C O L O R

The most valuable color is no color or very intense color (i.e., fancy yellow). A totally colorless diamond allows white light to pass effortlessly through it and be dispersed as lovely rainbows of color. The grading of color is expressed with a letter, such as D, representing the best and most transparent.

      C O L O R   S C A L E
 D, E, F
      Colorless (collection)

  G, H, I, J
      Near Colorless (white)

  J, K, L, M
      Faint Yellow (top silver)

  N, O, P, Q, R
      Very Light Yellow

  S through Y
      Light Yellow

  Z
      Fancy Yellow

F, IF 
Flawless/Internally Flawless
Free from internal blemishes under 10x magnification

V VS1, V VS2
Very, Very Slightly Included
Inclusions and/or external blemishes very difficult to locate under 10x magnification

VS1, VS2
Very Slightly Included
Inclusions and external blemishes difficult to locate under 10x magnification

SI1,SI2
Slightly Included
Inclusions and external blemishes easy to locate under 10x magnification

I1, I2 ∓mp; I3
Imperfect
Inclusions and external blemishes visible to the naked eye.

AGS  = American Gemological Society

GIA  = Gemological Institute of America

EGLcert = European Gemmological Laboratories

IGIcert = International Gemological Institute