Color Grade
Also called diamond color, d to z scale, colour grade
Color grade is the letter score that shows how little body color a white diamond has. The GIA scale starts at D, meaning colorless, and runs to Z, where a faint yellow or brown tint is easy to see. Fancy colored diamonds are graded on a separate system.
In other words, a letter that says how white the stone is, with D at the top and the tint getting warmer as you move down the alphabet.
How the scale groups up
Graders work in bands rather than treating every letter as a visible step. Neighbouring grades are hard to separate unless the stones are side by side and face down.
- D, E, F: colorless
- G, H, I, J: near colorless
- K, L, M: faint
- N through R: very light
- S through Z: light
Why the metal changes what you see
A J colour stone set in yellow gold reads warm and intentional. The same stone in platinum or white gold reads yellow against a cold background, which is why colour and metal choice have to be decided together.
This matters for us because every file comes back in rose, white, and yellow gold. If your stone is a warmer grade, tell us, and we will keep it consistent across all three metals instead of rendering an ice white stone in the yellow gold version and a warm one nowhere.
Questions about Color Grade
Why does the diamond colour scale start at D?
GIA started at D deliberately, to break with older systems that had already worn out A, B, and C. Starting fresh at D meant no one could claim their old grade was the same thing.
What colour grade should I buy for yellow gold?
G through J is common for yellow gold, since the warm metal masks a faint tint. Colorless grades are more often paired with white gold and platinum.