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4Cs |
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The most important thing to know about color when it comes to diamonds
is, in general, the less color a diamond has, the more valuable it
is, all other factors being equal. Diamonds are found in nature in
a wide range of colors, from completely colorless (the most desirable
trait) to slightly yellow, to brown. What are known as fancy color diamonds
come in more intense colors, like yellow and blue, but these are not
graded on the same scale
The color grading system for diamonds uses the letters of the alphabet
from D through Z, with ‘D’ being the most colorless and therefore
the rarest and most valuable, and ‘Z’ having the most color within
the normal range, and being the least valuable, all other factors
being equal. A diamond’s color is determined by looking at it under
controlled lighting and comparing them to the Gemological Institute
of America’s color scale, which is based on a set of diamonds of known
color. Here is a diagram showing how a diamond’s color is graded:
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