Has your preference for color changed over time?

[LLJsmom]

I've been curious about this recently and @TweetyBird23 ' s journey to a higher color has me thinking. (Didn't want to jack her thread) I started out 8 year ago with a 2.5 ct F, (had to have that colorless diamond) that was pretty, but not WOW the way the PS diamonds seemed. Then I learned about super ideals, and OECs, and my appreciation for the color spectrum expanded. So much that I got a K OEC and kicked the F out of bed. Now as I get older, I seem to notice color a lot more, not just in diamonds but with everything. This leads me to more pondering, and maybe ideas...

How have other people's preferences changed, or not, over time? I want to understand the why and kinda figure out where this will lead to. I want to make decisions that I will not regret 5-10 years down the road... TIA my lovely PS peeps!

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

I discovered lower colored diamonds pretty late into my jewelry loving journey. I’m not particularly color sensitive, never was, but I bought into the incorrect notion that all diamonds under I or J would be clearly yellow as a bunch of these poorly written guides claim, for the longest time. I don’t know why my internal logic never once raised the point if I can’t really see the difference between a G and an I, or if a J is the cut off for me to even start noticing some creaminess, why on earth would K suddenly be traffic light screaming yellow? The first time I actually saw a “cape color” stone in person I was taken aback at how white/creamy Ls and Ms can be. I still gravitate towards the upper half of the spectrum (preferably H-I is my sweet spot, but I would go until around J) for a white stone and the lower half of the spectrum (S-T onwards, or maybe even O-P I guess) for the “can face up as fancy/fancy light yellow” factor, because I find that I really like the buttery soft yellow more than the really super intense yellow. But I wouldn’t kick the right K/L/M etc. stone out of bed either anymore, though earlier K/L/M weren’t even up for discussion. I do agree that colors in the K-O range look particularly nice in old cuts, but personally I still prefer MRBs to OECs (though again, I’m willing to keep an open mind for the right stone), fancies beat out rounds for me anyway! So the conclusion of this long-winded response is basically just that I’ve become more open minded about trying out new things as I’ve discovered my own internal biases and gaps in knowledge, and color is just one of those aspects

 

[dk168]

I was given some diamond pieces when I was young in my early teens, and a near 1ct MRB was sold to my mum who bought it for me along with other stones to make into jewellery pieces was said to be of good colour.

It was not as good a colour as the diamonds for the studs she bought at the same time that turned out to be G/H colour. More like a J or lower. It was sold when I needed the money as I did not like MRBs as rings and seldom wore it.

I lusted after my mum's carré cut 6-stone band and they too turned out to be G/Hs.

I also lusted after her 1.96ct MRB, which turned out to be a G/H also.

So G/H are white to my untrained eyes.

I bought an EC for my 40th birthday and it is an E, and I can spot a tint in the G/H stones only if they are placed side by side as my E.

I have developed a liking for OECs in my old age, and they look better in warmer colours IMHO, as in J or even lower.

The pieces I had commissioned myself have G/H stones as far as I can remember.

I recently had a diamond tennis bracelet made with I coloured stones bezel set in white gold, and it looks lovely to me, even when paired with my other bracelet and bangle with G/H stones.

So, my mind clean colour is G/H, and am happy to go lower depending on the cut, the piece and the setting.

I would probably only opt for higher colours if money is no object nowadays, and would not compromise on the cut.

Not too concerned with the clarity as long as it is eye clean. My mind clean clarity is VS.

DK

 

[jaaron]

I think mine's gone the other way, funnily enough, but that's coincided with having gone to really only wanting OECs, for the moment anyway.

My original engagement ring is an F-coloured Tiffany Legacy. Because of the particular cut of those diamonds, which I'd put somewhere between an Asscher and a cushion, I think I would notice and dislike any tint. When I moved to OECs, I didn't know much and ended up with a relatively white-facing M, which I loved. I lost it recently and when looking around, was finding myself drawn to the even lower colours--Ns and Os. I ended up replacing it with another M that's whiter due to fluorescence. I'm waiting for it to be set now, but when it was loose, I felt like I really missed the more ivory tint.

Not that I'd say no to your stunning stone if you decide to put it on preloved and go whiter...

 

[lissyflo]

Great thread topic - I’m following with interest!

My thoughts are very similar to AllAboardTheBlingTrain’s in terms of a discovery process, so I won’t repeat. I would also now prefer a hint of warmth over icy, very high whites, which I definitely wouldn’t have said a decade or two ago. Cut and clarity (to the eye; I’m not a person who needs mind clean) would be my limiting factors over colour In most situations I believe. There’s always the exception to prove the rule though and I’m an equal opportunities bling lover, so never say never!

