Would You Go For A Low Color Diamond?

[kenny]

Here's a link to your User Guide:

http://gdlp01.c-wss.com/gds/6/0900001226/01/PSA640_630CUGad-EN.pdf

On page 58 it tells you how to adjust the white balance, which Canon apparently calls "tone".

Go to the above link and start reading on page 58.



ETA: Oh Oh Oh this is great.
Page 59 & 60 has WOOOOOOOOOONDERFUL suggestion - Custom White Balance.
Point your camera at a white piece of paper in whatever light source you are about to use is the BEST way to perfectly set white balance for any light source.
All those preset settings may not perfectly match the actual light (sunlight itself varies greatly in hue thoroughout the day.)
This process should result in perfect white balance every time.
It is how the pros do it.



Also remember to NOT mix light sources such as a table lamp and a sunny window.

 

[jstarfireb]

I'm not very color-sensitive, so I took advantage of this by buying an I for my engagement ring and a J for a pendant. But I started to see a slight tint in the J that did bother me at times. So unless it was a fancy color, I wouldn't go below J for a white diamond. If you're trying to bring out a color like yellow, brown, pink, blue, etc., that's a whole different story.

 

[Farleysmom]

Here's a link to your User Guide:

http://gdlp01.c-wss.com/gds/6/0900001226/01/PSA640_630CUGad-EN.pdf

On page 58 it tells you how to adjust the white balance, which Canon apparently calls "tone".

Go to the above link and start reading on page 58.



ETA: Oh Oh Oh this is great.
Page 59 & 60 has WOOOOOOOOOONDERFUL suggestion - Custom White Balance.
Point your camera at a white piece of paper in whatever light source you are about to use is the BEST way to perfectly set white balance for any light source.
All those preset settings may not perfectly match the actual light (sunlight itself varies greatly in hue thoroughout the day.)
This process should result in perfect white balance every time.
It is how the pros do it.



Also remember to NOT mix light sources such as a table lamp amd a sunny window.

Kenny....THANK YOU! You are the best! Tomorrow I'll practice outside. I'm glad I posted those crappy photos -- just look what I learned. Yippee!!! Hopefully, this will also help others. Again, thank you.

 

[kenny]

Delighted to help.
I'm obsessed with photography AND diamonds.

 

[Haven]

I am loving these photography tips! Thank you, Kenny.

 

[Winks_Elf]

I like the personality a well-cut diamond takes on with a bit of warmth, so I typically look for diamonds in the H-M range.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Yes, in a RHR or for earrings especially in a OEC or cushion; but not my color preference for an ER.

cheers--Sharon

 

[D&T]

I probably wouldn't go lower than a J or K in Modern Brilliant cut, I have had an S-T color modern brilliant on for about a few months and did not find that I like that color in modern brilliant ROUND diamond. I have seen light fancy yellow EC and loved it! I would choose a much lower color in Antique cuts. I do feel more drawn to lower color overall even at the Jewelers when given a few options.

 

[ZahraLeyla]

I ended up purchasing an O/P OMC, but that was after trying lots of diamonds on and realizing that higher colours just don't suit my skin tone. I am very fair, but have olive undertones, and the higher colours looked too stark (and almost blue) against my skin. It was only after discovering the magic of older cuts that I decided that I wanted an antique cut stone in a low color. There's something so romantic about them, especially the way that they reflect a rainbow of pastel colours. My personal preference is for older cuts in lower colours, because I haven't seen a modern RB in a lower colour that I've liked (but I live in Australia, and we have far fewer choices over here).

The other bonus of going for a lower colour is being able to purchase a larger stone. Mine is 4.09ct, which is ridiculous really. I never expected to have a stone so large, but I'm truly grateful that I discovered PriceScope which opened up my eyes to the possibility of older cuts and lower colours.

