Green undertone? What does that mean?

[allrosesandsunshine]

We purchased a ring and diamond off Adiamor last night. Today Adiamor called (and left us a message) advising that the diamond we chose had green undertones. What does this mean? Is that good or bad? Should we cancel the sale or switch the diamond out? Haven't had a chance to ask Adiamor directly as they were closed by the time we were off work.

I googled "green undertone diamond" and haven't really found anything. I don't want to ask anyone I know as we're keeping this a secret until the ring actually comes.

We chose a round brilliant 1.34 carat J VS1 affinity ideal w/ no flourescence

 

[allrosesandsunshine]

I suppose I should add that we weren't shopping for a "fancy" coloured diamond

I read the J colour thread and it inspired me to give it a go - but now I don't know what to think!

 

[Hera]

Having green undertones means that you will see a slight greenish cast of color in the diamond rather than the more usual yellowish cast. I would switch it out for another.

 

[Rhea]

I think most diamonds have a yellow, then brown, colour as you move down the scale. I doubt that you'll see the green any more than you'd see yellow in a J stone. I'd contact the company and ask what it means just to be sure though. I'd look at it, could be that you never notice it the same way that a J is hard to notice the yellow in.

 

[arkieb1]

Hi diamonds with green undertones or hues are often found from certain mines and not others (usually Zimbabwe) and are worth less money than the same coloured stones without it. Usually it gives stones a deeper yellow to greenish greyish tint or a deeper brown to greenish grey tint than ones with just yellow, or brown undertones. Hard to describe unless you have owned or seen one, they have a weird looking body hue and don't face as well as, in this case a normal J would. Generally they are worth less and should be avoided, unless fancy coloured where the green can enhance a colour like yellow and actually make it better looking.

 

[Christina...]

I suppose I should add that we weren't shopping for a "fancy" coloured diamond :)

I read the J colour thread and it inspired me to give it a go - but now I don't know what to think!

I have no idea what sort of impact the hue will have on this diamond, but I just thought I should mention that even if you decide to purchase the stone, it would not be considered a 'fancy' colored diamond. That designation is reserved for stones that fall outside of the D-Z color scale and are graded differently. This stone would simply be a near colorless 'J' stone with green undertones, nothing more.


ETA: wait! I think I'm incorrect, I just found this thread and if you scroll down toward the bottom of the page there is a response to Yssies questions stating that a G or lower stone with undertones other than yellow , grey or brown will automatically be moved into the fancy colored category....

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/what-color-diamond-doesnt-have-a-yellow-undertone.168762/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/what-color-diamond-doesnt-have-a-yellow-undertone.168762/[/URL]

I'm not sure how this correlates to your stone in particular but it offers a bit more information....

 

[kenny]

I suppose I should add that we weren't shopping for a "fancy" coloured diamond :)

I read the J colour thread and it inspired me to give it a go - but now I don't know what to think!

I have no idea what sort of impact the hue will have on this diamond, but I just thought I should mention that even if you decide to purchase the stone, it would not be considered a 'fancy' colored diamond. That designation is reserved for stones that fall outside of the D-Z color scale and are graded differently. This stone would simply be a near colorless 'J' stone with green undertones, nothing more.


ETA: wait! I think I'm incorrect, I just found this thread and if you scroll down toward the bottom of the page there is a response to Yssies questions stating that a G or lower stone with undertones other than yellow , grey or brown will automatically be moved into the fancy colored category....

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/what-color-diamond-doesnt-have-a-yellow-undertone.168762/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/what-color-diamond-doesnt-have-a-yellow-undertone.168762/[/URL]

I'm not sure how this correlates to your stone in particular but it offers a bit more information....

Based on what Tom Gleb posted in that link there is a conflict, unless GIA has since changed it's rule.
To quote Tom, "If a diamond has a color other than yellow brown or gray and has an equivalent color grade of G or below the diamond would then be graded in the fancy color grading scale starting with Faint."

Since Tom says GIA would grade it as a Fancy Colored Diamond, but the OP says it's a J, I wonder which lab graded it, perhaps AGS?

This is very perplexing because any FCD green grade is worth MUCH more than a J, and a 1.34 ct Green is a massive boulder in the natural FCD world.
Adiamor, or whoever owns the diamond, should know this and pros are not likely to throw money away.
Something does not sound right here.

If GIA graded it, I'd call them Monday morning. (I don't trust the seller because of the conflict above.)
Give GIA the report number and ask them what's going on.
Does it, can it, have any Green and not be graded as an FCD?


BTW, is Green mentioned in the comments section of the GIA report?

 

[Christina...]

I suppose I should add that we weren't shopping for a "fancy" coloured diamond :)

I read the J colour thread and it inspired me to give it a go - but now I don't know what to think!

I have no idea what sort of impact the hue will have on this diamond, but I just thought I should mention that even if you decide to purchase the stone, it would not be considered a 'fancy' colored diamond. That designation is reserved for stones that fall outside of the D-Z color scale and are graded differently. This stone would simply be a near colorless 'J' stone with green undertones, nothing more.


ETA: wait! I think I'm incorrect, I just found this thread and if you scroll down toward the bottom of the page there is a response to Yssies questions stating that a G or lower stone with undertones other than yellow , grey or brown will automatically be moved into the fancy colored category....

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/what-color-diamond-doesnt-have-a-yellow-undertone.168762/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/what-color-diamond-doesnt-have-a-yellow-undertone.168762/[/URL]

I'm not sure how this correlates to your stone in particular but it offers a bit more information....

Based on what Tom Gleb posted in that link there is a conflict, unless GIA has since changed it's rule.
To quote Tom, "If a diamond has a color other than yellow brown or gray and has an equivalent color grade of G or below the diamond would then be graded in the fancy color grading scale starting with Faint."

