How are colors graded in natural fancy colored diamonds?
Natural fancy colored diamonds are grades in 2 ways: “hue” and “intensity.” “Hue” is the basic color of the diamond, yellow, blue, green etc. “Intensity” is the degree to which the color is present. The more intense the color, the rarer and more expensive the diamond. GIA uses nine categories for color grades • Faint • Very Light • Light • Fancy Light • Fancy • Fancy Dark • Fancy Intense • Fancy Deep • Fancy Vivid What about clarity in natural fancy colored diamonds? Clarity is not as important a factor in natural fancy colored diamonds as in white or colorless diamonds. In fact, many color grading certificates only grade the color of the diamond and not the clarity. Many times feathers or small crystal inclusions appear the same color as the diamond and don’t diminish the coloring of the diamond. In some circumstances they may create the appearance of more brilliance. As long as the diamond is considered “eye clean” to an untrained eye clarity is not as crucial. However, fancy colored
