Myth or not? Yellow gold makes a white diamond look yellow?

[Supersleuth50]

There is a lot of information and misinformation about whether or not yellow gold makes a white diamond look yellow. I'm going to use photographic evidence to come up with some answers.

Here are four photos of my 0.51 G VS1 hearts and arrows, Triple Ex diamond ring set in 18k yellow gold. In these photos I have put the ring next to a silver and cubic zirconium art deco earring so that the two pieces of jewellery can be compared. The silver is a white metal and the cz gems are D colour. I have tried to slant the earring away from my ring so that the majority of the cz gems will not be influenced by the gold colour of my ring. The ring and earring are subjected in each photo to exactly the same lighting conditions.

If the yellow band and yellow prongs alter diamond colour you should see a noticeable difference in colour between the diamond and the cz gems. If the band and prongs don't alter diamond colour then you won't see any difference in colour between the diamond and the cz gems.

Please now look at the photos and make your own decisions about what you think. Do this before you read the rest of the text so that you are not influenced by what I think.

Photos 1 and 2 are taken outside on a cloudy Scottish September day at a lattitude of 56.18 degrees North, away from any brightly coloured objects. The photos are taken with a Samsung Galaxy S4 on the Auto setting. The colour has not been enhanced or altered in any way. The white paper has been placed underneath in an effort to standardise the background. I see no difference in colour between the diamond and the cubic zirconia.

Photos 3 and 4 are taken indoors under natural daylight with the same camera and the same settings. The room walls are cream.

Photo 3: This has not been enhanced or altered in any way. I see no difference in colour between the diamond and the cubic zirconia.

Photo 4: This is simply photo 3 with the colour saturation increased to +75 (using PhotoShop Elements). The increased colour saturation will emphasise any yellow that might have been reflected in the diamond. It will also show whether increasing the colour contrast between prongs and the diamond makes the diamond look whiter or yellower.

If I look closely at photo 4 (increased colour saturation) I can see there is a very small reflection of the yellow prongs on the diamond itself. This reflection is very close to the prongs and I estimate that it does not extend more than 0.1mm away from the prongs. This is quite close to the limits of visual accuity. Maybe a very young person with 20/20 vision viewing a diamond in bright light from a distance of about 10cm might notice this slight reflection but the rest of us wouldn't notice it at all. I also think that when the colour contrast is increased the white diamond looks whiter.

Some thoughts

1. I think that yellow gold settings and yellow gold prongs make a very white diamond look......very white.
2. There may be other reasons for using white gold or platinum settings/prongs (including personal preference) but enhancing the whiteness of a diamond isn't one of them.


Mythbusting continued

For my next post I will discuss whether or not we should use the diameter of a diamond to work out its apparent size...

Watch this space.

 

[maxs.memo]

Re: Myth or not? Yellow gold makes a white diamond look yel

I think that any color that is beneath a diamond is going to be transmitted in small amounts through the diamond. While reflected light entering through the face (crown & table) is the predominant source, that is not to say that no light will enter from behind the pavilion or from the prongs (especially considering the prongs ever-so-slightly reflect light down through the crown. It would be silly and counter-intuitive to not expect a minute amount of color from a setting to enter the diamond and change its appearance.

But I am a layperson...

 

[maxs.memo]

Re: Myth or not? Yellow gold makes a white diamond look yel

That said, I am not sure whether the comparison between seeing the obvious yellow in the band to the obvious white of the stone would make the stone look RELATIVELY whiter. That might have more impact that minute quantities of reflected and transmitted yellows.

 

[bcavitt]

Re: Myth or not? Yellow gold makes a white diamond look yel

When it comes to heads and prongs, most people go with white because it blends with the stone and doesn't detract from it. Yellow prongs provide a contrast to the white stone and can detract from it. I believe it has nothing to do with the yellow discoloring the stone which should be negligable.

 

[Laila619]

Re: Myth or not? Yellow gold makes a white diamond look yel

I've never thought YG makes a stone look tinted.

 

[SB621]

Re: Myth or not? Yellow gold makes a white diamond look yel

I believe the saying is actually that YG will make diamonds that are lower down in the color scale look more yellow. For me I'm not fan of J/k/l/m and under in yellow gold as it can sometimes play up the warm. But this is total personal preference and will vary on the diamond. Regardless is anything colorless or near colorless I doubt very much the metal color will affect the tint of the diamond.

