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QUALITY FACTORS FOR FANCY COLOR DIAMONDS
GIA’s color grading system is an internationally recognized standard for evaluating diamond color. While colorless diamonds are graded on the traditional D-to-Z scale, natural fancy color diamonds are assessed using a separate system in which the color itself and its intensity are the defining factors.
Color is one of the most distinctive characteristics of a natural fancy color diamond. From subtle hues to highly saturated and vivid colors, the variations can be significant and have a considerable influence on a diamond’s appearance, rarity and value.
GIA performs color grading under carefully controlled conditions, and the result is stated as the diamond’s official color grade on the GIA report.
THE COLOR
GIA uses a range of color grades to describe the strength and character of color in natural fancy color diamonds.
The following color grades are used
Faint
Very Light
Light
Fancy Light
Fancy
Fancy Intense
Fancy Vivid
Fancy Dark
Fancy Deep
Fancy Light and Fancy describe clearly visible color, while Fancy Intense and Fancy Vivid are characterized by a higher level of saturation and a particularly vivid appearance. Fancy Deep and Fancy Dark describe diamonds with a deeper or darker color appearance.
Fancy Intense and Fancy Vivid are among the most sought-after color grades, particularly when the color also appears pure and vivid.
SAME COLOR GRADE - DIFFERENT COLOR APPEARANCE
Even when two natural fancy color diamonds share the same GIA color grade, their color can appear noticeably different. There is a natural visual range within each color grade, meaning one diamond may appear more intense, lighter or darker than another.
The diamonds below are both graded Fancy Intense Blue, yet they display clearly different shades of blue. This illustrates why a natural fancy color diamond should not be evaluated solely by the color grade stated on the GIA report, but also by its actual visual appearance.
THE CUT
Size and shape are two aspects of a diamond’s cut that can influence its color. The larger the diamond, or the deeper its pavilion, the longer light can travel through the stone. This can often result in a richer and more intense color appearance.
The cutting style itself can also affect how the color is perceived. Diamond cutters have found that certain cuts, particularly mixed cuts such as the Radiant Cut, can enhance the yellow color in diamonds positioned toward the lower end of the D-Z color scale.
When carefully cut as a Radiant Cut, many diamonds with a yellowish tint - historically referred to as “cape” in the diamond trade - can appear Fancy Yellow when viewed face-up. This enhancement of perceived color can increase the diamond’s price per carat.
Another advantage of the Radiant Cut is that it typically retains more weight from the rough diamond compared with a traditional Round Brilliant cut.
THE CLARITY
In natural fancy color diamonds, color is the most important value factor, and clarity therefore often plays a less decisive role than it does in colorless diamonds. Even diamonds with visible inclusions and lower clarity grades can be both rare and highly desirable if they display an attractive and intense color.
Clarity still matters, however. Inclusions that affect a diamond’s durability or structural integrity can significantly reduce its value. Natural fancy color diamonds may also display color graining, where internal color structures or growth lines are visible within the diamond and form part of the clarity evaluation.
When assessing a natural fancy color diamond, clarity should therefore always be considered together with the diamond’s color, visual appearance and overall quality.
COLOR GRADING OF PINK DIAMONDS
The illustration shows the different color grades that can occur in natural pink diamonds. As the intensity and saturation of the color change, the diamond can display a more or less pronounced color appearance.
