Color comparison photos

[Lvoeshinythings]

Hi all, I’m wondering if there is already a thread on all the diamond color comparison photos this wonderful place has amassed over the years.

If not, perhaps this could be one?

It might be helpful as a reference for those of us who are deciding if we should go up or down in color. (Which, tbh is me, everyday)

Asks:
• diamonds should be together in the same photo as each other to eliminate lighting bias
• please also provide the diamond details (size, clarity) if you’ve got it

 

[Lvoeshinythings]

My old 1.98 G VS1 compared to my new 2.58 I VVS2:

 

[Lvoeshinythings]

Another comparison from WF before my upgrade arrived for trade-in.

1.90 G VS2 and my new 2.58 I VVS2:

 

[Serg]

DiBox 2.0 Pavilion Color

DiBox 2.0 allows to capture videos that are similar to ones using in labs to grade diamond color.

cutwise.com

 

[Inked]

I'll play, but I just started my collection, so I don't have much compared to most here!

I have 3 old cuts:

My engagement ring, 2.27 Old European GIA “L”, my love. Can look yellow in on a cloudy day. Actually you may think it looks yellow in these pics, I am not color sensitive so it looks white to me.

My grandmother's 1 carat “I” color that was given to me, might be transitional? I posted on a recent thread about it using the toilet paper tube trick with clear shot of facets.

Mother's day gift from my fiance just arrived, Victorian 5 stone with OMC “Gs”

I feel like the Gs look so might brighter and crisper in person when they're all side by side, however, just on its own I am obsessed with my L color and the facets look amazing and crispy white to me. When sitting on top of these Gs though, I see the appeal. I'd love something closer to 3 carats for my next diamond and I'd try for G/H/I, but that would be years from now.

I think it can scare people off of a low color when you see them all side by side, because on its own, my L just looks white, but when they're all together I see tint I just dont see normally.

*NO pics have filters, I have an iPhone

outside cloud passed over

Outside full sun





Inside


Outside sun


I didn’t really get a good “pastel shade” pic because we have 40mph winds today and it’s impossible with the trees not fully leafed out and blowing like crazy , best I could do, outside shade


My L alone

 

[Begonia]

I'll play, but I just started my collection, so I don't have much compared to most here!

I have 3 old cuts:

My engagement ring, 2.27 Old European GIA “L”, my love. Can look yellow in on a cloudy day. Actually you may think it looks yellow in these pics, I am not color sensitive so it looks white to me.

My grandmother's 1 carat “I” color that was given to me, might be transitional? I posted on a recent thread about it using the toilet paper tube trick with clear shot of facets.

Mother's day gift from my fiance just arrived, Victorian 5 stone with OMC “Gs”

I feel like the Gs look so might brighter and crisper in person when they're all side by side, however, just on its own I am obsessed with my L color and the facets look amazing and crispy white to me. When sitting on top of these Gs though, I see the appeal. I'd love something closer to 3 carats for my next diamond and I'd try for G/H/I, but that would be years from now.

I think it can scare people off of a low color when you see them all side by side, because on its own, my L just looks white, but when they're all together I see tint I just dont see normally.

*NO pics have filters, I have an iPhone

outside cloud passed over

Outside full sun





Inside


Outside sun


I didn’t really get a good “pastel shade” pic because we have 40mph winds today and it’s impossible with the trees not fully leafed out and blowing like crazy , best I could do, outside shade


My L alone

All your rings are beautiful @Inked, but your grandmother's is fabulous!!!

 

[LightBright]

Inked, your ring family is beautiful. All i see is white and blingy! Your settings are also amazing. Thank you for sharing.

 

[Rockdiamond]

Pics are great. But they tell such a limited story.
I'll use an analogy.
What does a 200-pound man look like?
There's so many variables that the question itself brings up 20 more questions.
A J color oval might look really yellow.
A second oval- also graded J color- may not show tint at all!!


As some of the pics show, a diamond is graded for color when placed on its table ( upside down) and viewed through the back.
This means that the face up view can vary greatly, while still maintaining the same body color when viewed through the back.

 

[Sunstorm]

@Inked your rings are breathtakingly beautiful! I love everything about them and each and every one! I adore old cuts and emeralds, my favorites, love 5 stones, love the settings on your solis and all those stones yumm, yumm. I really could not choose but somehow your grandma’s ring is very special what a stone (!) and that five stone is just drool!!! That L is such a fireball and so very white!

