I Color Diamond

[butterflyblue]

I am looking for a round diamond in the lower color " I" I wanted to see one in person but it seemed everywhere I went the sales people were saying " you don''t want to go that low in color it will be yellow". then proceed to push the other colors on me F-G etc.

I have seen pictures of rings on here that are I color and they are so white! Do they just want to scare me into purchasing a higher color? I am looking for an excellent cut, SI1 and feel confident that it will be white in the setting.

Just looking for an opinion.. thanks!

 

[Rockdiamond]

HI butterflyblue!
Congrats on getting a new diamond!

I''ve often heard similar stories to yours.
The salesperson says "Oh you don''t want an I color- that''s yellow"
Kind of like saying- "You don''t want a Ford- Ferrari is the way to go"
Its so easy when they are spending your money!

In fact, some people are extremely sensitive to color- others much less so. Some people can''t see the color in an I or a J- especially in a well cut diamond- plus some people actually like the warmer shades better!
I suggest you have a look at an I, even a J or a K color to see which group you fit into.
If you are in the group that loves these colors you''re going to get a lot more diamond, or spend a lot less money on the one you do get!

I am in no way saying it''s wrong to love higher colors- which can be amazing to own- I love them too.
But if I was spending on a diamond for my personal use, I''d be very tempted to go with larger and "sacrifice" color.

 

[kcoursolle]

There is definitely also a difference between a well-cut round with an I color and a poorly cut stone in an I color. I color in a well-cut round will look very white face up and from the side there will be a tiny amount of warmth not very noticeable unless it is lying on a piece of white paper. I personally have a sweet spot for H/SI stones which are a great value, but are clear and white!

 

[neatfreak]

An I (assuming it''s an ideally cut round diamond and you aren''t looking for like 6+ carats) will be totally fine for most people if it''s a GIA/AGS graded I. At worst you might see a hint of warmth from the side, but it certainly won''t be yellow.

 

[jstarfireb]

In an ideal cut diamond, I color will be imperceptible to all but the most color-sensitive among us. It certainly won't look yellow...maybe "warm" to someone who's color-sensitive, but not yellow. Remember, I color is still considered near colorless - we're not talking about N, O, P, Q, etc. And diamond color is graded face-down, so anything you would see would be from the side view, not face-up. If you're still concerned, you could also look for a diamond with medium to strong blue fluorescence, which will help make lower colors appear whiter especially in sunlight.

Also, I wouldn't necessarily say going from I to F or so is like Ford to Ferrari; it's more like VW to Audi or Toyota to Lexus. You're getting a slight bump in luxury for a bit of a price premium, but it's not a huge difference.

Of course, I may be a bit biased because I love the fact that I saved a ton of cash by going with an I color princess.

ETA: What neatfreak said - make sure it's a "true" I, i.e. AGS/GIA graded or independently appraised to be I in color and not K, L, etc. EGL and IGI in particular can be very soft on color, so in a lower colored stone, I'd stick with GIA or AGS.

 

[butterflyblue]

I just let out the biggest phew! on all your responses! thank you so much, I feel a lot better.

I am going to insist on seeing an "I" and make my decision, I feel confident that the little bit of "warmth" won''t bother me one bit!

 

[Rockdiamond]

You''re so welcome butterfly!

Also mentioned was the gem lab that grades the stone- I agree with jstarfireb- it''s very important to make sure it''s GIA or AGSL.
If it''s a round diamond look for a GIA cut grade of Excellent, or Very Good.
IN AGSL for rounds ( or princess cuts) look for a 0 or a 1

Similar to the way people look at color is cut.
Some prefer the "Ideal Cut" look- others prefer other really well cut diamonds.
Personally I like a slightly larger "table" which is also considered Excellent under GIA''s cut grade system.
Again, if you can look at some examples in a store, that can help you decide what you love.

 

[Tuckins1]

Hey Butterfly! I think your decision to go with a well cut "I" is a great idea! Just for reference, here are some pics of my pendant, which is a J color, VS1 stone. (Not really sure on the cut quality but it looks pretty good) You can only really see the warmth of the stone if you look at it from the side. From the top, it still looks pretty white!

 

[Tuckins1]

Here''s another...

 

[Tuckins1]

Last one.

 

[tlh]

Also, it depends on who graded the diamond - or if it is graded at all... some are not as strict on the grading... but you can decide when you are actually looking at the stones. Sometimes the stones in the setting themselves can be as warm as a J... it just depends on where you are getting that from too...

 

[jstarfireb]

To follow Tuckins, here''s one of the few decent pics I have of my I color princess e-ring and My J color round pendant together. The princess is 1.016ct and the round is 0.507. They both look pretty darn white to me.

 

[swingirl]

I don't know where you are looking but most up-scale jewelry stores would carry stones at least to J. Tiffany's does.

If you have a budget in mind we can direct you to some links from internet vendors even if it is just for comparison sake.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I believe the lowest color Tiffany carries is I color. But you can''t tell a thing in their stores about color difference because of the lighting.

But just to repeat something that has already been stated, you must look at GIA and AGS I color stones only. The rest probably will be yellow at I color because they are really lower than I.

 

[Harriet]

Maybe they are trying to get you to spend more?