 

[Supersleuth50]

Re: Myth or not? Yellow gold makes a white diamond look yel

Dear SB621,

I'm really glad you raised this point. This is what made me suspicious. This idea of yellow gold making slightly yellower diamonds (those lower of the colour scale) look whiter but making very white diamonds (those higher on the colour scale) look yellower doesn't make sense.

For example, consider the following logic.


1. If yellow gold makes diamonds lower on the colour scale appear whiter then it does so because of the human eye detects the contrast between the yellow gold and the paler colour of the diamond. If this is true then there will be even more contrast between yellow gold and a very white diamond (one higher on the colour scale) and so the whiter diamond will be perceived as even whiter.

2. If yellow gold makes a diamond higher on the colour scale look yellow it does so because the yellow colour of the metal is somehow reflecting off or refracting through the diamond and the yellow light is mixing with the white light before reaching the eye. If this is true then the yellow colour of the metal will do the same for the slightly yellower diamond (one lower on the colour scale). This would make the slightly yellower diamond look even yellower.

So these two things cannot both be true unless there is something going on that I haven't thought of.

My photos are an attempt to find out what is going on in as fair a way as I can. So far I think I've shown to my own satisfaction that a well cut stone is not made yellower by a yellow setting in any measurable way and that contrast has a part to play in how colours are perceived.

 

[yssie]

Re: Myth or not? Yellow gold makes a white diamond look yel

Ditto Maximus... Supersleuth, IMO your sample is not unbiased.


1. Your diamond is held in yellow prongs.
Diamonds are prisms - they refract and reflect. Where the diamond meets air, light incident on a diamond/air bound at an angle larger than critical angle will reflect internally. However, where diamond and prongs touch, there is no total internal reflection - light incident at the diamond/prong bound will just reflect off the yellow prong surface and continue its path through the stone, and eventually to your eyes.

Mike R. of RDG has talked about how he rhodium plates the insides of prongs when setting white stones in non-white metals. A brilliant and economical solution.

2. Your diamond isn't always spotlessly clean.
When diamonds are dirty critical angle increases, so light must bounce off the diamond/air bound at a larger angle, or it'll escape. Which also means that light from underneath the stone (which is yellow thanks to the yellow interior of prongs/basket) has more opportunity to enter the stone.

3. Phone cameras and point&shoots on Auto are notorious for autocorrecting colour and contrast.
Most camera phone and P&S users want to quickly take photos that are ready for email/facebook/twitter, most camera phone and P&S users find photos with vivid colour gradients and high-contrast more aesthetically pleasing, so camera phone and P&S manufacturers alter and filter. And then there's the fact that PS further optimizes and for whatever reason washes out JPEGs dreadfully (PNGs much less so). The result: the very, very slight differences between colourless and near-colourless diamonds, or between a given diamond set in white or yellow gold, are pretty much guaranteed to be misrepresented. I think that to be viewed as objective critiques rather than subjective comparisons a series in raw would be most useful, or maybe pics w/ a grey card and some post-processing to un-autocorrect... honestly I personally think the subjective comparisons are much more useful though!

4. Are you talking about comparing close-up or from further away?
I find that from a distance my eyes sum the gold colour and the diamond colour and white + yellow = warm. I happen to LOVE warm, so I'm the opposite of SB - a diamond in the J/K/L/M range set in pale yellow metal is my favourite look but IMO this is the main reason to choose a white head if one wants to highlight a stone's whiteness - the "blending" vs "contrast" that bcavitt talks about.


FWIW I don't think any "yellowness" that yellow gold heads lend white diamonds should stop those who want yellow gold heads from getting them! But I also don't think it's useful to pretend that there isn't any difference, any more than it's useful to pretend that there isn't a difference between D and G, because there is, logic dictates it, whether or not that difference is of visible (and therefore practical) consequence for a specific buyer...

 

[yssie]

Re: Myth or not? Yellow gold makes a white diamond look yel

I'm really glad you raised this point. This is what made me suspicious. This idea of yellow gold making slightly yellower diamonds (those lower of the colour scale) look whiter but making very white diamonds (those higher on the colour scale) look yellower doesn't make sense.

This doesn't make sense to me either. Yellow gold is going to make all well-cut RBs look slightly yellower. Whether or not one sees the difference, in the same way that one might not note a difference between a D and a G of similar size and proportions.

