• Diamonds By Lauren
• Diamonds By Lauren
• Diamonds By Lauren

Yellow Diamond Information

Diamonds which were formed with a higher percentage of Nitrogen look yellow. This occurs in nature, in varying degrees, resulting in different intensities of yellow.

Sellers will advise that the “lowest” fancy yellow to consider is Fancy Light Yellow. We have started the scale at S-T to show the full range of natural light to more intense yellow. Since the price of a yellow diamond is heavily influenced by the intensity of color, the lower alphabet diamonds can provide great value for those who prefer the lighter pastel shades.

A percentage of yellow diamonds have orange and green are secondary colors. In cases where the orange, or green is quite apparent, like the two examples below, the stone can have a far higher value than a "pure " yellow.

There are also stones with a secondary color such as brownish-yellow that may be less expensive than diamonds with a yellow grade with no modifier. As with cases of lighter yellow, the stone can still have great beauty- regardless of value.

These stones have a brown, or brownish tinge thereby lessening the price.

Just like colorless diamonds, the quality of the cut plays an important role in the overall beauty of a Yellow Diamond. Yellow diamonds can be found in different shapes the most common are cushion and radiant cuts.

How are they graded?
Colorless diamonds are graded face down and fancy colored diamonds are graded face up.

GIA is considered the only acceptable lab report for Yellow diamonds. Cutters and dealers never consider a color or grade to be valid, unless it was issued by GIA. Consumers should follow this rule as well.

How does fluorescence affect yellow diamonds?
Fluorescence is a wildcard in yellow diamonds of any intensity. In some cases, there’s no visible effect on appearance. A small percentage of Medium or Strong Blue fluorescent diamonds can actually look more intense than an inert yellow with the same color grade. More common are fluorescent diamonds where the body color is dulled due to the fluorescence.

Purchasing a diamond can be a daunting task - when it should be fun. I get that. If I’ve learned one thing in the 45 years I’ve worked with diamonds, it’s that people love diamonds for emotional reasons. It’s important to purchase from someone that understands the complexities- and how they relate to the emotional aspects. We always “vet” the diamonds we show to our clients- which makes it a lot less stressful than picking off a long list. Small differences in color can make large differences in value