 

[KaeKae]

Great question, but I'm thinking a bit subjective. You see, I'm the proud wearer of a K color ering. We didn't shop for our stone, it had been given to DH years before we met, by his grandmother. I guess I got lucky, in that I'm not color sensitive, and the stone must be fairly well cut, it sparkles beautifully, and at SI1, is perfectly eye-clean. Although I know it's not colorless, I honestly never notice any color, so I don't think of it as low colored, though I'm pretty sure that's the mindset here on PS. (And, I'm okay with that, I also think the mindset is that we all have a different standard when it comes to color and clarity.)

Before getting engaged, I had an H I1 pendant, then recieved F VS2 RB earrings and inherited an G SI2 RB transitional and an H SI2 EOC/OMC. If it wasn't for PS, I wouldnt know there was a difference. Really, I'm not stupid, and knowing what I now know, I can sometimes see subtle differences, but lucky for me, I have to think about it to see it. Also, lucky for me, I'm sentimentally attached to each and every piece I own, so I wouldn't trade any of them for the most perfect stone out there!

But, in the spirit of the thread, given the opportunity, I'd love to go for a very low color diamond. Ever since seeing Amethyst's Lemony pear, I've secretly wished for one of my own. A pear/marquise/or something else other than round (which I already own) in the WXYZ range would be a dream come true for me. Maybe some day!

 

[Gypsy]

Depends on what I wanted to do with it. And what the cut was. I do own an old cut that is uncertified and might be lower than J easily. It's beautiful.

 

[Phoenix]

It's really interesting that quite a few PS'ers have commented that lower coloured diamods look good on people with olive-tone skin, whereas D-E-F tend to look too stark. I've always thought of myself as being fair skinned with olive-undertone but now am re-thinking this. Perhaps I have too much yellow (i'm Asian). I find that *all* shades (not just diamonds, but clothes and pearls as well) of yellow (light yellow, dark yellow, candle light) make my skin even more sallow.

Even though I have J earrings (which being super-ideal cut, face up very white, v brilliant and firey) which I love, I steer clear of anything below J in other jewellery, say rings or bracelets. I find that higher coloured diamonds look best on me. Alas, my purse does not agree with me!

ETA: I do absolutely adore fancy yellows, esp intense yellow diamonds, though I have no idea yet how such a diamond would look on me. All I know is what I've seen in the stores, at exhibitions etc and I think they're so divine!

 

[yssie]

I ended up purchasing an O/P OMC, but that was after trying lots of diamonds on and realizing that higher colours just don't suit my skin tone. I am very fair, but have olive undertones, and the higher colours looked too stark (and almost blue) against my skin. It was only after discovering the magic of older cuts that I decided that I wanted an antique cut stone in a low color. There's something so romantic about them, especially the way that they reflect a rainbow of pastel colours. My personal preference is for older cuts in lower colours, because I haven't seen a modern RB in a lower colour that I've liked (but I live in Australia, and we have far fewer choices over here).

The other bonus of going for a lower colour is being able to purchase a larger stone. Mine is 4.09ct, which is ridiculous really. I never expected to have a stone so large, but I'm truly grateful that I discovered PriceScope which opened up my eyes to the possibility of older cuts and lower colours.

You have put into words precisely why my objectively very lovely 3/4ct E fantastically cut RB is sitting in my jewellery box unset and largely unloved!

It looks beautiful on paper, and on a sheet of paper, a glistening and twinkling bit of ice... but resting between my fingers, or wedged into an empty setting.. it *interests* me, as a curio - I like watching for differences between it and my lower coloured stones in different lights, but I don't *like* it, and I certainly don't long for an Ering stone of the same colour or anything like that. It's too white, too stark, too BLUEish. I guess I've become so used to seeing the warmer Is and Js beside my skin that now anything whiter on me just looks - disagreeably devoid of charm and personality, to me.

Which is very odd to realise, since I remember when I first started learning about diamonds I was dead set on a colourless VS stone in an icy white metal, and was quite convinced that there was nothing I'd ever like better So much for being trendy!

I have medium brown skin.