 

[Austina]

Having not even known old cuts existed before PS, and not being colour sensitive, I had diamonds that were G/H colour and I colour that looked white to me.

When I went to OWD with @missy, I was amazed at how white (to me) lower coloured OECs looked. Bella is an L, and looks white to my eyes, but does draw colour from the surroundings. I’ve grown to really appreciate the lovely vanilla colouring in certain lights, and honestly, if I was offered a higher colour, I wouldn’t take it.

 

[missy]

For me it depends on the piece. For MRBs I want as white as possible. If I could afford a D I would go for it as long as it was ideal in cut. I am very color sensitive.

For OECs it really depends. I have seen OECs that are gorgeous in all colors. The lower colors really highlight the depth of the facets in a way that unless you see for yourself it's hard to describe. My sweet spot (generally) has changed from L to J. I see the difference but I am very color sensitive. And I think OECs show color in the most beautiful way. I love them all. As long as they are beautifully cut that is.

The lower colors really glow and show off the chunky facets in a special way. IMO.

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Obviously there is no right or wrong. It comes down to personal preference. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and numbers are just numbers. One must see to know what works for them. Which stone, which color, makes one's heart goes pitter patter. And for me it depends on the shape and if it is modern or old cut. Because they do show color differently. They are different in many ways. Your preference is your preference and figuring that out is most of the challenge.

 

[Big Fat Facets]

I feel my tastes in diamond color have expanded , evolved and likely will continue to...

I started out with gia xxx mrb in d-e color vvs+ clarity set in platinum. My very first diamond experience was when my folks gifted a pair of d color 40 pointer studs to me when i was 15 years old. It's what i was introduced to. For a time, i wore a d color IF 2.5 mrb. I really didn't know and wasn't aware of the vast world of color, cut, and so forth. Because of that i found diamonds, in general, meh...take it or leave it sort of feeling...

That was until i discovered the forum in 2010. I learned so much!! And I continue to learn... I ventured out of the my colorless comfort zone and purchased H color oec's.
I favor certain color with certain makes of diamonds. Some individuals are extremely color sensitive and DO NOT mind body tint. While others are extremely color sensitive and DO mind body tint. And we also have those among us that truly can't tell d color from h color, side by side, i'm told. I fall into the extremely color sensitive, prefering tint in certain cuts while favoring colorless in others. My husband is even MORE color sensitive than i am. His vision is going as he ages. (He needs reading glasses. Optometrist is advising that he hold out as long as possible.) But his color sensitivity is keen and sharp, as ever.

Ive had opinions carelessly, callously imposed upon me that "color is over rated" and that "most, if not all people cannot see colorless" and "and that no diamond can be brighter than a k color diamond" I found it incredibly, incredibly ignorant!

There are, after all, entire agencies devoted to the grading of diamonds. And 1 important aspect of that grading is color.

It might very well have everything to do with a person's tendencies. My husband and i went to art school, together. We are have artistic leanings. Nuances of color, aesthetics, light, lines... are aspects we notice.

I also feel that it might depend on the location one wears a certain color diamond. As an example, I don't mind h color as studs but i may mind if it's on my hand.

I do love y,z color diamonds and fancy color diamonds, but that's a different topic...

Generally, my color comfort zone is d-h color (gia,ags) with h pushing it.

 

[OboeGal]

I've been curious about this recently and @TweetyBird23 ' s journey to a higher color has me thinking. (Didn't want to jack her thread) I started out 8 year ago with a 2.5 ct F, (had to have that colorless diamond) that was pretty, but not WOW the way the PS diamonds seemed. Then I learned about super ideals, and OECs, and my appreciation for the color spectrum expanded. So much that I got a K OEC and kicked the F out of bed. Now as I get older, I seem to notice color a lot more, not just in diamonds but with everything. This leads me to more pondering, and maybe ideas...

How have other people's preferences changed, or not, over time? I want to understand the why and kinda figure out where this will lead to. I want to make decisions that I will not regret 5-10 years down the road... TIA my lovely PS peeps!