What I *can* envision is an argument to the contrary based on scale or frame of reference... the above statement that yellow gold is going to make all well-cut RBs look slightly yellower might be true on very close view, where the diamond and prongs are clearly delineated and you're focusing on the colour of the diamond alone, but from further away when those boundaries are blurred the contrast between rich yellow gold and very white diamonds might be exaggerated whereas the lack of contrast between lower coloured diamonds and yellow metals might be diminished... and I would guess that from still further away where all you can see is the average of stone colour and setting colour, that's what you take home...

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Re: Myth or not? Yellow gold makes a white diamond look yel

When it comes to heads and prongs, most people go with white because it blends with the stone and doesn't detract from it. Yellow prongs provide a contrast to the white stone and can detract from it. I believe it has nothing to do with the yellow discoloring the stone which should be negligable.

This. And I don't care for yellow prong tips to reflect in my stone.

 

[Rockdiamond]

Re: Myth or not? Yellow gold makes a white diamond look yel

Everyone who posts on the internet has strong opinions.
See - I just made a blanket statement.
In a way, that's what "information" posted online is all about.
People want to read definitive answers.

The problem is there are no definitive answers to this ( and most other) questions.
To get started quantifying:
What shape is the diamond?
What size?
What type of D color is it- they're not all the same - plus as we get lower and lower in the scale, the variations widen. No two J colors are exactly alike.
What type of gold - how was it alloyed?
What type of prong?
How large is the prong?
What type of structure is the prong attached to?
What color shank?


Within all of these questions we will find variations- so that even if we used one cut and size of diamond, we still won't get definitive results.
And that is not taking into account all the aspect Yssie raised about photography.

We've set literally thousand of diamonds into all type of metal- in EVERY color.
When someone is looking for a definitive answer about exactly how a given stone will react in a given setting, my answer always is the same:
We'll see.

 

[AprilBaby]

Re: Myth or not? Yellow gold makes a white diamond look yel

I have yg with yg prongs, Hcolor and I think the contrast makes my diamond whiter.

 

[bunnycat]

Re: Myth or not? Yellow gold makes a white diamond look yel

I think it depends on the stone in question. One thing that no one has brought up is underlying body tone color of a diamond. That may (I don't know, I'm just guessing) but MAY have more effect on whether a stone looks more yellow or not in YG versus some other metal color. It seems like it's been discussed before. I think the underlying body tones become more important to the metal choice as you get past K/L and then it becomes trial and error to get it where your personal preferences like it.

 

[Supersleuth50]

Re: Myth or not? Yellow gold makes a white diamond look yel

Thanks for your reply. It's an interesting topic. I've done my best to find the yellow in my diamond. I've looked at it in different lights and compared it to cubic zirconiums set in silver. I can't see the yellow. I've tried to standardise the lighting conditions. I've tried taking photos with a phone camera and this morning I've even tried taking photos with a Pentax SLR camera. Still no more yellow in my diamond than in the cz. I've tried increasing the colour saturation so that if there is any yellow it should show up. Still no luck.

I have to say at this point that it wouldn't worry me if I did find yellow in the diamond. It's a very pretty stone and very well cut. I don't subscribe to the idea that the whiter the stone the better it is. I chose a G because my daughter liked it (it was a birthday gift from my husband and daughter). I'm just saying that I can't find the yellowness that people tell me ought to be there.

If any of you would like to prove me wrong and maybe provide evidence of your own I would be delighted to see it. I welcome my ideas being challenged but please provide evidence. It isn't enough to say that I am wrong; I want you to show me that I'm wrong.

Rockdiamond - you are in the trade. You could take a few same colour well cut diamonds and then put them different settings and see if the settings made any difference to the actual diamond colour. To ensure fairness the settings would have to be identical except in one aspect - colour. You could then take photos, or if you are in the coloured diamond trade you probably use instruments to measure colour density to check for colour differences including underlying tone. To ensure that the diamonds of identical colour didn't have different properties from each other you could swap the diamonds about so that the ones in the yellow settings were put in white settings and go through the whole process again. To avoid experimenter bias you could ask get an independent person to judge the results. You could have such a fun time setting up some experiments and finding things out. I do envy you.

Of course, all this only answers part of the puzzle. Even if we can show that a well cut diamond doesn't take on the colour of the metal it doesn't mean that this is the way the human eye and brain perceives it. The human brain is a wonderful thing. If you take a picture of a tomato on a plate but use a colour filter so the picture is only in, let's say, shades of blue, the brain still perceives the tomato as red. Maybe our brains mix the colour of the diamond and the setting. Who knows. But we at least need to ask the questions.