 

[Rockdiamond]

@Inked ..wow, yes, really nice rings and pics!

my comments are more regarding the difficulty of grading diamonds for color, from photos. As well as the face up, versus through the pavilion views.
As your pics ( and countless others) show- we can appreciate a diamond's color from pics for beauty...and to some extent tint. Just not grading.
To the limited extent that it's possible to see the face up color, I find consumer face up pics to illustrate color better than glamour shots- or rotating videos.

 

[Lvoeshinythings]

@Inked ..wow, yes, really nice rings and pics!

my comments are more regarding the difficulty of grading diamonds for color, from photos. As well as the face up, versus through the pavilion views.
As your pics ( and countless others) show- we can appreciate a diamond's color from pics for beauty...and to some extent tint. Just not grading.
To the limited extent that it's possible to see the face up color, I find consumer face up pics to illustrate color better than glamour shots- or rotating videos.

I suggested the thread more so as a means for those of us who do use comparison photos to help with a buying decision as I myself have referenced many PSers comparison photos from various threads. It was just an idea.

It is so true about the face vs. the way they are actually graded face-down. I think if we could always have a face up and face down pic of the same diamond in the same lighting condition, it would be ideal for reference. But seeing as how most of us don’t purchase loose stones... it seems like our hand shots and vendor shots may be next best.

 

[Rfisher]

Sorry about the derail OP

But dang @Inked
What a trio you have :swoon:

I'll play, but I just started my collection, so I don't have much compared to most here!

I have 3 old cuts:

My engagement ring, 2.27 Old European GIA “L”, my love. Can look yellow in on a cloudy day. Actually you may think it looks yellow in these pics, I am not color sensitive so it looks white to me.

My grandmother's 1 carat “I” color that was given to me, might be transitional? I posted on a recent thread about it using the toilet paper tube trick with clear shot of facets.

Mother's day gift from my fiance just arrived, Victorian 5 stone with OMC “Gs”

I feel like the Gs look so might brighter and crisper in person when they're all side by side, however, just on its own I am obsessed with my L color and the facets look amazing and crispy white to me. When sitting on top of these Gs though, I see the appeal. I'd love something closer to 3 carats for my next diamond and I'd try for G/H/I, but that would be years from now.

I think it can scare people off of a low color when you see them all side by side, because on its own, my L just looks white, but when they're all together I see tint I just dont see normally.

*NO pics have filters, I have an iPhone

outside cloud passed over

Outside full sun





Inside


Outside sun


I didn’t really get a good “pastel shade” pic because we have 40mph winds today and it’s impossible with the trees not fully leafed out and blowing like crazy , best I could do, outside shade


My L alone

 

[Rockdiamond]

It was just an idea.

And it was a great idea!!!
I think the "face-up" pictures posted by consumers are a great way to add much needed context to the commercial photos and rotating videos we see every day!

 

[Lvoeshinythings]

And it was a great idea!!!
I think the "face-up" pictures posted by consumers are a great way to add much needed context to the commercial photos and rotating videos we see every day!

Agree. I prefer seeing the photos in real life over the vendor photos most times. Real life perspective (even if it’s just photos + context) is key for us real life people.

 

[OdetteOdile]

I'll play, but I just started my collection, so I don't have much compared to most here!

I have 3 old cuts:

My engagement ring, 2.27 Old European GIA “L”, my love. Can look yellow in on a cloudy day. Actually you may think it looks yellow in these pics, I am not color sensitive so it looks white to me.

My grandmother's 1 carat “I” color that was given to me, might be transitional? I posted on a recent thread about it using the toilet paper tube trick with clear shot of facets.

Mother's day gift from my fiance just arrived, Victorian 5 stone with OMC “Gs”

I feel like the Gs look so might brighter and crisper in person when they're all side by side, however, just on its own I am obsessed with my L color and the facets look amazing and crispy white to me. When sitting on top of these Gs though, I see the appeal. I'd love something closer to 3 carats for my next diamond and I'd try for G/H/I, but that would be years from now.

I think it can scare people off of a low color when you see them all side by side, because on its own, my L just looks white, but when they're all together I see tint I just dont see normally.

*NO pics have filters, I have an iPhone

outside cloud passed over

Outside full sun





Inside


Outside sun


I didn’t really get a good “pastel shade” pic because we have 40mph winds today and it’s impossible with the trees not fully leafed out and blowing like crazy , best I could do, outside shade


My L alone

I love the yellow gold band in the bottom picture! Is that a laurel band? Would you mind sharing details? Beautiful!

