What''s the best way to figure out color sensitivity?

[peonygirl]

Looking at loose diamonds I can definitely see the difference between a D and a G, but I''m not sure if I would be able to discern the difference with set diamonds. At what point are most people color sensitive?

I know a lot of people recommend going no higher on clarity than SI1 if the stone is eyeclean, but I wonder what the cut point would be for color. Should I just try to compare a lot of set stones side-by-side to figure out where I stand?

 

[MissAva]

You need to compare apples to apples, so I would look at ideal cuts only and try and find the same clarity as well. I would look at them unmounted and then in a ring placeholder. HTH.
PS This is what I did, I found that I could easily discern color grades but without being told what color was what tended to learn towards the warmer colors.

 

[windowshopper]

there is sommeone on pricescope who really knows her stuff...has a three carat J maybe (fire goddess or fireandice maybe).............and she says that G and up are almost impossible to notice when set

 

[peonygirl]

Virginia, I did end up choosing round! Yay!

 

[FireGoddess]

Well I wish I had a 3 carat stone of almost any color!!!!

But I do think that G and above are hard to discern when set. I went to the jeweler''s and she had an H colored pear in a platinum setting - I could instantly see a hint, teeny hint of color, especially when I held it up next to my D colored pear. But D/E/F/G...all look pretty colorless to me when set!

 

[Whitefoot]

leads me to the questiong "colorless" to me that means no color.. so why D,E,F? I mean that seems a bit silly to me. A Marketing scheem made up years ago? I can see G,H,I are near colorless, but can have diffrent grades of near colorless, but when you say something has no color, how can it be graded? It either has color or it does not, And if it has color, even so very tiny, then its not colorless and its near colorless.. Help me understand!

 

[aljdewey]

I think the best way to determine what works for you is to compare like-cut diamonds (well-cut, same shape) diamonds in the face-up position.

I realize that diamonds are graded face down on white paper....and that''s fine. It has its place, and its place there is to determine color for pricing purposes.

BUT......what most wearers are about is what diamonds look like mounted and face-up. That''s how they will be seen once purchased.

It sounds like you''re selecting a well-cut round stone. I''d ask the vendor to show you stones of several colors without telling you which is which. They should all be 1) well-cut, 2) same shape, and 3) all about the same size. Ask him to put them in temporary holders. Then, you should look at them in various lighting conditions (daylight, fluorescent, etc) and eliminate those stones you don''t prefer. You''ll find your color tolerance this way.

 

[FireGoddess]

Most of the time consumers are not going to be examining stones under the same conditions that graders are. The colorless category of stones (DEF) appear colorless but clearly F has a little more color than E has a little more color than D. Most people will not be able to discern the difference under every-day conditions, and the stones appear colorless.

There may be better grading charts out there, but this is the only one I''ve got saved...

 

[LadyluvsLuxury]

I''ll take one of each please!

 

[SeaOats]

Anything G and up are not going to be noticeable at all IMO.