D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

Colorless

Near Colorless

Fant Yellow

Very Light Yellow

Light Yellow

Color - Acting as a prism created by the cut, a diamond allows light to pass through it and be transformed into a rainbow of colors. The best color for a white diamond is no color (colorless). The purest, colorless stone carries a "D" rating and the color scale goes down through the alphabet to a "Z" rating, designating a diamond with a strong yellow or brown hue. Diamonds rated "D", "E", or "F" carry a high price. The average stone bought carries an "I" or "J" grading for its color. Most diamonds worn in jewelry are not past the "M" rating. The more colorless a white diamond is the more rare and the more valuable it is. Color ratings established by the Gemological Institute of America (G.I.A) include:

Clearity Scale    * 0=ralest and most desirable  10=least desirable

0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Flawless / If	VVS 1	VVS 2	VS 1	VS 2	SI 1	SI 2	I 1	I 2		I 3

Clarity - This is the criteria that determines a diamond's purity. Most diamonds contain very tiny imperfections called "inclusions" (internal breaks or foreign bodies) and "blemishes" (surface flaws). Inclusions interfere with the dispersion of light and therefore the diamond's brilliance. The clarity of a diamond is determined by the number and location of flaws when viewed under 10x (power) magnification. The fewer and smaller the imperfections, the more valuable and rare thediamond. Clarity grades include the following categories:

FL	Flawless, perfect outside & inside	No inclusions visible even under 10x
IF	Internally flawless, minor blemishes	No inclusions visible even under 10x
VVS 1 & 2	Very, very small inclusions	Extremely difficult to find even under 10x
VS 1 & 2	Very small inclusions	Difficult to find under 10x
SI 1,2 & 3	Small inclusions	Noticeable under 10x
I 1,2 & 3	Imperfect	Flaws visible to unaided eye