The ultimate guide to coloured diamonds (with grading charts)

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Diamonds come in all colours of the rainbow - chemical impurities and structural defects give these stones varying degrees of colour intensity that determine its value and desirability. Jeweller has scoured the web for the ultimate guides to diamond colouring to help you pick the perfect hue.

Choosing a diamond is a big decision, so it’s important to be well informed before the purchase. White diamonds, for example, are graded on their purity and absence of colour, usually from D (colourless) to I and J (slight tints of yellow).

Read: Choosing a beautiful diamond

However, the spectrums of fancy coloured diamonds are graded differently based on its colour intensity - the more vivid and darker the colour, the more desirable it is. For example, a fancy yellow diamond must grade higher than a Z on the GIA D-Z white diamond grading scale to earn its namesake.

As fancy coloured diamonds are so rare, they are among some of the most famous in the world.

Read: The World Famous Diamonds

Below are detailed charts to help you choose your desired coloured diamond. Right click on the image to see charts in a higher resolution.