Some of my preferences have stayed pretty similar through the years, and others have honestly been all over the place, changing all the time, in terms of fashion and general preferred style of jewelry and interior design and such "visual style" type things. All the evolution of my taste in diamonds has been over a very short period of time, though, because honestly, until about 3-4 years ago, when I started to look and learn in preparation for getting a 10th anniversary ring, I didn't know diddly about diamonds other than that I liked 'em. I DO know that, 15 years later, I still love the setting I would have preferred for my original engagement ring if DH hadn't utterly nixed it at the time as "too blingy" for his tastes. What we went with was definitely a compromise choice between our tastes, and while I've always liked it, I've never loved it, and I totally don't get what I was thinking AT ALL in my choice of wedding band to pair with it! What I seemed pretty content with as my wedding set all together at the time just makes me cringe now, and while my original e-ring is still in the regular rotation, that wedding band has not seen the light of day in a couple years now. And of course, as "diamond illiterates" at the time we selected them, we put all our focus on the settings, and then as an afterthought at the end just said, "Oh, and just throw a half-carat stone in there." Gah......

That said, I've made up for lost time over the last 3-4 years, and while I still love a MRB, I've also discovered the joys of antique cushions, OECs, and - my favorite - a late OEC/early transitional! And then here lately, stepcuts are kinda catching my eye a bit, although I think the rounds, both modern and antique, will always really have my heart. I've also learned the joys of various different settings in addition to the 3-stones that I've always known I've loved. I always assumed I preferred white stones, but then I've been seeing these incredible warm vanilla antique stones here, and I'm just swooning over them....... So, I think in my case, OTHER than the debacle of my wedding ring choice, it isn't so much that my preferences have changed as that they have expanded. Which is, considering my finances, both wonderful and terribly unfortunate!

Now, please forgive me for going off on a seemingly weird tangent. I'm going to just throw something out there, and I may be - well, let's face it, I probably am - totally way off here, but this is what popped into my head.

I don't know how old you are or if you've had a really thorough eye exam lately, but I noticed that you said, "Now as I get older, I seem to notice color a lot more, not just in diamonds but with everything," and that triggered a memory in me of the same thing happening, but......it wasn't a change of preferences.

It was cataracts.

I know, that sounds crazy. I was unusually young (early 50s) when I had cataract surgery, although it's definitely not unheard of at that age. I had been noticing both deterioration in the sharpness of my vision, but even more so in the color of everything, just sort of slowly, slowly sneaking up on me, and the best way I could describe the color is that everything took on a slightly yellowish wash that would be precisely the same as that of a warm diamond. For me, the cataract in one eye was way worse than in the other, so I had noticed throughout my 40s that if I looked out of just one eye, and then the other, everything would be a different - dingier? - color out of one eye than the other. I just figured it was normal human variation until my optometrist finally decided to mention that, oh by the way, I'd best be thinking about doing something about my humongous cataracts that he hadn't bothered to mention previously! But based on what I had noticed, this process had been going on throughout my 40s, possibly starting as early as my late 30s.

I dunno.....I'm probably completely out in left field here, and should be ignored on this part. It was just the first thing that popped into my head. Carry on!

 

[icy_jade]

Sadly no... I started with a E/F color diamonds, have a H which I’m really bothered by the tint and have only managed to go down to G even with a “super ideal” cut.

I am still hoping that I would mind the tint less as I grow older (so that I can get bigger diamonds ha!!) but it doesn’t seem to be happening.

 

[OcnGypZ]

As far as color - no I haven't changed. I've always been D-F for rings. Earrings I'm more flexible with color.

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

I have always enjoyed lower colors, my first engagement ring (after the disastrous real first that I broke several times) was an L! I can safely say I've hardly ever met a diamond where I didn't appreciate the color. I'm more attracted to overall cut and interesting light play than anything else. I currently own my L, a P, a J, a Fancy Yellowish Brown, a band of varying shades of yellow, and a band (in the works) with a variety of brown/pink/purple/orange and all in between!

 

[MamaBee]

My first few engagement diamonds were very small and J’s and they were uncertified so probably warmer than that.. This was forty-five years ago. I never noticed the color...I was thrilled to have a diamond..They were also heavily included. Fast forward to a little over fifteen years ago...I noticed the color...I did some research and upgraded to Libby..my AGS 2.03 VS1 Ideal cut G color diamond. I‘ve been very happy with her..She looks very white to me. Since then I purchased GIA 3.04 G VVS2 studs which look super white to me. This past January I purchased an I color ACA VS2. I can see the tint in the I...It bothers me because when I put it next to Libby and my studs..the ACA is definitely warmer... I don’t know if it’s the combination of the color and the clarity...or it’s just the color. I thought about upgrading to H and vs1 to see if I like that. To boil it down..I would LOVE to get an F...I’m just cheap so I just don’t want to spend the money to get there. I should sell my other rings to get an E or F. I would be really happy with just one ring if I could do that. I should add I have an antique rectangular step cut in a baguette halo that’s an I. I love that ring in that color. I don’t know if it’s because it’s an antique..I did some rambling here..lol..so don’t know if this was helpful..
I have a less than half carat mrb stacking ring in an M color that I love...It’s so far away from colorless that I can enjoy it for what it is..

