Yellow Diamonds
Yellow diamonds are a natural color variant of the white or colorless diamond. They come in a wide range of shades from a pale, light yellow to a rich canary color. Natural colored diamonds are mined out of the earth with these color variations, but diamonds can also be treated to change the color. Be aware, when buying diamonds, that the naturally colored ones are more valuable than the treated.
Unlike white diamonds which become more valuable with the less color they have, yellow diamonds become more valuable with the more color they have.
The lighter shades are worth less than the darker shades. Other than that, colored diamonds are graded by the same methods used to grade colorless diamonds.
Cut refers to the facets that are cut into the stone from which light is reflected (not the shape of the stone). There is actually a mathematical formula that jewelers can follow to insure the diamond is cut to show the maximum brilliance of the stone. Several grades of cut affect the value for yellow diamonds, although all but the very worst cut appear the same to the naked eye. The cuts, in order of value are: Ideal, Premium, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor.
Clarity. This refers to the blemishes or imperfections in the stone. These can be cracks, bubbles, non diamond minerals in the stone, chips, scratches and pits. A flawless diamond has none but most diamonds have some flaws. As with everything, there is a grading system for clarity to be considered with buying yellow diamonds.
F - Flawless, very rare and expensive
IF - Internally Flawless - no cracks, bubbles or non diamond minerals but there may be some scratches or chips - also very rare and expensive!
VVS1-VVS2- Very Very Slightly included - only minor inclusions
VS1-VS2- Very Slightly included - only minor inclusions but a few more than the grade above
SI1-SI2 - Slightly included - slight inclusions a bit more than the grade above
I1-I2-I3 - Included - a very poor quality diamond.
Color is an important aspect to consider when buying yellow diamonds. In a colored diamond, the more color, the higher the value.
Carat weight or size is the final criteria for value. Typically, the bigger the diamond the more it costs, however a large stone that has a poor cut and clarity can be less expensive that a small stone that rates excellent in the other areas.
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