So, does yellow gold diamond jewellery look different from platinum / white gold jewellery? Yes, I would say that it has a 'softer, gentler' look overall but I'm not sure what I mean by this or whether it is something measurable or whether it is something that only I perceive. It would be interesting to come up with some answers so that people are better informed and so that the jewellery trade can come up with better advice and a perhaps a better understanding of what people see when they look at a diamond ring.

 

[darkadam]

Re: Myth or not? Yellow gold makes a white diamond look yel

I think what rockdiamond means is that even if he did it, those results would only be valid for that exact diamond in that exact setting and environment, and so useless to anyone else.

 

[Rockdiamond]

Re: Myth or not? Yellow gold makes a white diamond look yel

Thanks for your reply. It's an interesting topic. I've done my best to find the yellow in my diamond. I've looked at it in different lights and compared it to cubic zirconiums set in silver. I can't see the yellow. I've tried to standardise the lighting conditions. I've tried taking photos with a phone camera and this morning I've even tried taking photos with a Pentax SLR camera. Still no more yellow in my diamond than in the cz. I've tried increasing the colour saturation so that if there is any yellow it should show up. Still no luck.

I have to say at this point that it wouldn't worry me if I did find yellow in the diamond. It's a very pretty stone and very well cut. I don't subscribe to the idea that the whiter the stone the better it is. I chose a G because my daughter liked it (it was a birthday gift from my husband and daughter). I'm just saying that I can't find the yellowness that people tell me ought to be there.

If any of you would like to prove me wrong and maybe provide evidence of your own I would be delighted to see it. I welcome my ideas being challenged but please provide evidence. It isn't enough to say that I am wrong; I want you to show me that I'm wrong.

Rockdiamond - you are in the trade. You could take a few same colour well cut diamonds and then put them different settings and see if the settings made any difference to the actual diamond colour. To ensure fairness the settings would have to be identical except in one aspect - colour. You could then take photos, or if you are in the coloured diamond trade you probably use instruments to measure colour density to check for colour differences including underlying tone. To ensure that the diamonds of identical colour didn't have different properties from each other you could swap the diamonds about so that the ones in the yellow settings were put in white settings and go through the whole process again. To avoid experimenter bias you could ask get an independent person to judge the results. You could have such a fun time setting up some experiments and finding things out. I do envy you.

Of course, all this only answers part of the puzzle. Even if we can show that a well cut diamond doesn't take on the colour of the metal it doesn't mean that this is the way the human eye and brain perceives it. The human brain is a wonderful thing. If you take a picture of a tomato on a plate but use a colour filter so the picture is only in, let's say, shades of blue, the brain still perceives the tomato as red. Maybe our brains mix the colour of the diamond and the setting. Who knows. But we at least need to ask the questions.

So, does yellow gold diamond jewellery look different from platinum / white gold jewellery? Yes, I would say that it has a 'softer, gentler' look overall but I'm not sure what I mean by this or whether it is something measurable or whether it is something that only I perceive. It would be interesting to come up with some answers so that people are better informed and so that the jewellery trade can come up with better advice and a perhaps a better understanding of what people see when they look at a diamond ring.

darkdiam did get my point.
But to answer the part in the bold above.
We've done this test many times over.
We even worked with GIA for an article about 6 years back ( which never got published) about how gold color and setting method affected perceived color of diamonds. We set a few different shades of diamond ( from Fancy Light Yellow to Fancy Intense Yellow) into different settings . Bezel, prong, and different color gold.

It proved my point.
That experiment showed that even similar stones can react differently to identical treatment.
If I had to make a generalization- setting color does impact perceived stone color.
To prove my point- many times we will set colorless pave diamonds into pink gold
Here's a pink gold ring set with a K color center- which does not really pick up all that much pink.
Yet the E-F color micro pave diamonds certainly do.



The converse holds true as well- setting pink diamonds into white metal washes out the color- we've also done that experiment



BTW- there are no instruments to measure color in the way you mention.
There's a machine which purports to identify a loose diamond's color - but not fancy colors- and not if the stone is set.
And many people question the accuracy of that machine as it is.

 

[heididdl]

Re: Myth or not? Yellow gold makes a white diamond look yel

I am not sure as my trillion stone was rodium plated under neath the bezel to eliminate the possibility of the stone having a tint . The stone is G...VVS2

Sorry not the best picture.

