yellow diamonds?

[DapperDiamond]

Hi all, so came to discover over the weekend that my future (here''s hoping!) fiancee''s tastes happen to include yellow diamonds. So I''m a long way off from buying an engagement ring, but wanted to know if (deep) yellow diamonds are more sought after / pricier than their clear counterparts? And also anything else I should know before I buy one? I think I understand that diamonds that are yellow beyond a certain point (which are the kind I think she was eyeing) are not graded the same as more transparent diamonds. I know that clear diamonds are rated for color and clarity - what about yellows? Are the other factors the same - weight, cut, etc? Sorry if these aren''t good questions, I am a huge novice when it comes to the world of precious gems.

 

[kimikocat]

Date: 8/4/2008 2:27:13 PM
Author:DapperDiamond
Hi all, so came to discover over the weekend that my future (here''s hoping!) fiancee''s tastes happen to include yellow diamonds. So I''m a long way off from buying an engagement ring, but wanted to know if (deep) yellow diamonds are more sought after / pricier than their clear counterparts? And also anything else I should know before I buy one? I think I understand that diamonds that are yellow beyond a certain point (which are the kind I think she was eyeing) are not graded the same as more transparent diamonds. I know that clear diamonds are rated for color and clarity - what about yellows? Are the other factors the same - weight, cut, etc? Sorry if these aren''t good questions, I am a huge novice when it comes to the world of precious gems.

They are great questions! Don''t be shy. Ask lots of questions.

Yellow diamonds are graded on a scale from Light Yellow to Vivid Yellow, but the color grades are not as precise as the D-Z scale (for colorless diamonds). Also, different stones within the same grade (say, Fancy Intense Yellow) will manifest different colors. Colored diamonds may also have secondary colors (green, brown, orange), which will affect both the body color and the price point.

Spend some time educating yourself, and then spend lots of time looking at different cuts/color grades. If you''re not set on surprising your fiancee, you might want to take her with you while you shop, so she can show you which colors appeal to her.

For fancies, clarity is not as important as color. As far as I can tell, Fancy Light Yellows are about 3000/carat right now, Fancy Yellows are 4000 to 6000 (depending on a variety of factors) and so on.

You''ll find that most fancy colored diamonds are cushion, radiant, or occasionally oval and princess. Emeralds, rounds, and asschers are comparatively rare. I have seen an octagonal cut yellow. It was different! Certain cuts are better at retaining body color, a minus if you are searching for a colorless stone, but a plus if you want to make your diamond more pink, yellow, etc. Watch out for extra thick girdles, and watch out for dead zones, and poor cuts that retain weight at the expense of fire. In rectangular stones, be alert for "bow ties" (dark areas around the diamond''s "belly). You might also want to make sure that your stone is "even" (and not patchy) in color.

Do ask for a certificate to make sure that your stone is natural, not synthetic. There are synthetic yellows and blues on the market (and maybe other colors, I''m not sure). I''ve mostly seen GIA certificates. There are 2 kinds: the full GIA and the "color origin." A "color origin" only certificate does not plot the inclusions etc. in the stone. Such a cert usually indicates that the stone has a lower clarity rating (SI or lower), and may not be eyeclean.

OK, that was my brain dump. I hope some of it made sense, and I''m sure our lovely PSers will chime in with better advice! I am also searching for a yellow stone so I can commiserate. it''s not the easiest search, but the fancy colored stones are just so beautiful. To me, they look like little bits of sunshine... Delicious...

 

[dbsdiamonds]

Hi there,

Fancy color diamonds are gorgeous when the color distribution is equal throughout the diamond. In fancy yellow there are shade ratings, from fancy light, fancy, fancy intense, fancy vivid, fancy dark, etc...Fancy yellow with GIA grading is a true "tweety bird" type yellow and gorgeous enough for most yellowbird affectionados.

As you get "richer" in color from fancy the rarity kicks in and the pricing jumps. My advice would be to visit a Tiffany, or Cartier, or some high end rich folks shopping place and confirm that the diamond(s) in front of you are GIA certified so you have a foundation for comparison. Within say a fancy yellow category there are numerous shades of yellow color that qualify, but at least you''ll have confirmed if your taste is satisfied with the GIA rating in front of you. And you won''t have to hear the nonsense of a diamond being called a "fancy yellow" when it clearly is not, no different than seeing the typical "GH/SI" diamond at a retail store with no docs to support the grades and visible inclusions or shades of yellow that come with this nonsense.

There are numerous diamonds of color available, it''ll be simple to isolate your size, shape and quality from this point based off what you like and what his budget is. Images and pricing are available for those who search in the right places!

Marty
CEO/Pres
www.diamondsatcost.com

www.dbsdiamonds.com

 

[DapperDiamond]

Kimikocat / Marty,

Thanks very much to both of you for your very helpful posts. You both provided exactly the type of info I was hoping to receive. Thanks again!