As the others have said, if a stone is well-cut, it will still face up white. I have an I-coloured one (the appraisers even called it a "J"). My friends assure me that it''s white (they''d better not be lying).

 

[justjulia]

I think it definitely is a personal choice. I do not think of I color as yellow as much as what I call suntan or flesh tone. You need to go look at some to get an idea.

You might like the wintery white of a beautifully cut K. Check it out.

 

[LD]

If you want to make sure your I colour doesn't have any yellow then it might be worth looking for one with fluor. My GIA I colour pear (sorry but I'm about to post pictures AGAIN!) is white white white - oh and it has strong blue fluor! I was REALLY sceptical when my diamond dealer friend said he'd found me an I colour and I presumed it'd look warmer than I wanted. He said "trust me"! I did and oooooooooh I'm so glad I did!

This photo is taken inside the house on a dull day with no lights on and just light coming from the window behind me.

 

[soocool]

Date: 2/2/2009 6:29:50 PM
Author: LovingDiamonds
If you want to make sure your I colour doesn''t have any yellow then it might be worth looking for one with fluor. My GIA I colour pear (sorry but I''m about to post pictures AGAIN!) is white white white - oh and it has strong blue fluor! I was REALLY sceptical when my diamond dealer friend said he''d found me an I colour and I presumed it''d look warmer than I wanted. He said ''trust me''! I did and oooooooooh I''m so glad I did!

This photo is taken inside the house on a dull day with no lights on and just light coming from the window behind me.

I love this ring! And I can''t tell that it is an "I" color because it look so white. It looks like you have a prong halo. If it were bezel set do you think you''d be able to tell even with the blue fluor?

 

[Eva17]

i have an I, i don''t see any yellow.

i am color sensitive. mine has SB flouro though.

 

[butterflyblue]

LovingDiamonds your ring is breathtaking!!! Thank you for those incredible pictures it sure makes me feel more confident and very excited to go shopping~

 

[butterflyblue]

EVA what is SB is that strong blue?

I was thinking of looking for medium blue or less, or does it not really matter how much flour is in an "I" diamond as long as there is some?

 

[jstarfireb]

You need medium to strong to perceive a color effect. Faint won''t cut it.

Don''t believe what you hear on the street about fluor either...people will say strong fluor is a big detriment and will make a diamond look milky or oily. However, that effect only occurs in a small percentage of diamonds with strong blue. I think strong blue is actually an advantage (I love the purplish hue they have in sunlight!), and my next diamond purchase will definitely have it!

 

[LD]

Date: 2/3/2009 9:19:57 AM
Author: jstarfireb
You need medium to strong to perceive a color effect. Faint won''t cut it.

Don''t believe what you hear on the street about fluor either...people will say strong fluor is a big detriment and will make a diamond look milky or oily. However, that effect only occurs in a small percentage of diamonds with strong blue. I think strong blue is actually an advantage (I love the purplish hue they have in sunlight!), and my next diamond purchase will definitely have it!

Agree with every word!

butterflyblue - don''t be put off by strong blue fluor. That''s what mine has and you can see the effect it has. It just cancels out the yellow! Faint blue might not cancel out the yellow enough for you from what you say if you''re colour sensitive. The best thing to do is to see diamonds with fluor - take them for a test drive in different lights and compare! As jstarfireb has said, the amount of diamonds where fluor has a negative effect is minimal.

Soocool - not sure what you mean about having a bezel set? Do you mean would the fluor still work and make the diamond look whiter than an I? If so, then the answer would be yes. I don''t think, in my particular diamond''s case, that anything is going to make it look yellow unless I were to set it with yellow diamonds and in yellow gold - but then any white diamond would take on a yellow cast doing that!!!!

 

[butterflyblue]

Lovingdiamonds: I am really looking forward to seeing this SB flour! That is going to be my second requirement I can''t wait to see!

Jstarfireb: Your diamond is beautiful! thanks for the input, I have read about that "milky or hazy" that sb flour can have too, good to know it is not a common problem..

 

[Kelli]

In an ideal cut, I color will look plenty white, especially once set. No worries!

 

[LD]

Date: 2/3/2009 11:39:15 AM
Author: butterflyblue
Lovingdiamonds: I am really looking forward to seeing this SB flour! That is going to be my second requirement I can''t wait to see!

Jstarfireb: Your diamond is beautiful! thanks for the input, I have read about that ''milky or hazy'' that sb flour can have too, good to know it is not a common problem..

You won''t actually "see" anything other than if you compare it with the same colour diamond next to it, in the same lighting conditions. The only time you may see anything is in strong sunlight (and perhaps certain other lights) where the diamond has blue or purple tints. If you go to a nightclub and stand under a UV light, you''ll DEFINITELY see it - it''ll glow bright blue!

 

[swingirl]

Date: 2/2/2009 6:00:27 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
I believe the lowest color Tiffany carries is I color. But you can't tell a thing in their stores about color difference because of the lighting.

But just to repeat something that has already been stated, you must look at GIA and AGS I color stones only. The rest probably will be yellow at I color because they are really lower than I.

You are right. Tiffany carries D to I and they refer to their stones as "colorless or nearly colorless". So if I is good enough for Tiffany...