 

[Sidius]

Re: Myth or not? Yellow gold makes a white diamond look yel

This is definitely an interesting topic that I bet people could debate for hours if they had the desire. I've been wondering this myself lately as my gf loves YG and I was debating getting the setting done in platinum to try and increase the "whiteness" of the diamond I decide to buy, when I buy it. After seeing this, I can't see any difference, so I'll go with solid YG. She will like it better and it will reduce the overall complexity of the design I'm coming up with. That's of course my opinion and I will not be going any lower than a stone in the "H" range. Preferably a G or maybe even an F but considering I'm looking to keep the overall cost of the ring under $20k and I want a center stone in the 1.7ct range, I'll likely end up with an H. Thanks so much for taking the time to write all this information and give your opinion!! The pictures were exactly what I was looking for when debating this exact topic in my mind.

 

[pyramid]

Re: Myth or not? Yellow gold makes a white diamond look yel

I don't know if this is valid from a diamond appraiser's point of view but I can see color in a diamond easily and can
see a difference from cz to G color. I didn't used to see it until I looked at different colors of white emulsion/paint on the
tin labels in the store. Now I can see better, I used to see a grey white as white until it was set next to a pure white. I
think most people would need to train their eyes. Of course training by using diamonds in gemology and not tins of paint

 

[Supersleuth50]

Re: Myth or not? Yellow gold makes a white diamond look yel

Everyone, many thanks for all your comments. Debate is good.

Sideus, I am a little nervous of changing your mind about the colour of the the engagement ring for your gf. Please, please, please look at the diamond that you buy in both yellow and white/grey settings so that you can decide for yourself whether one particular metal makes the diamond look whiter.

If you are going to spend just under $20K (enormous amounts of money) I'm going give you my best British advice.

1. Get the best cut stone you can. The fun is in the sparkle so just don't compromise - it has to be excellent cut. Better a super sparkly yellower diamond than a dull white one. Also I doubt that most people can tell the difference between a D and a G/H when the diamond is set.

2. Here in Diamond Land you might get the impression that all excellent cut diamonds look the same. They don't, even if they have a GIA or AGS certificate to say that they have an excellent cut. This is because a diamond is like a kaleidoscope; a very slight change in cut angle can give a very different pattern even among diamonds of the same cut grade. Before I decided on my diamond I had already decided against two others even though their certification was the same. This means that you need to see the diamond and decide if you like it. If you get one in a jewellers make sure that you seen a variety of excellent cut diamonds of different colours and sizes. I you want to purchase online I would suggest telling the seller your requirements and insisting one of their gemologists finds you a really sparkly diamond. When you receive it make sure that you insure it and be prepared to wander around your house/apartment to find out how it looks under different lights. I found that one of the corners in my bedroom was what I am going to call the 'diamond disaster corner' in that there wasn't much light and the walls were very plain. Only the diamond that I eventually chose looked good in the diamond disaster corner. The ideal situation is where sellers not only have an online shop but a real shop. If you're spending $20K it might be worth flying to the real shop to look at the diamonds (or even flying your gf there to choose a diamond).

3. Make sure that the diamond looks great from both a distance and from nearby. Your gf will rarely get more than an arm's length away from this diamond and she's the person who has to enjoy it the most. As you lean over the diamond the centre of the diamond will darken. This is called head obstruction and it occurs when your head is near the diamond and blocks some of the light from going into the diamond. Make sure that the diamond still looks good and has a pretty pattern even in the dark bits.

4. Make sure that the setting is a pretty one. Diamonds are incredibly changeable in appearance, depending on the light. Lots of colours under spotlights, white and gleamy under cloudy skies, incredibly white in the shade on a sunny day. Your gf won't spend the rest of her life hunting for these places. Sometimes the setting will be the thing that makes the ring look good.

5. Does size of diamond matter? I'm not going to get into this debate but what I can say is that the perfect ring will not just have a sparkly diamond but it will enhance the beauty of your gf's hand rather than detract from it. Just remember that your gf is a wild and lovely spirit clothed in the dust of stars, more beautiful than any gemstone. This should keep you on the right track.

6. Wedding rings. The wedding ring is the most important ring. Don't let DiamondLand convince you otherwise. Make sure that you have enough money to let her (and you) choose really nice ones. You are going to be wearing them for the rest of your lives.

Good luck,

SuperSleuth

 

[Supersleuth50]

Re: Myth or not? Yellow gold makes a white diamond look yel

I've realised that DiamondLand is a trade name. Let me clarify that I am using it as a pet name for Pricescope and its community in this instance and am not referring to a diamond company in Antwerp.