 

[barbie86]

I always thought diamonds kind of 'had' to be bright, icy white, and so went for stones in the D-F range for that reason. After the break up of my first marriage, and starting to look at engagement rings for my second, I wanted to depart from bright white as that was what my first ring was, but also found myself more drawn to warmer colours naturally; I found myself liking an obvious yellow/buttery tint, and also like how they perform and change in different lighting.

That said, I like different stones in different colours. I still like step cuts and princess cuts in the D-F range, ovals and pears I would like something around G-H, then I like I-L for rounds and marquise. For old cuts, the warmer/lower the better really.

So yes, definitely changed!

 

[Diamond Girl 21]

I'm very sensitive to tint, and so prefer very icy white diamonds. I have chosen to go with D color over size many times, especially for rings. This has remained the case for me since I started looking at diamonds 33 years ago. For other pieces, I typically try to stay with D-F, but have pushed to G-H depending on the piece.

This doesn't meaning I find lower colors unattractive. They are beautiful in their own right...just a different flavor.

 

[FL_runner]

I am very sensitive to tint and color- my first career was in graphic design and I did a ton of nit-picky, detail work correcting color, etc. I think that a warmer diamond can be very appealing, though, especially in antique cuts. I prefer colorless when the color may concentrate unevenly (pear, oval, etc), unless going for a full-on fancy color.

 

[Queenie60]

I have a love for old cuts - every color of the alphabet! I am not color sensitive and enjoy diamonds of all colors. I would not hesitate to have a brown diamond or a very warm Emerald cut stone. Just depends on my mood! I just love sparkly things.

 

[coda72]

About 20 years ago or so, I got an H colored diamond with my first husband. I always noticed color in diamonds, but H seemed like a good middle ground. But when I got married for the second time, I decided I wanted a higher color diamond, so I got an F. I didn’t wear that diamond much because it turns out I discovered a love for MRB stones. So, I started with a small one that I kept upgrading, but I stayed with H, I, and J stones because they were more affordable. I now have an I stone that I am finished upgrading, and although I love the icy white tones of colorless diamonds, I know that I would never pay the amount of money I would need to pay to get a 3 carat F colored stone.

 

[nala]

So... I have quite the story to share. Lol.
Pre-PS, started with an EGL F—which was very white, despite it being egl USA. Found PS and obsessed over the idea that I could get bigger if I gave up color and I would be happier bc after all, cut hides color.
So I tried a GIA I with an almost ideal cut—hca and Aset all checked out. And I thought that i had found my perfect stone. I only regretted it when I would come across gorgeous settings and bands that had super white diamonds and made my stone look tinted. I started collecting a lot of bands and noticing that I didn’t like the lower colors, even if i had to Match them. They always appeared grayish or brownish and I wondered if my ring’s overall appearance was looking like that. I especially disliked looking at my stone’s profile and it started to appear murky. Not that I think anyone but me would notice. So I started the upgrade process during quarantine and seriously only intended to go up to an H or a G. By some happy stroke of luck, I ended up with a super clean E. And tbh,I’m still discovering its nuances.
So far, I appreciate how bright it always looks. I appreciate that I can wear super bright bands with it! I don’t see murky, I don’t see tint. I am in love. And the biggest revelation is that when I see it next to my other rhr rings—which I considered to be super white, my E makes them appear tinted. I hope that I haven’t ruined myself.I want to add that I have very few memories of rings in real life that I have fallen in love with. But one of them was a very crisp and white ring that made me look at my I with a longing for whiter. I don’t think that I would pay the difference for an E, though, as much as I love it. It just happened to work out within my budget and I feel very fortunate. I’m going to post a comparison of both stones so that I can share why I was seduced by color. Lol.

 

[Lucy-In-The-Sky]

Once I saw lower colored diamonds in person, I was in love. My engagement ring is Q/R, my current diamond studs are an L, but I'm eying a new (and bigger) pair that are O/P.

Before, I had no concept for what anything lower than a J actually looked like but I'm sure I had the misperception that anything lower than a J looked like Mountain Dew!

I love antique diamonds and the chunky pastels they flash; and I much prefer the way they look in the lower colors.

I also have "Autumn" coloring (warm ivory skin, coppery red hair) and the warmer diamonds look better with my coloring and the colors I tend to wear (browns, bronzes, olive green, harvest golds, etc), than the higher colored diamonds.

