, I''d say I colour for larger stones. The larger the stone, the easier it is to discern colour. Personally though, I''m quite happy with the I-K range for myself.

 

[CareBear]

I start seeing color in H. G and above, if you put several stones together, I can tell which one is "whiter" but I don''t see "color" in any of them, if that makes sense.

 

[arjunajane]

Date: 5/4/2008 11:20:33 AM
Author: sna77

Date: 5/4/2008 11:08:32 AM
Author:Ms.Lola
Just wondering, based on everyone''s own experiences, at what point in color grade do you personally start noticing color in a diamond, like in a ring on someone''s finger, not just in comparison to a diamond of a different grade?

This is mainly out of curiosity--Thanks for indulging.

ETA: assuming that we''re dealing with a diamond of excellent cut/proportions.

G. And occasionally some F''s.... I''m very color sensitive though.... I once thought I saw some in my FI''s AGS certed E... then talked myself out of it...

Sna, are you sure you aren''t mistaking the rainbows and spectral colours coming off the stones for actual "colour colour??"
I''m just not sure if this is really possible?

Me personally, I don''t believe I''m very colour sensitive. I haven''t seen enough comparable stones side by side to really say, but my AGS graded I is very white imo. I have only detected a tiny bit of body warmth in certain low lighting indoors, but even then its not unattractive or anything. I actually prefer the H-J range of colour grades.

 

[carabella]

H is where I start to see it. Although my diamond studs are I''s and I think they look really white.

 

[Bliss]

I love warmer colored stones! They are soooo beautiful.

I can tell color in 2+ carat stones from G on. Smaller than 2 carats, Gs look pretty colorless to me.

My FI bought me a 1 ct G and a 2.5+ carat GIA F and I can''t tell the difference. The G is Tiffany in a bezel necklace, so I''m assuming it''s a high G. (Can''t really see the sides, though!)

I have to say, you ladies have me loving the Js. If I get DSS, you can bet I''ll be looking at the Js! What a great value... Hmmm, RHR project someday?

 

[cectra79]

Assuming we're talking Idea cut here, I see color in 1.6-2 carat H face up, and G from the side. F doesn't look different than an E or a D unless in day light and compared side by side. I thought I was a lot more color sensitive when we bought my first e ring. I played with many stones and I have to say that an F looks just as great as an E (that I used to have), and costs less. So I'm shopping for a nice F now becuase I'll have the setting with the open sides.

Some of my friends have G's, and once set the way where you don't see the side of the diamond, their G's look wonderful!

 

[tberube]

I can SEE color very high up the scale - around F or G - but I don''t MIND color well into J and K. Depending on cut and quality, of course.

 

[help123]

I thougth I was crazy until I read the post where someone saw color in their F. I have an F and I thougth I saw color the other day, but then I didn''t after that so I assumed it was my eyes.

I am also color sensitive and I start to see it around G. And yes, you can look at someone else''s hand and know if its around a G/h or a J/K without comparing it to another stone. I know I can. I would probably not be comfortable with more than a G unless it was a great cut since a great cut can hide color.

 

[Paul-Antwerp]

Visibility of colour also depends on light-environment.

My colleague is currently wearing a L-colour princess, and in the office, the stone looks absolutely white, while elsewhere, you can easily see the tint.

Live long,

 

[chitowngal]

in jewelry stores, i cannot see color from faceup until J. in north facing daylight (i believe this is when you can see color the most clearly), my AGS graded ''i'' colored stone looked slightly yellow face up and especially yellow at a 45 degree angle.

 

[sugarplum]

i start seeing warmth in Gs.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

There is an explanation here
http://diamonds.pricescope.com/color.asp

But i think it is time for a consumer led revolt as the current grading system is stoopid. We grade thru the side because it is easier to tell the difference - but the difference does not translate directly to the face up colour.
I am planning a major article for publication on what''s wrong and how it could be fixed.