ETA: I will say that my creamy-all-over ring did not complement very pale best friend's hand at all. She's caucasian, pinky/purply undertones, and the yellow made her skin look sallow, for lack of better description. The E looks fantastic on her hand though

 

[Bella_mezzo]

In an old cut diamond 100% I prefer lower colors, but it deos depend on the diamond and if the lower color trends to brown, pink, yellow, grey, etc...

I have a K BGD signature ideal in a pendant and love it. It is creamier than my F whiteflash ideal earrings, but it doesn't bother me on the neck at all

For a ring, in a large ct weight like you are considering, it would really depend diamond to diamond for me. But across the board in old cuts I pretty universally prefer a little more color (L-O is my sweet spot for OEC and OMC) as long as it's not too brown or brownish yellow. If it's a pink or greyish blue undertone

 

[FancyDiamond]

Thank you all who have voted and provided helpful comments. Before, I felt uneasy (more like worried) purchsing a low color diamond, mainly because the general perception is that low color means "unworthy". Now, after finding out about the popularity of low color vintage cut, I feel much better (actually relieved) about my purchase. Indeed, as many of you have pointed out, the random, off-angle facets that reflect different rainbow lights make the low color diamond attractive and interesting. Best of all, I get a good size with great optics within my budget.

 

[Lula]

I love lower color diamonds, and owned a beautiful 1 carat M color stone. However, as a person with a pinkish skintone, the lower colors do not look good on me

I do agree that lower color stones really need the right setting to show them off. And with the right setting, I'm thinking maybe I could get away with an M or lower stone as a RHR, but not as an everyday ring, like an e-ring.

 

[Winks_Elf]

I love lower color diamonds, and owned a beautiful 1 carat M color stone. However, as a person with a pinkish skintone, the lower colors do not look good on me
.

Awe, that's a shame. I have a lot of pink in my skintone, and think the "better colors" look too glaring on me.

 

[roppongi]

First of all Farley....In the second round of pictures that you posted, I see no tint whatsoever in your 3 stone or solitaire. They look beautifully white to me. Which makes me truly think I could go lower and not be consumed by it. My jeweler....not so much.

FancyDiamond, although I am not color sensitive, my jeweler has known me for over 14 years and really knows my preference for icy white stones. I truly was all set to pull the trigger on an I/VS2 color 4 carat rbc (i looked at this stone three times in every possible setting, I couldn't detect a tint)...at the end of the day, my jeweler wouldn't sell it to me. She told me that my 3 carat was a much better stone with regard to color and cut and she would prefer that I hold out. Well, diamond prices keep going up and up and I am not optimistic that I am going to get what I want in the 4 carat range.

Maybe I will change the setting down the road, maybe I will find another piece that blows me away...but for right now I am keeping my F/SI1.

This is not a purchase that you should rush into. Have fun and try on a lot of rings in varying colors.

 

[that_someone_special]

I really reaaaaally want one with low color... like S T U V....

 

[FancyDiamond]

FancyDiamond, although I am not color sensitive, my jeweler has known me for over 14 years and really knows my preference for icy white stones. I truly was all set to pull the trigger on an I/VS2 color 4 carat rbc (i looked at this stone three times in every possible setting, I couldn't detect a tint)...at the end of the day, my jeweler wouldn't sell it to me. She told me that my 3 carat was a much better stone with regard to color and cut and she would prefer that I hold out. Well, diamond prices keep going up and up and I am not optimistic that I am going to get what I want in the 4 carat range.

Maybe I will change the setting down the road, maybe I will find another piece that blows me away...but for right now I am keeping my F/SI1.

This is not a purchase that you should rush into. Have fun and try on a lot of rings in varying colors.

roppong, I apperciate very much your encouragement about not rushing into a big purchase. Now, after having recently bought my fun, 4ct cushion, I guess I can "afford" to be patient about the hunt for an upgrade ER stone. I may not even upgrade depending how I feel wearing the new fun ring. As is, my 3-stone, ACA center is good enough for me, although one may argue that the center stone could be bigger. Your 3-stone ring, larger and whiter, is more than enough for me or anyone, so it would be a pity to give it up. Therefore, it is a good thing that you decide to keep it. Not sure about changing your setting though, as the setting is already perfect and I do not see any other setting that can exceed it. Perhaps you would also consider a SECOND, fun diamond ring?

