Colour

Colour also has a major influence on the internal brilliance of the diamonds in engagement rings. Colour affects the transmission of light through the diamond. The best colour for a diamond - is no colour at all. That is to say, it should be totally colourless. Unfortunately many diamonds used in mass marketed engagement rings are not absolutely colourless due primarily to minute traces of nitrogen atoms that were trapped internally when the diamond crystal was formed. These nitrogen atoms absorb some of the violet and blue light that enters the stone and the diamond appears faintly yellow. In effect there is a loss of light within the stone resulting in less brilliance. The degree of colour in a diamond is graded internationally on the GIA Colour Scale from letters D - Z. On this scale, the more yellow the diamond, the lower the letter of the alphabet. Letters D and E represent the Finest White stones, F and G the Fine White stones, and H the White stones.