Diamond Colour: The D-to-Z Scale Explained
The diamond colour scale runs D (colourless) to Z. Learn how colour works, and why Varniya offers only the purest DEF colourless range.
Diamond colour measures the absence of colour. The whitest diamonds are graded D, and as you move down the alphabet to Z a faint yellow tint appears. From around H onwards the warmth starts to show, especially in fine jewellery.
The colour scale
| Range | Grades | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Colourless | D, E, F | Icy white, no warmth, the purest grades |
| Near-colourless | G, H, I, J | Mostly white, with warmth creeping in from H |
| