Proper way of viewing color

[gcallas]

When people talk about whether they can "see" color in a diamond, I''m curious as to how they are viewing it. In stores, I''m told to view the stone from the side against a white background. This tends to emphasize the color, but I''m skeptical about whether they''re doing this to try to convince me to upgrade to a more colorless stone. Generally, people won''t be viewing it this way; they''ll be viewing it (in this case) from the top in an 18K gold setting (platinum prongs, of course).

Using the sideways-against-white-background method, I certainly can see some color in an H stone (and even a trace in G), but I really can''t from the top. What''s the most appropriate way to be judging the color of a stone?

 

[aljdewey]

The stores are telling you to view the stones upside down against a white piece of paper for two reasons: the first is because that's how they are graded by grading labs. The second (and more important).....if you're looking at a lower color, you're more likely to see "yellow" as compared against a white background and get nervous enough to buy a higher color stone.




Bottom line to you: All you need to worry about is how the stone faces up....that's how it will be viewed when set. If you buy a well-cut stone, you can safely go to I (or even J) and the stone will still face up colorless to all but the most color-sensitive people.

 

[DiamondExpert]

Color is graded pavilion up at various angles under controlled background and lighting conditions.

Color should be viewed face up by the client under different "real world" lighting conditions - after all, as you said, this is the way the stone will be set.

If, however, you are very concerned by color and don't want to see ANY, AND the stone is in a setting allowing frequent side views, you may want to check out this angle to see if there are concerns.

 

[Rank Amateur]

True color is exposed when viewed from the side, and apparent color in the face up position (by my definition).

Whether the apparent or true color is most important is left for you to decide. The market demands a lot more $$ for a D than a J, so quite a few people must think the true color is where it's at!

 

[canadiangrrl]

Agree with Gary - if the stone will be set into a fairly open setting, you may prefer a stone with less body colour. Particularly if it's a larger (1 ct+) stone.

Personally, I've observed that stones of I colour and above have more yellowish flashes of brilliance and fire, even though they face up white.

 

[fuffi]

You didn't mention what shape you are shopping for. RB's tend to hide color more than any other shapes so you have more leeway there. I think if you look at a stone face up and tilt it slightly in different directions, it should give you a pretty good idea of how the diamond will look set. And if all else fails, G is a very safe color.

 

[fire&ice]

----------------
On 12/8/2003 11:45:40 AM Rank Amateur wrote:

True color is exposed when viewed from the side, and apparent color in the face up position (by my definition).

Whether the apparent or true color is most important is left for you to decide. The market demands a lot more $$ for a D than a J, so quite a few people must think the true color is where it's at! ----------------

That's not because of the demand. It is because of the supply. Colorless stones are more rare; therefore they command more money. This is one of those instances where the supply is more important in determining the price than the demand. That said, I guess one must take the step that there must be a demand for the diminished supply.

In other mumbo jumbo

I think there is fallicy in the thought that the more $$ = more people think that.

But, I do think your first statement is probably correct. The store could be yanking this guys chain though. On one hand, yeah, the body color is more prevelent from the side once set. But, the face up nature of a stone is far more important. We found some jewelers pulling stuff like that. Hubby bought into the hype. I appreciated the sentiment he had; but, I felt like we were manipulated.

 

[oldminer]

Diamonds graded the same color by the best labs may vary quite a bit in how they appear "face-up". This is because of the way labs grade from the side view even though the consumer is far more concerned with the top view. The way a diamond is cut determines a lot about how the color will look face-up, but the cutter cannot change the actual, inherent body color which generally remains viewable to the expert from the side of the stone.

The cutter makes an attempt to get the best appearance from each piece of rough diamond. If the stone has a fine color then cutter can concentrate on improving cut and/clarity. If the color is a little off, the cutter does have some good trick available to make the stone look less colored in the face-up position.

Diamonds that leak light look less colored that ones with high light return. the right angles and dimensions can create the "look" desired to a large extent. You can't make a D color appearance from a H colored diamond, but you can trick the eye a whole lot in the G-J range with cutting techniques.

Once there is a lot of body color, the entire system changes. Again this favors the cutter and dealer. In fancy colored diamonds it is face-up color that is used by the labs to grade diamonds. Cutters have ways of making Q-R yellow colors into Light Fancy colors. It is very much a game of knowing the optics of the material, getting a welcomed result, and the financial aspects of how to get the best return on the investment.

People spend a lot more for a D color mostly out of fear of the consequences than any major difference from an F or E color. If one seeks "the best" then D is what the market says is "best". Playing it safe accounts for a lot of this "desire" for a top color. The same applies to those who seek IF and VVS stones. While there is little reason to have any diamond with only the tiniest or no inclusions, that does not do it for those who want to play it safe or those who have a cultural bias for "perfection". It is okay with me, but my own background does not lead me into that arena of quality most of the time. I know it is important for some people, and I respect their choice. That is how one must treat their desire. But, for the vast majority of consumers, something down the scale in color and clarity makes the most sense.

Where does any individual draw the line? You should actually look at diamonds to determine which one is "for you". If you can't, then having someone else do this looking can work, or setting a safe parameter is all that is left. If you have seen I color stones that were okay and you want to buy a diamond safely without seeing it, you might well be advised to buy H or G to protect yourself from dissapoinment. If you can bear the search and examination process, then you will need to check several I colors to be sure that the one you are selecting faces-up like you'd want it to.

 

[Mara]

i think you should view the stone against white paper just to see what is there to be seen.




but realize that in a setting, you don't see any body color for the most part up until probably an I color. and even then who knows. no one wears their stone in a white paper setting....so on your hand it takes on a whole different meaning. also skin tone comes into play. i have darker skin and my stone appears even more white against it. but if you have pale skin with yellow undertones...who knows. i think the most important determination is now how the stone looks against white paper, but how it will be worn....and the truth of that is that color is heavily masked depending on setting and other factors when the diamond is worn alone.

 

[unc1]

Dave,

I found one of your comments really interesting:

"Diamonds that leak light look less colored that ones with high light return."

Perhaps it helps to explain the phenomenon I've been struggling with since I purchased my Ideal Cut H&A. The stone is gorgeous, with the most splendid sparkle I've seen in a diamond. The problem is that, while it looks really white in some lighting (direct sun, under flourescents), it looks very yellow/gold in others, especially under incandescents. I see the yellow color not only from the side/bottom but from the face-up position.

I was under the impression that the superior cut of the stone would make it look whiter. Is it instead the reason I am seeing more yellow than I would expect from a good H color stone?

Here are stats on the stone. Its ideal scope image showed virtually NO light leakage (only dark red and black) and perfect arrows.

1.62ct Round Brilliant H VS1 AGS0
7.64 x 7.66 x 4.64mm
Depth: 60.5%
Table: 56.7%
Pavilion Angle: 40.9
Crown Angle: 34.7
Culet: 0.9%
Girdle: 1.2-1.7%
Polish: Excellent
Symmetry: Excellent
Flourescence: None
HCA Score: 1.6

Thanks for the advice!

 

[caratgirl]

You know, Unc1, I must say, Dave's comment hit a note with me as well. My old stone is a J color, but cut fairly shallow, with a large table, and quite a bit of leakage under the table. However, I as well as many jewelers always thought it was an H or I color until I got it certified. Now I know the reason why it looks whiter than its grade!