what''s the lowest you''d go in terms of color?

[diamondsrock]

my round diamond ring''s an m and believe it or not 90% of the time it doesn''t bother me. I would probably never go completely colorless D-F. Cool colors look bad with my skin tone. I''m more of a warm color person. Olive undertones.
For an asscher though I wouldn''t go below I because I think they show more color but for a round brilliant up to an m is acceptable depending on the stone. I am starting to love the u-v colored light lemon yellow stones. They are really pretty!

 

[velveteenrabbit]

My e-ring from my first marriage was a beautiful I colored stone. It was an extremely well-cut RB and I loved way the diamond just glowed. I also have very warm undertones to my skin (if I compare my arm with my SO, I actually look yellow lol), so I think diamonds with a touch of color suit me better than D,E colored stones would.

My ideal color is probably range is probably F/G/H. I''ve got a gorgeous pair of G earrings. I can''t say I have a color cut off point, it would really depend on the stone. J maybe?

 

[strmrdr]

super-ideal rounds J
Asschers - H

unless they are blue or orange or maybe brown

 

[Dancing Fire]

i would be very happy to own a well cut G/H rb.

 

[Julian]

Hmmm... This is so tough!

For ideal cut stones, J would be my minimum color grade for a pendant or bracelet made up of smaller stones. Anything with smaller stones since the smaller the stone, the whiter they look.

For larger diamond earrings and rings, F is the lowest color grade I''ll go. Ditto on a bigger diamond pendant.

 

[Lynn B]

OK, here's my spiel... PS Regulars, just skip this post, you've read it all before dozens of time!

(In fact, it's probably in most of those threads linked to in that eariler post!!!)

Color in a diamond is not BAD... color just "is". Think about this... is fair, ivory skin BETTER/PRETTIER than bronzy, olive skin? Is brunette hair BETTER than blonde? Is GREEN better than BLUE??!! No, of course not... colors have their own beauty and one color cannot be judged against another.

In talking diamonds, color grading was/is done as just another part of classification, etc. It's also partly a marketing ($) ploy, in that D diamonds are promoted sometimes (even subtly) as being "the best", with the unspoken (or spoken) notion that anything lower than a "D" is second best (at best), or at least "inferior" to a "D".

My first diamond was an AGS-0, 1.53 G/VS (RB) because I was a newbie and I was nervous! Those specs were a warm and fuzzy safety/comfort zone for me, and yes, the diamond was fabulous. But after I got it, I continued to learn about diamonds (and Diamond Shrinkage Syndrome set in) and my next diamond (upgrade) was (is) another AGS-0, but this time it's a 2.36 J/SI2 (that is completely eye-clean, even under close scrutiny) and guess what? I ADORE IT!

Does it look like the G did? Actually, pretty darn similar, especially top down. (My DD and DH could tell no difference between the color of the stones when I had them both side-by-side. Both of them with 20/20 eagle eyes, BTW!) Does it look like a D? Probably not. Does that matter? Not to me. I love the rich colors and depth of fire in my J, and I ADORE the size (which was possible, within my budget, by choosing a "lower" color and clarity.) Some people want the crystal clear look of a "D", that's certainly fine! And they may be willing to compromise clarity or size to get it. Maybe they don't have to. But regardless, it's all personal choice -- and it's all good.

I think that most super-ideal cut RBs (in a J or even a K color) graded by a strict lab, may show some creamy "warmth", especially from the pav sides, but do not generally show "yellow". For me personally, I don't think I'd like a yellow tint in a diamond... yellow is just not a color I particularly care for or am drawn to. But lots of people LOVE yellow, in fact fancy diamonds are often yellow and they are very desirable!

So, in answer to your question... I love my J and I have no regrets. And I would even seriously consider thoughts of a killer well-cut K, graded by a reputable lab. Yeah, baby, yeah!