I''m going to ask an incredibly stupid question...

[wishinpink]

Yellow diamonds are really rare and expensive, but white diamonds that are yellow = not good. Is it a different kind of yellow?! ^_^;;

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 6/9/2009 5:21:33 PM
Author:rosebud10
Yellow diamonds are really rare and expensive, but white diamonds that are yellow = not good. Is it a different kind of yellow?! ^_^;;

" True" fancy yellow diamonds are ones which grade past Z on GIA's diamond grading scale and are much more expensive as you know. Some feel the in between tinted diamonds say from K onwards are not attractive ( the price is lower for these too) and are undesirable. However cut is everything and personally I am very partial to a warm colour if the cut brings out the beauty. So I think the warmer colours have their fans in growing numbers but whether they will become a ' mainstream' choice remains to be seen.

You might have already seen this video on colour, but I will link it in case you haven't

http://vimeo.com/3288695

 

[wishinpink]

Date: 6/9/2009 5:25:06 PM
Author: Lorelei

Date: 6/9/2009 5:21:33 PM
Author:rosebud10
Yellow diamonds are really rare and expensive, but white diamonds that are yellow = not good. Is it a different kind of yellow?! ^_^;;

'' True'' fancy yellow diamonds are ones which grade past Z on GIA''s diamond grading scale and are much more expensive as you know. Some feel the in between tinted diamonds say from K onwards are not attractive ( the price is lower for these too) and are undesirable. However cut is everything and personally I am very partial to a warm colour if the cut brings out the beauty. So I think the warmer colours have their fans in growing numbers but whether they will become a '' mainstream'' choice remains to be seen.

You might have already seen this video on colour, but I will link it in case you haven''t

http://vimeo.com/3288695

So to paraphrase your answer- If a diamond is VERY yellow = good, if a diamond is VERY white = good, but if it''s in between = "supposedly" bad. I say supposedly because I totally hear you on the warm color bit My diamond''s only slightly warm- an H! Thanks for the answer! I guess the only difference is the degree of yellow?

 

[oldmancoyote]

Yes, and rarity.

Actually - no. Cut is different; "white" diamonds are cut to minimise the effect of body colour; fancy colours for the opposite effect.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 6/9/2009 5:35:57 PM
Author: rosebud10

Date: 6/9/2009 5:25:06 PM
Author: Lorelei

Date: 6/9/2009 5:21:33 PM
Author:rosebud10
Yellow diamonds are really rare and expensive, but white diamonds that are yellow = not good. Is it a different kind of yellow?! ^_^;;

'' True'' fancy yellow diamonds are ones which grade past Z on GIA''s diamond grading scale and are much more expensive as you know. Some feel the in between tinted diamonds say from K onwards are not attractive ( the price is lower for these too) and are undesirable. However cut is everything and personally I am very partial to a warm colour if the cut brings out the beauty. So I think the warmer colours have their fans in growing numbers but whether they will become a '' mainstream'' choice remains to be seen.

You might have already seen this video on colour, but I will link it in case you haven''t

http://vimeo.com/3288695

So to paraphrase your answer- If a diamond is VERY yellow = good, if a diamond is VERY white = good, but if it''s in between = "supposedly" bad. I say supposedly because I totally hear you on the warm color bit My diamond''s only slightly warm- an H! Thanks for the answer! I guess the only difference is the degree of yellow?

Basically yes. And the main difference you will also see is price and yes the colour is everything with a fancy colour diamond.

 

[Paul-Antwerp]

I think that it is absolutely NOT a stupid question and a great observation.

Just a few weeks ago, I was musing with an Antwerp colleague about a similar thought, and we concluded that the weird thing is that the real rare stones in colour are the ones ranging somewhere between L-colour and fancy yellow.

Pricing there has more to do with demand than with supply.

Live long,

 

[ericad]

Paul, this is very interesting! I''m a lover of low colored stones (primarily in antique cuts, obviously, but I like low colors in modern cuts too) because I simply prefer the way they look, but are you saying that L and lower colors are actually more rare than colorless stones? And are these more rare in nature or simply more rare because demand for these colors is lower, therefore there are fewer in the marketplace?

I''m always looking to spread the low colored love and would appreciate more clarity (pardon the pun) on this. I am always encouraging people to buy the color that''s beautiful to their eye rather than choosing based solely on a stone''s grade and perceived desirability. It''s an uphill battle!

I recently showed some friends (non PSers and not diamond-savvy) my GIA L colored square emerald/asscher and the first thing every one of them said is, "Wow, I love the color" and when I pointed out that it''s a "low" color the very next thing each of them said is, "Oh, so it''s not a good diamond?"

LOL, I''ve got a long way to go.

 

[kimmyintexas]

Oh, thank you soooo much for the link to the video on color! Call me crazy but I like the warmer ones much better than the stark white D. This is opening up a whole new realm of possibilites for me. I would have never even considered looking at K-M stones but they are absolutely gorgeous. How exciting....now I will be able to get a much larger stone!

 

[VRBeauty]

KIT -- A lot of us have been drooling over this one based on color and its spectacular cut... worth considering if it''s within your budget (alas, it isn''t in mine

)

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond.php?d=221&shape=1&ctMin=1&ctMax=3&color=2048&resultsColumns=268435471&singleResult=1

 

[Kelli]

It''s a question I''ve wondered about too, and since finding pricescope, I''m the proud owner of a gorgeous M colored diamond pendant. IF ONLY I''d known that lower colors are beautiful before engagement ring shopping.... I''d have one honker of a stone in comparison with my 1.35 H--- which I still love of course

 

[JDL]

To provide some contrast, here are the pics of the ring I just had made with a Radiant Cut, Fancy Intense Yellow:


https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-ring-is-here-from-design-to-completion-what-do-you-think.115448/

 

[rocksforjocks]

Is there a separate grading system for fancy colors? I.e., is a Z color diamond the cheapest or is it considered "fancy" (and thus most expensive)? Is there a bright line between a cheap yellow and a fancy yellow?

 

[JDL]

Colored diamonds are graded by GIA based on two primary properties: Hue and Intensity.

The hue is your primary color (i.e. yellow, blue, green, etc...) although their can be a secondary color such as bluish green which are generally referred to as undertones.

The intensities are listed below. This is how "deep" the color is:

Faint
Very Light
Light
Fancy Light
Fancy
Fancy Dark
Fancy Intense
Fancy Deep
Fancy Vivid

Notice where the "Fancy" colors kick in. That is where the line so to speak between Z+ kicks in. However, since the broadness of hues and intensities, a very rich "fancy light" which is borderline "fancy" will sell for more than another "fancy light" that is borderline "light" which is non-fancy with all other attributes being equal.

The 4 "C''s" of colored diamonds are Color, Color, Color and Color

 

[beaujolais]

The stone in my avitar is a "P". I love it. In some lights it''s a light golden straw color. In outdoor light, it''s pretty white. Fun.