
Diamond Color Grading Charts

Diamond Color: How do all the
other diamond color grading systems compare with the GIA
color grades?

Although the
GIA color grading system and nomenclature are the best known
and most often used by dealers around the world, other systems
are still popular in other countries. We developed the charts
below to help you understand how they compare.
See
the GIA
color scale
for basic definitions of these terms.
Color Grading
Scales
for diamonds 0.46
carats and above
(NOTE: comparisons are approximate due to limits of html)
|
|
GIA |
AGS |
CIBJO
IDC |
SCAN.D.N. |
|
Colorless |
D |
0 |
Exceptional White + |
River |
|
E |
1 |
Exceptional White |
|
F |
2 |
Rare White + |
Top
Wesselton |
Near
Colorless |
G |
3 |
Rare White |
|
H |
4 |
White |
Wesselton |
|
I |
5 |
Slightly
Tinted White |
Top Crystal |
|
J |
Crystal |
Faint
Yellow |
K |
6 |
Tinted
White |
Top Cape |
|
L |
|
M |
7 |
Tinted
Color
|
Cape |
Very
Light
Yellow |
N |
|
O |
8 |
|
P |
|
Q |
|
R |
9 |
Light
Yellow |
S |
|
T |
|
U |
|
V |
10 |
|
W |
|
X |
|
Y |
|
Z |
PLEASE REMEMBER:
Knowing the 4 Cs is NOT enough to price a diamond accurately. At least 13 factors
affect diamond value, including fluorescence, table percentage,
symmetry and other crucial details. However, the 4 Cs are a good
place to learn the basics. And learning all of it requires years of training and experience looking at diamonds.
That is why I created an easy, step-by-step Diamond Pricing Tutorial page, to guide you in using the most valuable tool in the pricing of diamonds today: the large online diamond databases. In that one lesson, I teach you how to price any diamond using live data on real diamonds in the current market. You can't any more accurate or current. The only other thing you need is a good jeweler to get the diamond for you, and integrity is the key in choosing your jeweler. If you cannot find a good jeweler, we rate the top dealers for you.

Robert Hensley
President
Diamond Helpers