Color

Acting as a prism, a diamond can divide light into a spectrum of colors and reflect this light as
colorful flashes called fire. Just as when looking through colored glass, color in a diamond will
act as a filter, and will diminish the spectrum of color emitted. The less color in a diamond, the
more colorful the fire, and the better the color grade.

D: Absolutely colorless. The

highest color grade, which is
extremely rare.
E: Colorless. Only minute traces
of color can be detected by an
expert gemologist. A rare
diamond.
F: Colorless. Slight color detected
by an expert gemologist, but still
considered a "colorless" grade. A
high-quality diamond.
G-H: Near-colorless. Color
noticeable when compared to
diamonds of better grades, but
D E F G H I J K-M N-Z these grades offer excellent
value.
I-J: Near-colorless. Color slightly
detectable. An excellent value.
K-M: Not carried at
Blue Nile.
N-Z: Not carried at Blue Nile.

The color in diamonds graded K-Z

detracts from the beauty of a
diamond. It's especially noticeable
set in platinum or white gold.

Some people seek diamonds that produce this unique effect, while others definitely avoid it.
The visible effects of fluorescence grades of faint, inert, negligible, and medium, can only be
detected by a trained gemologist. A fluorescence grade of strong or very strong can make a
diamond with a near-colorless grade look even whiter yet in some instances give the diamond
a slight hazy or oily appearance. Diamonds with a strong or very strong fluorescence are
priced slightly lower than other diamonds.

For the purist, look for a colorless diamond with a grade of D-F and a fluorescence rating of
faint, inert, none, or negligible.

For an excellent value in a diamond with no noticeable color to the unaided eye, look for a
near-colorless grade of G-I, and a fluorescence grade of medium or strong blue.

Or, if you'd rather not compromise on color but would like to stay on budget, choose a
diamond with a good cut, SI1–SI2 clarity, and consider going with a strong fluorescence. It
will still be beautiful to the unaided eye and you may prefer the unique effect of a strong
fluorescence.
The table below compares the prices of diamonds with the same clarity grade (VS1) and carat
weight, but varying color grades.

Colorless Near-Colorless
D E F G H I J

Ideal $8,000 $7,600 $7,200 $6,800 $6,000 $5,200 $4,300

Very Good $7,500 $7,200 $6,900 $6,200 $5,600 $4,700 $4,200

Good $7,200 $6,800 $6,700 $6,000 $5,200 $4,600 $4,000

Fair $7,000 $6,700 $6,600 $5,200 $4,700 $4,200 $3,700

Clarity
Diamonds that are absolutely clear are the most sought-after and therefore the most
expensive. But many diamonds have inclusions — scratches, trace minerals or other tiny
characteristics that can detract from the pure beauty of the diamond. The GIA and AGSL use
a detailed system of rules and standards to summarize the number, location, size, and type of
inclusions present in a diamond.
FL, IF Diamonds: Flawless: No
internal or external flaws.
Internally Flawless: No internal
flaws. Very rare and beautiful
diamonds.
VVS1, VVS2 Diamonds: Very,
Very Slightly Included: Very
difficult to see inclusions under
10x magnification. An excellent
quality diamond.
VS1, VS2 Diamonds: Very
Slightly Included: Inclusions are
not typically visible to the
unaided eye. Less expensive
than the VVS1 or VVS2 grades.
SI1, SI2 Diamonds: Slightly
FL-IF VVS1-2 VS1-2 SI1-2 I1 I2-3 Included: Inclusions are visible
under 10x magnification, and
may be visible with the unaided
eye. A good diamond value.
I1, I2, I3 Diamonds: Included:
Blue Nile does not carry
diamonds of I-grade clarity.

We recommend that you select an "eye-clean" diamond — one that has no inclusions visible
to the unaided eye. An excellent value, diamonds of this clarity are much less expensive than
IF- or FL-grade diamonds and typically do not contain visible inclusions that detract from the
beauty of the diamond. If you're considering an SI grade diamond, call to speak to a diamond
and jewelry consultant who will review the diamond to ensure the inclusions are not visible
with the unaided eye. But, if you'd rather not compromise on clarity yet are budget conscious,
choose a diamond with a good cut and G or H color.

The table below compares the prices of diamonds with the same carat weight, Color, and cut
grades.

Clarity Description Price

Flawless
FL $7,500
No internal or external finish flaws.

Internally Flawless
IF $7,200
No internal flaws.

VVS1 Very very slightly included $6,900

VVS2 Very difficult to see inclusions under 10x magnification. $6,600
 Very slightly included
VS1 $6,100
Difficult to see inclusions under 10x magnification, typically
VS2 $5,600
unable to see inclusions with unaided eye.

Slightly included
SI1 $5,000
Easy to see inclusions under 10x magnification, may not be
SI2 $4,300
able to see inclusions with unaided eye.