 

[Inked]

I suggested the thread more so as a means for those of us who do use comparison photos to help with a buying decision as I myself have referenced many PSers comparison photos from various threads. It was just an idea.

It is so true about the face vs. the way they are actually graded face-down. I think if we could always have a face up and face down pic of the same diamond in the same lighting condition, it would be ideal for reference. But seeing as how most of us don’t purchase loose stones... it seems like our hand shots and vendor shots may be next best.

I hope I posted what you were going for! You said different color diamonds in same light! I am still newer and I get nervous posting, like, is my post the equivalent of walking out of the bathroom with toilet paper on my shoe... you know, everyone is embarrassed for me and I am blissfully unaware... LOL!

I totally agree that its so hard because of the face up, but I feel vendors may use sorcery pictures to make a lower color look better so you'll purchase it. My hope was (is) that my pics may give some users comfort if they're going for an old cut "L" that it really can still be quite colorless (*again for those not super color sensitive!)

Thanks for letting me share and again I hope these pics were what you were looking for!

 

[Inked]

I love the yellow gold band in the bottom picture! Is that a laurel band? Would you mind sharing details? Beautiful!

THANK YOU!! I actually "designed" it myself - I reeeaaaallllyyy wanted a yellow gold laurel band, but I also wanted something to sit flush and match my e-ring. I tried on like 30+ bands and didn't like how anything looked. So then I started thinking about doing the laurel band as a chevron so it would sit flush and maybe add pave, but it didnt look right in my head. I love the stacked look but again if I got a chevron so it sits flush with my e-ring, and then had the laurel band then they wouldnt sit right and I dont like gaps.... so I came up with the idea of having a pave chevron band and have it intersect with the laurel. So it's actually one band. David Klass made it for me and he posted it on his instagram (It was around valentines day) if you want to see how it looks from the back!

*Sorry to go off the rails here, not sure how to message people privately !

 

[Inked]

Sorry about the derail OP

But dang @Inked
What a trio you have :swoon:

Thank you! You were so supportive and kind when I was making my setting for that L, I appreciate it!!

I dont want to thread jack, but I want to thank you all SO MUCH for all the kind compliments on my ring family I have started!

 

[Lvoeshinythings]

I hope I posted what you were going for! You said different color diamonds in same light! I am still newer and I get nervous posting, like, is my post the equivalent of walking out of the bathroom with toilet paper on my shoe... you know, everyone is embarrassed for me and I am blissfully unaware... LOL!

I totally agree that its so hard because of the face up, but I feel vendors may use sorcery pictures to make a lower color look better so you'll purchase it. My hope was (is) that my pics may give some users comfort if they're going for an old cut "L" that it really can still be quite colorless (*again for those not super color sensitive!)

Thanks for letting me share and again I hope these pics were what you were looking for!

Yes absolutely! Thank you for posting!

My lower colored diamond is a bit warmer but I still love it to pieces. I think cause it’s a casual ring. The I is my wedding ring so a bit of a different sentiment.

If it were not for all the reference photos here in many various threads, I would never have went for an I color! These PSers’ pics led to take the jump AND ITS LOVE.

 

[Lvoeshinythings]

You have three very lovey pieces! Gosh your L just incredible. Nice fat facets!

The five stone is my second fave! How do you ever choose what to wear.

I'll play, but I just started my collection, so I don't have much compared to most here!

I have 3 old cuts:

My engagement ring, 2.27 Old European GIA “L”, my love. Can look yellow in on a cloudy day. Actually you may think it looks yellow in these pics, I am not color sensitive so it looks white to me.

My grandmother's 1 carat “I” color that was given to me, might be transitional? I posted on a recent thread about it using the toilet paper tube trick with clear shot of facets.

Mother's day gift from my fiance just arrived, Victorian 5 stone with OMC “Gs”

I feel like the Gs look so might brighter and crisper in person when they're all side by side, however, just on its own I am obsessed with my L color and the facets look amazing and crispy white to me. When sitting on top of these Gs though, I see the appeal. I'd love something closer to 3 carats for my next diamond and I'd try for G/H/I, but that would be years from now.

I think it can scare people off of a low color when you see them all side by side, because on its own, my L just looks white, but when they're all together I see tint I just dont see normally.

*NO pics have filters, I have an iPhone

outside cloud passed over

Outside full sun





Inside


Outside sun


I didn’t really get a good “pastel shade” pic because we have 40mph winds today and it’s impossible with the trees not fully leafed out and blowing like crazy , best I could do, outside shade


My L alone