A Buyer's Guide to G Color Diamonds

Sitting atop the “near colorless” range (GHIJ) in the diamond color grading scale is the G Color Diamond. It represents an extremely popular choice for diamond shoppers today because it is very white without the price premium associated with colorless diamonds (DEF).

Some compromise is almost always made amongst the diamond 4C’s. Ultimately, it is a personal decision of every shopper as to which compromises are the right ones. Exceedingly few consumers buy D Flawless Ideal Cut diamonds, and the ones that do almost always have some limits in terms of carat weight and total budget. Of course the biggest and best diamonds always somehow find a buyer, but we are talking real world here!

In the real world shoppers are looking for beauty and value. In natural diamonds, rarity is an important component of price. Small differences in color and clarity grades at the top of the scale can result in significant differences in price. Yet, many of these differences have little or no effect on the diamond’s visual appearance. Even under clinical conditions comparing two loose diamonds side by side in daylight equivalent lighting, the differences in body color between grades is so nuanced that most people cannot make distinctions. Therefore, G color diamonds are those that are essentially colorless in practice, yet do not come with the price tag associated with diamonds in the DEF range. And that can mean substantial savings without sacrificing beauty, which is precisely why so many smart shoppers find a G Color diamond to be of outstanding value.

Any meaningful discussion of diamond color assumes that it has been graded at a respected gemological laboratory such as the GIA, AGSL or IGI. Accuracy and consistency in diamond color grading is achieved only by ethical grading in highly controlled conditions using carefully vetted master stones. It is also important to understand that diamond beauty and the perception of color in a diamond can be impacted significantly by the diamond’s cut quality. Ideal cut diamonds with good clarity display optimal light performance resulting in the maximum quantity and quality of light returning to the eye. This of course means maximum fire, brilliance and diamond sparkle. In addition, the return of ambient light coming from all areas of the crown of the diamond tends to make the diamond look whiter. G color diamonds with ideal cutting effectively look like a colorless diamonds when viewed in the face up position.

G color is a great choice for some cost savings vs equivalent diamonds in the colorless grades. But how does G compare to other grades in the near colorless range that also do not appear yellow in normal viewing? H is in the middle of the near colorless range, and it is where some body color starts to be visible to some consumers who have high color acuity. This capability is highly variable from person to person, and many people are not put off by it even if they are aware that the stone is not perfectly colorless. Body color at this level is very difficult (impossible for most people) to detect from the face up directly in a precision cut diamond. The diamond is beaming so much ambient light back to the eye that small amounts of body color are well camouflaged. If body color in an H can be detected, it is usually through the side view of the diamond, such as in a simple four prong setting with the diamond set relatively high. All things being equal there is not as much cost savings in dropping from a G to an H color, as there is from dropping to G color from the colorless range.

Customers looking for G Colored diamonds have a good chance of getting great value for their diamond buying dollar. That is, provided they choose a diamond with good clarity and most importantly, top quality cutting.

In addition to being less expensive than colorless diamonds, G color laboratory grown diamonds are a new and affordable option for some diamond shoppers. Relatively new on the market in significant quantities, lab diamonds are real diamonds with essentially the same physical and optical properties as natural. Therefore, if properly cut, they have the potential to have just as much fire and brilliance as natural diamonds, together with the durability of the hardest known substance.

Because rarity does not drive pricing in lab diamonds to the same extent as it does in natural, there is little reason to compromise in quality when shopping for lab diamonds. Clean, high color lab diamonds have steadily become more affordable and available. Of course quality is still very important and laboratory grown diamonds have some unique quality issues that shoppers should be aware of. You can learn what to look out for in this guide to lab diamonds.

For shoppers looking for ‘the best of the best’ in lab diamonds and determined to avoid any pitfalls, Whiteflash offers top quality, carefully evaluated and certified diamonds in our Precision Lab brand. These diamonds feature G color and above, and VS1 and above clarity. In addition to screening for known issues, these diamonds are cut to the highest standards in the industry to produce optimal light performance, including Ideal cut Hearts and Arrows lab diamonds.