There are four qualities that must be considered when selecting a diamond. These qualities are commonly known as the Four C’s: Color, Cut, Clarity, and Carat Weight. These four characteristics and the interactions between them should be the primary determining factors when choosing a diamond. An understanding of these qualities will help the buyer choose a diamond that fits their personal taste, without completely cleaning out their pocketbook. The diamond’s color is an important aspect when choosing the diamond, but it is perhaps the most flexible of the Four C’s. Color in a diamond is not always a bad thing, and the far more expensive purely colorless diamonds are not necessarily the more beautiful – especially when personal taste comes into play.

Diamonds, despite their reputation, are not always entirely colorless. Of course, it is considered better for a diamond to be completely colorless, and it is the colorless, or white, diamonds that all other diamonds are compared to. The Gemological Institute of America has created a letter-based grading system for diamond color; only the purest colorless diamond obtain the vaunted “D” grade, while the strongly tinted diamonds are relegated to grades even as low as “Z.”

The exception is, of course, fancy colored diamonds. These particular diamonds have their very own grading system.

Despite the twenty-three color grades, diamonds are generally categorized into one of five categories.

Grades D, E, and F are the colorless diamonds, without even the slighted hint of color under magnified inspection. G through J are nearly colorless, with just the barest hint of tint found, undetectable to the human eye. K through M means that the diamond is faintly tinted. The tint is usually yellow, and is still almost completely indiscernible. N through R indicated a heavier tint, still yellow, and now it becomes visible to the naked eye. This level of color, however, can often be compensated for by the ring and setting themselves, making it still difficult to notice. Q through Z, however, means that the diamond is heavily colored, often approaching a brownish tint, and it’s still visible even when mounted.

There are, of course, other factors that affect diamond color. Some diamonds may change color in different light, there are some treatments that can be done to enhance color, and of course some settings will modify the diamond’s appearance.

In conclusion, while a diamond’s color is an important aspect of the diamond, it simply isn’t the most important. If one cannot afford a D through F diamond, one can still get a beautiful gemstone, perfect for the ring. With the proper setting, a tinted diamond will only be seen as such under the most careful scrutiny, and even the more heavily tinted stones can be fine, suitable gems. Some people even prefer the yellow tint for aesthetic reasons. It all really comes down to choosing the diamond you like; it is not inconceivable that one would prefer a diamond of poor color and clarity to the far more expensive stones, simply because one likes how they look.