 

[Supersleuth50]

Re: Myth or not? Yellow gold makes a white diamond look yel

Rockdiamond,

You wouldn't like to take that photo again but this time putting the rose gold diamond ring against a platinum or white gold diamond ring. If you use the same lighting again we should be able to see the difference.

Thanks.

Supersleuth

 

[Sidius]

Re: Myth or not? Yellow gold makes a white diamond look yel

Everyone, many thanks for all your comments. Debate is good.

Sideus, I am a little nervous of changing your mind about the colour of the the engagement ring for your gf. Please, please, please look at the diamond that you buy in both yellow and white/grey settings so that you can decide for yourself whether one particular metal makes the diamond look whiter.

If you are going to spend just under $20K (enormous amounts of money) I'm going give you my best British advice.

1. Get the best cut stone you can. The fun is in the sparkle so just don't compromise - it has to be excellent cut. Better a super sparkly yellower diamond than a dull white one. Also I doubt that most people can tell the difference between a D and a G/H when the diamond is set.

2. Here in Diamond Land you might get the impression that all excellent cut diamonds look the same. They don't, even if they have a GIA or AGS certificate to say that they have an excellent cut. This is because a diamond is like a kaleidoscope; a very slight change in cut angle can give a very different pattern even among diamonds of the same cut grade. Before I decided on my diamond I had already decided against two others even though their certification was the same. This means that you need to see the diamond and decide if you like it. If you get one in a jewellers make sure that you seen a variety of excellent cut diamonds of different colours and sizes. I you want to purchase online I would suggest telling the seller your requirements and insisting one of their gemologists finds you a really sparkly diamond. When you receive it make sure that you insure it and be prepared to wander around your house/apartment to find out how it looks under different lights. I found that one of the corners in my bedroom was what I am going to call the 'diamond disaster corner' in that there wasn't much light and the walls were very plain. Only the diamond that I eventually chose looked good in the diamond disaster corner. The ideal situation is where sellers not only have an online shop but a real shop. If you're spending $20K it might be worth flying to the real shop to look at the diamonds (or even flying your gf there to choose a diamond).

3. Make sure that the diamond looks great from both a distance and from nearby. Your gf will rarely get more than an arm's length away from this diamond and she's the person who has to enjoy it the most. As you lean over the diamond the centre of the diamond will darken. This is called head obstruction and it occurs when your head is near the diamond and blocks some of the light from going into the diamond. Make sure that the diamond still looks good and has a pretty pattern even in the dark bits.

4. Make sure that the setting is a pretty one. Diamonds are incredibly changeable in appearance, depending on the light. Lots of colours under spotlights, white and gleamy under cloudy skies, incredibly white in the shade on a sunny day. Your gf won't spend the rest of her life hunting for these places. Sometimes the setting will be the thing that makes the ring look good.

5. Does size of diamond matter? I'm not going to get into this debate but what I can say is that the perfect ring will not just have a sparkly diamond but it will enhance the beauty of your gf's hand rather than detract from it. Just remember that your gf is a wild and lovely spirit clothed in the dust of stars, more beautiful than any gemstone. This should keep you on the right track.

6. Wedding rings. The wedding ring is the most important ring. Don't let DiamondLand convince you otherwise. Make sure that you have enough money to let her (and you) choose really nice ones. You are going to be wearing them for the rest of your lives.

Good luck,

SuperSleuth

Thanks for all the information and I appreciate you offering your opinion!!

Don't worry, I'm a very cautious but practical person. I believe that the research prior to starting the design/build process of any project is some of the most fun. That being said, my gf prefers YG and while she would love a ring with a platinum or WG setting (to try and maximize "whiteness"), she would love it more if it was solid YG. I also won't buy any diamond that I haven't researched fully and completely, including having the gemologist inspect every available diamond to find the best performer in my price range. Even though I've never bought a diamond of this magnitude before, you're right, from what I can tell... the cut is the most important part. The sparkle of the diamond is watch catches your eye and mesmerizes you the most. At this point I'm leaning towards a custom design ring through WhiteFlash and the setting I've picked will be my (and her even though she hasn't seen it) favorite part. I'll likely post a thread describing the process, complete with CAD's and final product, when I get there. That's still a couple months away though and this is getting off topic of your thread lol.

 

[Rockdiamond]

Re: Myth or not? Yellow gold makes a white diamond look yel

Rockdiamond,

You wouldn't like to take that photo again but this time putting the rose gold diamond ring against a platinum or white gold diamond ring. If you use the same lighting again we should be able to see the difference.

Thanks.

Supersleuth

That ring is long gone.....sorry...