 

[Cristallo]

What an interesting topic. I've become more and more colour sensitive and realized I prefer icy white D-E diamonds. I can't stand any yellow tint or inclusions above VS1. I have hawk eyes which is a blessing and a curse.A dream ring would be a D IF 4 carat August Vintage European diamond ring. I would pair it with a Graff fancy yellow wedding band. If only I had a money tree!

 

[nala]

@LLJsmom what are you contemplating?

 

[mrs-b]

.A dream ring would be a D IF 4 carat August Vintage European diamond ring. I would pair it with a Graff fancy yellow wedding band. If only I had a money tree!

Whoa! I think you'd need a money FOREST for that combo!

Or maybe magic - because that pairing is an utter fantasy! I'm picturing it now...

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Nope. I've always desired D-E-F. And IF. And still do. And of course a fancy yellow!

cheers--Sharon

 

[Gussie]

My first upgrade stone was an I VVS from Blue Nile. It was a very pretty diamond but not super ideal. I wish I had listened to you @LLJsmom when I first came to ps. You suggested that I send it back and go for an ACA. Ugh, about a year later I did trade it for a J ACA at a significant loss. Just a couple of weeks ago I again traded a J for an I and I definitely like it better than the J. Perhaps someday I will even get to an H, but it geez I want a 4ct eventually and that's gonna cost!

I do believe that I have become a lot more color sensitive but I still value size a bit more!

 

[Gemstonesrock]

I have always preferred how icy white metals pop against my medium-tan complexion, so it wasn't a surprise when I first started learning about diamonds twenty years ago that I found I love how icy white colorless diamonds look on my skin. I am color-sensitive and find that colorless F is my sweet spot for jewelry with more significant diamonds. I'm so grateful I don't need to go to a D! F was the color of the stones in my everyday solitaire pendant and the e-ring from my first marriage. I acquired both before I learned about Pricescope.

Fast forward 18 years, a bad marriage, and a whole lot of PS jewelry education later! I decided for my second time around the marriage block, I wanted a super ideal round brilliant from HPD, Whiteflash or BGD. I felt totally fine, despite F being my sweet spot, with a G color as I knew that super ideal round brilliants face up quite white. My now-fiance and I met with Layla from HPD in person and saw 5 CBI stones of widely varying colors. Indeed they were all incredibly white face up (even an M she showed me!). But I could correctly identify the diamond's colors from the side view. Since I knew I wanted a solitaire setting with my diamond very open/viewable from the sides, I decided a G or higher color would be best. In the end my fiance surprised me with an E VS2. Honestly I am sure I would have been just as happy with an F in the CBI. And I would've gone to a G if I could have gotten a noticeably bigger stone!

I'm so impressed with the CBI's optics that when my fiance asked me to choose my wedding gift, I asked for an H color CBI diamond to create a new solitaire necklace. Going to an H allowed me to get a good size upgrade from my last stone. This is my first H color, but I'm quite comfortable with it since it's a pendant and won't be viewed from every angle. Almost all of my other diamond jewelry have F or G colored stones. But these days, I am finding cut quality is more important to me. If budget allows, I'll always prefer to have premium quality with F/G color stones. But I would not sacrifice quality for higher color, if that makes sense!

 

[Bonfire]

I don’t think my color preference has changed inasmuch as I’ve finally zeroed in on what color and cut I wanted for my e-ring vs other jewelry pieces. I changed my e-ring from an M OEC to a G ACA, and I’m so happy with it!
I get the sense you’ve had this struggle for awhile now @LLJsmom and I totally understand. Sometimes our preferences do change as we get older, or maybe we’ve known all along but wanted to try other colors or cuts because it suited us at the time. Interesting question though!

 

[LLJsmom]

Thank you to everyone who shared. I am grateful for your thoughtful replies and appreciate the wide variety of experiences and preferences. Each person's journey and opinions are so personal.

You've given me quite a bit to think about. Looking forward to reading more stories!

 

[ThiaChelf]

Yes....when I was married previously my rings were E and F. Now that I've discovered the forum my eyes are drawn to warmer stones. I have everything from F (in studs) to K.

 

[elizat]

When I first started buying jewelry, I bought modern stuff. I thought I had to buy staples. Like a pair of round diamond studs, diamond stacking bands, large colored stones without regard to quality of cut. Anyway, none of those things are really me.

At first I would focus on near colorless. I'm not saying any of it was exceptionally good quality, even though my first pair of diamond studs were just fine quality, but they never really made me happy.

Along the way I discovered old cuts. I am an old cut person through and through, with the exception of step cuts, but still would prefer an antique step cut.

My color range that I prefer is usually K at the highest. I own stones between I and y-z. My emerald cut is an I.

My preference is not popular, but it works for me.