For the lazy with no image or links:

Most diamonds have a hint of yellow or brown. The rarest and most expensive are D or Icy white - on a scale that goes to Z and is yellowish (or brownish). (More color than Z is graded as a ''fancy'' color).

Below 1ct about half the people in my "blind Pepsi taste tests" can tell the difference between D and H colored diamonds, at I and lower, most people can see the faint tint of yellow. But diamonds over 5ct it is easier to pick G from D, and prices reflect that. Color also has more influence on prices in higher clarity grades.

We grade Color by placing diamonds face down and comparing them to color master stones with special lighting



Glassy looking cuts like Asscher and Emerald cut diamonds show more color than ideal cut rounds; brighter cuts face up more colorless; you can see their color when you look from the side.

It is easier to see the color of a diamond in a white setting (platinum or white gold). If you have a yellowish diamond, then setting it in a rubbed over bezel style setting can improve the apparent color by a couple of grades.

Some people just prefer warmer colors (J-L) others want to save money, get a bigger diamond or a better cut.

As with all the 4C''s, color is a subject of preferences which can depend on cultural, social, or national background. Some nations prefer a higher clarity and are prepared to sacrifice color for "purity".

Fluorescent diamonds with a bluish tint (about 30% of diamonds) usually appear more colorless.

Trivia: When GIA developed the D-Z grading system they avoided A-C because some dealers use A1 to C3 for ''in-house'' grading systems. There will never be better color than D!

 

[elle_chris]

I start seeing the warmth in I''s. mainly from the side but in certain lighting can tell from the top too.

Also, what size are we talking about?

Maybe I''m just cynical but I have a hard time understanding that folks can see color in F''s or even a high G face up in something 1ct or smaller unless of course you''re comparing it to a 1ct D.

On it''s own "I" think it''s nearly impossible to tell in that size.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

I meant to add (after talking about sometimes seeing a tint in my F) that I see absolutely no color at all in my little 20 point pears that flank the asscher and they are G in color. I think the size and the fact that mine is a step cut is why I can occasionally see a little tint (and also that they are next to very small, brilliant Gs?)

 

[pocahontas]

When my fiance (ohh, I love the sound of that) and I were looking at diamonds we narrowed our search down to four Superbcert diamonds. On it's own I was definitely able to see the warmth of the G-coloured stone. Side by side, I could also see the difference in D and F. I actually ended up with a smaller D instead of a larger G because of my colour sensitivity. I LOVE the icy-whiteness of a D

 

[tygerlily]

I have an asscher cut and I think you tend to see more color in the step cuts than the brilliant cuts. After seeing a lot of different stones and comparing them, I would have to say that I start to see color around I or J. I guess I''m not as color sensitive as some other people, and I actually don''t mind a little bit of warmth.

 

[butterfly 17]

I start seeing warmth at G/H, I start seeing more noticeable warmth at J/K. I never see color though.

They all look pretty good to me!

 

[arjunajane]

Date: 5/5/2008 2:55:40 PM
Author: help123
I thougth I was crazy until I read the post where someone saw color in their F. I have an F and I thougth I saw color the other day, but then I didn''t after that so I assumed it was my eyes.

I am also color sensitive and I start to see it around G. And yes, you can look at someone else''s hand and know if its around a G/h or a J/K without comparing it to another stone. I know I can. I would probably not be comfortable with more than a G unless it was a great cut since a great cut can hide color.

I really have to ask because this makes me curious - when you say you can guess on someone''s hand..well, how do you know you are right in your guess? Have you ever asked the wearer to confirm your guess?

Sorry, I''m, just not sure I understand..

 

[Ice Princess Cristy]

I can usually see color at H..... it''s more that you can just see it''s NOT white than seeing a yellow tint or anything....

 

[UCLABelle]

I can see differences between DEF, and GHIJ, etc...if I compare them next to each other.

However, in a very well-cut round brilliant, I see faint color in H, some color in I, and def. warmth in a J.