Need some help...re diamond color

[prinkles]

Do diamonds generally show more color looking at them face down or from the side? I have a diamond with a GIA certificate that states it is an "I", but an appraiser recently told me that it is a "low J". Because the diamond is mounted, she only was able to judge its color from side view (It's about 3.5 carats in a platinum low basket setting). She said that because it is well cut and has med blue flourescence, it faces up white, but the side view indicates it's a low J. Is it possible that the platinum setting made it appear to be a lower grade? Thanks!

 

[dockman3]

Diamond color is graded loose from the side against a set of master stones and a flat white background. Personally, I wouldn''t worry too much about a certificate saying I and the appraiser saying "low J". The GIA certificate is "correct" in this case, but that difference is so small that it shouldn''t make much a difference. The fact that it was mounted may have had an effect on the color, but its really hard to tell. The excellent cut will help with face up appearance, but the blue fluoro shouldn''t have any effect on color overall.

 

[Indira-London]

Date: 7/14/2008 4:32:21 PM
Author:prinkles
Do diamonds generally show more color looking at them face down or from the side? I have a diamond with a GIA certificate that states it is an ''I'', but an appraiser recently told me that it is a ''low J''. Because the diamond is mounted, she only was able to judge its color from side view (It''s about 3.5 carats in a platinum low basket setting). She said that because it is well cut and has med blue flourescence, it faces up white, but the side view indicates it''s a low J. Is it possible that the platinum setting made it appear to be a lower grade? Thanks!

Diamonds are graded for colour when they are loose, upside down (pointed side up, flat side down) and against white background compared to a master set of stones under natural daylight. Hence, any estimation of colour when a diamond is set can only be that i.e. an estimate. As Dockman3 says the grade assigned to your diamond is the one that was done under strict lab conditions i.e. GIA.

Face-up D-F look colourness and D to J look Near Colourless. From the the top, the sparkle (light return, fire and scintillation) from a well-cut diamond obscures any measure of colour hence your diamond can look whiter.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 7/14/2008 4:32:21 PM
Author:prinkles
Do diamonds generally show more color looking at them face down or from the side? I have a diamond with a GIA certificate that states it is an ''I'', but an appraiser recently told me that it is a ''low J''. Because the diamond is mounted, she only was able to judge its color from side view (It''s about 3.5 carats in a platinum low basket setting). She said that because it is well cut and has med blue flourescence, it faces up white, but the side view indicates it''s a low J. Is it possible that the platinum setting made it appear to be a lower grade? Thanks!

Hi Prinkles!

Indira is right, diamonds are graded loose and upside down for colour, not from the side! I wouldn''t worry about the opinion that it is a low J, as Indira also points out, once a diamond is set, it is at best an estimation, you have a GIA report, so I wouldn''t worry too much. The medium blue fluorescence is a nice feature of your diamond, and could help it to face up a little whiter, I take it your diamond is a round brilliant? We would love to see pics of it!

 

[RxTechRN2b]

Even if it is a low J (and that grade can''t be as accurate due to being stuck in a setting) you were satisfied with the way it looked to your eye when you thought of it as an I. You can be confident you got what you paid for with a GIA cert, however, if it was EGL graded then you could believe it was a J or even a K!

 

[prinkles]

Thank you all for your help....I just bought a new digital camera and will post some pictures soon.