Your Buying Guide for Yellow Diamonds

Your Buying Guide for Yellow Diamonds

Of course, you want a yellow diamond—for yourself, for a loved one. A yellow diamond has a phenomenal ability to reflect light, and that makes it more sparkling, more brilliant. The color alone makes us happy. Yellow instills feelings of joy and optimism. (And who can’t use that today?) In the language of spiritual energy, yellow is the color of freshness, honor, loyalty and enlightenment. It also is the color that most captures attention. The next time you enter a party of colorfully dressed guests notice that the one dressed in yellow catches the eye. And so will your yellow diamond.

We developed this guide to familiarize you with yellow diamonds. Granted, many of the points we cover apply to all diamonds, but it’s important to know how yellow diamonds differ from white or other colored diamonds before you start shopping. You want to know what you are looking for and what you are looking at. You’ll better understand what the jeweler is saying. That’s certainly an advantage for you, but it’s also easier for jewelers when a potential customer has at least a rudimentary knowledge of the industry. So, speaking of “rudimentary,” let’s start at the very beginning—in the belly of the earth. 

Where and How Do Yellow Diamonds Originate?

Like all diamonds, yellow diamonds originate at least 90 miles beneath the earth’s surface. There, crystals of pure carbon are formed and subjected to intense heat (approximately 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit) and extreme pressure (more than 725,000 pounds per square inch) for millions, more likely billions, of years, resulting in diamonds—magnificent crystals with a natural shine, high penetration of light and extraordinary strength.

Colored diamonds occur due to impurities that interfere during the formation process. In the case of yellow diamonds, it is nitrogen molecules that alter the carbon crystals so that blue light is absorbed, leaving its complementary color, yellow.

Do not confuse “impurities” here with something bad or harmful; yellow diamonds are not mistakes of nature—no more than sunlight, daffodils or the beautiful yellow tang fish are.

The Four Cs: Color, Cut, Clarity, Carat

Until the twentieth century, there was no consistency in communicating about diamonds. In 1931, the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) was founded and established a comprehensive, international “language” that could be understood by all, including lay people—the 4 Cs. The 4 Cs allow customers to intelligently choose among the vast array of diamonds available. 

In white diamonds, the most important C is the cut because it has the greatest influence on a diamond's sparkle. However, most important to yellow diamonds is the color, so that’s where we’ll start.

Color 

You know you want a yellow diamond. But that’s not enough. You have to select the exact shade of yellow, and that involves choosing among color grades and intensities.

• Color Grade

Jewelers give diamonds a color rating, such as yellow, orange/yellow, or brown/yellow, based on a secondary tint. The orange/yellow diamond has a natural yellow color with a slight orange tint, for example. Same for the brown/yellow diamond and the green/yellow diamond.

      As a rule, the secondary color of orange and green increases the value and popularity of the yellow diamond.  A brownish tint decreases the value—but that is not carved in stone. There are beautiful yellow stones with brown tints. So, as with everything, it’s a matter of taste, and don’t let someone else’s taste dictate yours.           

• Intensity Grade

The intensity grade determines the strength of the color:

Faint

Very Light

Light

Fancy Light

Fancy

Fancy Intense

Fancy Deep

Fancy Vivid

These color saturations are created deep in the earth during the time the diamond was created. The stronger the yellow color, the more expensive the diamond.  

    “Fancy” indicates a very clear yellow and the most common of yellow diamonds.

    “Fancy Intense” indicates a pure and clear shade of yellow and the most desirable yellow diamonds. These diamonds are also called “Canary Diamonds” for the strength and beauty of the yellow.

    “Fancy Deep” is a very distinctive color that not everyone cares for, even though these diamonds are very rare.

    “Fancy Vivid” are also very rare and have a brilliance that few diamonds do.

• Color Distribution

Color distribution is not so involved. It is either “even” or “uneven.” Naturally, the more even the distribution of yellow color, the more visually impressive the diamond and the more valuable. 

Color distribution can be affected by the style of cut that the diamond cutter used or the finished shape of the diamond. Or it may have been determined as that diamond was being formed so long ago and far away.

Cut

First lesson in this section is that “cut” and “shape” are two different things. It’s easy to understand why we confuse the two or use them interchangeably. We have seen “princess-cut” and “marquis-cut” repeatedly, but princess and marquis are shapes.

 The cut determines a diamond’s ability to reflect light determined by its facets and angles and their number, proportions, and symmetry. The cut creates the sparkle and fire, so much so that a high-end diamond can appear dull and lifeless if cut poorly. Conversely, a skillful cut brings out the best in a diamond, reflecting maximum light out of the table (top face) for a stunning display of brilliance. And that is a major factor when selecting a diamond and when determining its value. A skillful cut will also optimize everything about the diamond: the shape, size, weight, symmetry, shine, etc. In a yellow diamond, the cut also brings out the best color.

 Shape

This is a good place to explain shape. Shape may not be part of the 4 Cs, but it is, nonetheless, of primary importance to customers. It may be the only thing they are certain of when they start shopping. The shapes:

Round

Princess

Oval

 Marquise

Pear

Emerald

Asscher

Cushion

Radiant

Heart