A Guide to K Color Diamonds

We all know that a diamond is at its most impressive when it gives a sparkling, colorless appearance. The sparkle, and even the apparent color of a diamond, is primarily the result of cut quality. Diamonds that are optimized for light performance return more brightness to the eye, thus making them look whiter than average cut diamonds.

The GIA grades the color of diamonds on a graduating scale from D (colorless) right down to Z (light). If you have been doing your diamond research you will know that anything from D-F is considered ‘colorless’, while anything from G-J is ‘near colorless’.

But, what about K color diamonds? Falling just one grade short of the ‘near colorless’ category, it can be easy to dismiss these diamonds for fear of the faint tint that might be noticeable. However, if you choose wisely there can be some benefits when opting for K color diamonds. As mentioned before, precision cutting can help a K color appear near-colorless from the face up position because of an abundance of light return.

Diamonds are formed naturally deep in the earth’s mantle as the result of immense pressure and heat. During their formation, other trace minerals and particles can enter the diamond. These can sometimes present themselves as inclusions (dots of black carbon, for example), but they can also cause the presence of color within a diamond.

Some of these colors create rare, highly desirable diamonds, for example the presence of Boron creates blue diamonds. It is the presence of nitrogen atoms that create yellow tones in a diamond. When the color is extremely vivid, these diamonds are considered ‘fancy’ color diamonds, which are graded differently.

However, diamonds which contain very light-yellow hues (too light to be considered fancy) are graded on the normal scale. A K color diamond is at the top end of the GIA ‘faint’ category. You can learn more about Fancy Color Diamonds here.

In our experience, the consideration having the greatest influence on the diamond selection is your personal budget. There can be huge variance in an engagement ring or jewelry budget, but whatever you decide to spend, a precision cut diamond is a must. The jewel in your crown, it is the heart of your engagement ring bringing the precious rarity and beauty that only a diamond can give.

As you come down in grade categories, you will see the prices of the diamonds go down too. Using this approach to choose your diamonds and find the price that works for you requires a little understanding of what to look for in a diamond. Striking a balance between budget and beauty requires a thorough look at the diamond (and an understanding of what to look for).

We understand the importance of this decision, which is why we provide high-res images and HD 360 videos of our diamonds. These magnified images allow you a detailed look at the diamond, without the need for a jewelers loupe. Furthermore, our additional light performance reports (Sarine reports, Ideal-Scope, Hearts and Arrows imaging, ASET imaging) give you an in-depth look at how well the diamond will handle light.

Another factor is taste. Although there is a premium for cool, colorless diamonds, there are many people who enjoy the warm undertones that can be seen in a K color diamond. These warm tones will significantly bring the price down, and set in romantic rose gold or glittering yellow gold, the subtle hue can actually bring a unique and desirable appearance to an engagement ring. This gorgeous yellow gold engagement ring setting by Tacori is warm and detailed and would look excellent set with a well cut, high clarity, K-color diamond.

Whether its budget driven or matters of taste, choosing a K color diamond requires one to be ultra-selective with the other four C’s. The most important choice you make will be the cut quality of the diamond. Our precision cut diamond diamonds are crafted to the most exacting parameters; this ensures that every facet is working to its full potential, unleashing fire and brilliance from within the diamond. This level of sparkle is essential in a K color diamond and will allow its brilliance to be the primary visual, while the warm subtlety of its body color is a secondary impression.

This K-VS2 round brilliant is an excellent example of how stunning these diamonds can be, and would look beautiful in a rose or yellow gold setting.

Our A CUT ABOVE® Diamonds are the best way to shop for a K color diamond. Our specifications are some of the most stringent which result in super ideal diamonds that perform beautifully. The beauty of this level of cut quality impacts not only the sparkle but also its face-up color. A K color can also be a great ‘starter’ diamond, enabling a shopper to get a larger stone at the outset than would otherwise be possible. With our enormously popular 100% Lifetime Trade-Up Benefit included with the purchase, any of the 4 c’s can be upgraded at any time in the future!

Whatever your reasons for choosing a K color diamond, be sure to take full advantage of our exceptional HD imaging and performance reports (which are provided as standard on all of our diamonds). Use your eyes and your diamond knowledge to find the diamond of your dreams, and contact us anytime for some extra guidance. Below are some reviews of our K color diamonds from customers: