Diamond ColourBut Aren't Diamonds Clear?
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Diamond colour is sometimes though to be an oxymoron because to most people they appear transparent....
but the colour of a common white diamond refers to the amount of “yellowness” that the diamond has. While typically you might think of white diamonds as being colourless, in fact, most have a yellow hue to them (due to nitrogen contamination). Diamond colour is graded on sliding scales. The GIA (Gemmological Institute of America) scale, ranging from D to Z, is the most common colour scale used in the UK. Some of the other gemmological laboratories have a different scale for diamond colour. This figure to the left illustrates the scales for the AGS (American Gemmological Institute) and GIA (Gemmological Institute of America).
The rule of thumb for diamond colour is: Clearer the diamond = More expensive |