Why Buy G Color Diamonds? – A Guide | Wedding KnowHow | CHURINGA ENGAGEMENT RINGS

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Contents

• The Color Grading
  System
• What Does a G Color
  Diamond Look Like?
• G Color Grade vs.
  Other Color Grades
• Best Ring Settings
  for G Color Diamonds
• What are the Pros
  and Cons of G color diamonds?
  • Pros:
  • Cons:
• Should You Get a G Color
  Diamond for Your Engagement Ring?

Diamonds are the focal point of any jewelry
piece they are used in. That’s why there’s so much emphasis on finding the best
possible diamond for your needs – one with excellent brilliance, clear color,
and impressive size. With color being one of the most important factors in
diamond grading and the G color grade being one of the best diamond color
grades, it’s no wonder why G color diamonds are so valuable.

Below, we’ll delve deeper into the
characteristics, pros, and cons of G color diamonds and we’ll determine whether
they are worthy of their hefty price tags.

The Color Grading
System

Established by the G.I.A. (Gemological
Institute of America), this is the standard diamond color grading system used
worldwide. It contains 23 different color grades that refer specifically to
colorless diamonds. The further down the color grades we go, the more
noticeable the yellow or brownish color of the diamonds are going to be. And
since colorless diamonds are most valuable when they are colorless, the lower
the color grade is, the less expensive the stone is going to be.

These are the basic color grades for
colorless diamonds:

• D, E and F – These diamonds are colorless and show no tints. These are also
  among the most expensive diamonds, all else being equal.
• G, H, I  and J – These
  grades are known as near colorless diamonds. Of these, G is noticeably less
  yellow than a J.
• K to Z–  These grades are faint
  yellow diamonds, increasing in intensity with each subsequent grade. Most
  retailers don’t sell diamonds below the M grade.

As you can see, G color diamonds fall on
the border between the two best color categories. Naturally, this means that G
is a very high and sought-after color grade but it also means that these
diamonds are both rare and more expensive.

What Does a G Color
Diamond Look Like?

See this diamond in 360 degrees here and notice how the color changes depending on the angle the diamond is viewed at.

G color diamonds are referred to as Near
Colorless but a simpler way to look at that grade is as Essentially
Colorless to the Naked Eye. However, unlike D-F diamonds, a G diamond will
have a touch of warmth within it. When viewed from its side, this warm tint
will be more visible. However, as engagement rings are typically viewed face up
and not so much from the profile, your G diamond will typically look colorless
once mounted in the setting.

G Color Grade vs.
Other Color Grades

G Color Diamond in Halo Setting. See it here.

As they rest on the border between the
Colorless and Near Colorless grades, G color diamonds can easily be mistaken for
D, E or F diamonds as well as for H and I diamonds. G color diamonds are
virtually indistinguishable from colorless stones to the naked eye, especially
if you look at them from the top and/or when they are mounted on a ring.

You can easily test this by comparing a G color diamond with several F color ones at your local diamond ring retailer shop. Alternatively, you can take a look at the G color diamond selection of James Allen and compare it with their F color and H color selections. As long as you compare diamonds that are nearly identical in other categories such as carat, cut, and clarity, you’ll see that the exact color grade between F, G, and H doesn’t really make much of a noticeable difference.

However, while the visible difference might be minimal, the price difference can be very big.  For example, compare this G color diamond to this similar F color diamond. While they look near-identical, the difference in price is significant! Why pay for features you can’t see?  

All that being said, diamond purists will
probably murmur that the difference between F, G, and H color grades is indeed
significant. And we can agree with that – Colorless diamonds are even rarer
than Near Colorless diamonds and rarity is a big factor in diamond prices and value.

So, if you’re looking for a diamond that’s rare
for its collector and prestigious value, then there is a clear distinction
between F, G, and H grades, and even more so for D and E grades. However, if
you’re simply looking for a colorless diamond for your engagement ring, we’d
suggest that you don’t need to get hung up on the exact color grade of the
stone – if it looks good, that’s good.

Best Ring Settings
for G Color Diamonds

An excellent way to downplay or flaunt a
diamond’s color is by choosing the right setting and metal color to complement
it. For colorless diamonds, white metals are considered the best as they don’t
provide any contrast, whereas for warm diamonds, rose or yellow golds are often
chosen because they make the diamond appear colorless by contrast.

Compare the two G color diamond rings
below:

G Color Diamond in Yellow Gold Setting. Check price here.

G Color Diamond in Pave Setting. Check price here.

The diamond in the yellow gold setting
appears less warm than the one in the white gold setting, although both rings
look beautiful.

What are the Pros
and Cons of G color diamonds?

Let’s recap the advantages and
disadvantages of this category of diamonds.

Pros:

• G color diamonds are at the top
  of the Near Colorless diamond color grade and that makes them one of the best
  choices for a colorless diamond.
• These stones possess almost all
  the visual qualities of D, E, and F color diamonds, especially when mounted on
  a ring, but they are not as ridiculously expensive.
• Simply put, G color diamonds
  are gorgeous and can work very well with any type of setting and any metal
  color.
• G color diamonds may not have
  the prestige of the D, E or F color grades but they are still a highly valued
  grade that you can be happy you own.

Cons:

• As a high and valuable color
  grade, G color diamonds are quite expensive. If the price doesn’t concern you,
  that’s great, but if you’re looking for a bargain, there are lower color grades
  that are more affordable and offer a better beauty-value tradeoff, like the H,
  I, and J color grades. Even the K and L grades can make for a gorgeous engagement
  ring even though their color is noticeable to the naked eye – they just require
  some color and setting management for the ring but make up for that with a much
  more manageable cost.

Should You Get a G Color
Diamond for Your Engagement Ring?

G color is a grade that always looks
stunning and will give you the freedom to pick any ring design you want,
including open settings such as solitaire ones that allow you to view the
diamond from the sides.

If you’re on a budget, however, we’d
recommend going for a lower color grade. In other words, if you opt for a
slightly lower color grade such as I, J or even K or L, you can open some room
in your budget for a higher carat size or a better cut.  

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