 

[Black Jade]

Is it for you or for someone else?
I wouldn't risk it for someone else, but if its for you you can look at examples and see if they bother you or if you love them.
I would be careful though to see them in person rather than just on the internet. I appreciate that people take good photos (I certainly think Kenny is an expert here) but you need to be aware that your screen and resolution and so on make a difference and you might not think it was the same in real life. So I'd also make sure of a good return policy.
Also, do you wnat to set your lower color in white metal or gold? There are threads on here showing the different looks of the metal witha lower colored stone. A yg setting can really minimize color down through, I'd say, an M. But if you want to celebrate the diamond's warmness you might want white metal.
Also, people can have different ideas about rings for different purposes. When I got a solitaire for an anniversary present a few years back, I'm really glad i got a high color, F and set it in platinum even though the stone was smaller by pricescope standards (.66--ideal cut AGS000). However when I got a fun ring recently, I didn't mind going to I--and it was an EGL graded I so probably lower. To be honest, I would not have wanted the I for an engagement ring, though. I can't explain this but it is how I feel. It is a beautiful stone and much bigger than the F--but I still would wnat the F for a significant sentimental ring, not the I.

 

[chief44444]

Jsstar did you ever get bothered by anyhting in the I ering?? I'm considering one, and am worried it will be too colored. Thanks!

I'm not very color-sensitive, so I took advantage of this by buying an I for my engagement ring and a J for a pendant. But I started to see a slight tint in the J that did bother me at times. So unless it was a fancy color, I wouldn't go below J for a white diamond. If you're trying to bring out a color like yellow, brown, pink, blue, etc., that's a whole different story.

 

[FancyDiamond]

Is it for you or for someone else?
I wouldn't risk it for someone else, but if its for you you can look at examples and see if they bother you or if you love them.
I would be careful though to see them in person rather than just on the internet. I appreciate that people take good photos (I certainly think Kenny is an expert here) but you need to be aware that your screen and resolution and so on make a difference and you might not think it was the same in real life. So I'd also make sure of a good return policy.
Also, do you wnat to set your lower color in white metal or gold? There are threads on here showing the different looks of the metal witha lower colored stone. A yg setting can really minimize color down through, I'd say, an M. But if you want to celebrate the diamond's warmness you might want white metal.
Also, people can have different ideas about rings for different purposes. When I got a solitaire for an anniversary present a few years back, I'm really glad i got a high color, F and set it in platinum even though the stone was smaller by pricescope standards (.66--ideal cut AGS000). However when I got a fun ring recently, I didn't mind going to I--and it was an EGL graded I so probably lower. To be honest, I would not have wanted the I for an engagement ring, though. I can't explain this but it is how I feel. It is a beautiful stone and much bigger than the F--but I still would wnat the F for a significant sentimental ring, not the I.

It is for me.
I know exactly what you are saying about wanting a high color diamond for ER. For me, I prefer ideal round for ER, and like most PSers, I prefer "higher" color for RB. The first time I saw my I color pear (in pendant) against my "higher" color rounds, I knew that I would not go lower than I for the next RB purchase. My consideration of a low (very low) color diamond is accidental. I was initially checking out near fancy yellow stones. When I saw the low color vintage cushions, I was impressed. Somehow, the low color does not show or matter for this kind of cut. It has to do with the random facet planes of the vintage cushion cut, as they reflect multiple raindow colors in various, random directions. The sparkling rainbow colors are very intriguing and they take attention away from the low color.
In summary, while I insist on a "high" color, ideal round for ER, I love to own a low color, ideal cut, vintage cushion, especially if it is LARGE.

 

[Chicago Girl]

I'm very clearly in the minority here but I am very color sensitive and would not want anything out of the colorless range for myself.