Since Tom says GIA would grade it as a Fancy Colored Diamond, but the OP says it's a J, I wonder which lab graded it, perhaps AGS?

This is very perplexing because any FCD green grade is worth MUCH more than a J, and a 1.34 ct Green is a massive boulder in the natural FCD world.
Adiamor, or whoever owns the diamond, should know this and pros are not likely to throw money away.
Something does not sound right here.

If GIA graded it, I'd call them Monday morning. (I don't trust the seller because of the conflict above.)
Give GIA the report number and ask them what's going on.
Does it, can it, have any Green and not be graded as an FCD?


BTW, is Green mentioned in the comments section of the GIA report?

This was my thought as well, but due to my ignorance related to anything regarding fancy color grading, I thought I best stop posting! I'm super curious not as to which lab graded the stone now as well, including changes, if any, that GIA may have made in how grading fancy colored stones is determined.

 

[ariel144]

That means the hue of the diamond is a greenish tone. My daughter's 1.7c emerald cut diamond had a greenish hue, although it was certed as an H in color. It was very evident when I compared it to my 2.10c radiant cut H/I which showed a more yellow hue in some lighting. After seeing the two side by side, I definitely did not prefer it...the greenish hue. I actually prefer a slight brown or pinkish hue to yellow, but that is my preference.

Obviously you haven't seen it in person, but I would tend to agree on a pass.

If you will post your budget, the MRB experts on PS can help you find a better stone. J color if well cut can face up very white.

 

[kenny]

We chose a round brilliant 1.34 carat J VS1 affinity ideal w/ no flourescence

What is an affinity ideal?

Affinity is the name that vendor assigns to their 'best' line of diamonds.

 

[allrosesandsunshine]

Hey guys - sorry was at a ball tourney.

Did pass on the stone. PS it was graded by GIA.

What we're looking for is the 'biggest bang for our buck' excellent cut round diamond - budget is mid $7000 for the stone itself. Want to cap stone and setting at $8800 (my heart is set on the pave cathedral setting in platinum that Adiamor offers).

Thanks for your help in advance!!

ETA: If it helps my ring size is 5.5

 

[ChristineRose]

It's kind of surprising that it was cut round actually. If they cut it as a radiant that might push into the the K range and then it's color would be labeled "faint green" by the GIA and it's value would crash through the roof and head for outer space. Green diamonds are extremely rare and expensive and there's a premium even on the ones that can almost pass for white. As Christina says, green diamonds are not labeled K-Z, probably because a greenish K is worth far more than a yellowish one. But if you're not looking for green, look elsewhere and let someone else see if this guy can be recut into a radiant!

 

[allrosesandsunshine]

Adiamor called and have now recommended this stone:

Round
1.35
J
VS1
Ex cut
$7,497

Here's the GIA report: http://www.gia.edu/cs/Satellite?reportno=2121018303&childpagename=GIA%2FPage%2FReportCheck&pagename=GIA%2FDispatcher&c=Page&cid=1355954554547

Thoughts?

 

[kenny]

http://www.gia.edu/cs/Satellite?reportno=2121018303&childpagename=GIA%2FPage%2FReportCheck&pagename=GIA%2FDispatcher&c=Page&cid=1355954554547

Thoughts?

It scores 4.1 on the HCA so I'd reject it.
4.1 is pretty bad, reject anything that scores over 2.0.

https://www.pricescope.com/tools/hca





https://www.pricescope.com/tools/ideal-scopeWhen you find modern rounds that score UNDER 2.0 the next step is to get an Idealscope image and compare it to this chart.

 

[allrosesandsunshine]

Oh my goodness this is turning out to be a harder search than I thought! I'm really glad I found this forum before committing. I really appreciate your guys' help!

 

[allrosesandsunshine]

Found one with an HCA of 1.6!
http://www.adiamor.com/Diamonds/J-VS2-Affinity-Cut-Round-Diamond/D16875982

HCA 1.4:
http://www.adiamor.com/Diamonds/J-VS2-Affinity-Cut-Round-Diamond/D16811684

Another 1.4:
http://www.adiamor.com/Diamonds/J-VS2-Affinity-Cut-Round-Diamond/D14738376

For kicks I picked a 33,000 1.5 carat that was E in colour, "affinity" cut, IF and it got a lower score. Weird?

Unfortunately I don't think Adiamor offers idealscope images. Do you think it's safe enough based on HCA score to go ahead and order? I can always return within 30 days. Based on the three above, would you choose the one with the lowest price and HCA score? Or is there a different stone all together I need to see?

 

[allrosesandsunshine]

Hoping to purchase in the morning if anyone has any last advice for me!

 

[John P]

The kind of tint discussed can be present in diamonds with nothing noted on the report. Remember that diamonds in the D-Z scale are color-graded face-down, viewed through the pavilion. Such slight tint may not be readily apparent in that position, or may be overlooked by a given grader.

I've most frequently seen brown or grey, when present. But Zimbabwe-sourced diamonds with greenish tint are a hot topic recently; for geopolitical reasons more than those of appearance/value. And while the ZDMB is sanctioned by diamond trading and cutting operations in the U.S. and E.U. (still by the E.U. I believe?) those diamonds do move through other cutting centers.

 

[arkieb1]

Hi,

I'd pick the second one out of these three, better cut, cleaner certificate. Having said that not all "J" coloured stones are created equal. You can get a high "J" that faces up white to the eye and looks more like an "I" in colour and a low "J" that looks more like a "K" in colour that most people can see a slight tint or body hue. When you get the stone look at it top down AND look at it side on. Side on is generally when most people notice the most colour.

I have seen a couple of certified Zimbabwe Diamonds with that greeny yellow grey body hue and they were yuck to look at.

 

[allrosesandsunshine]

Thank you!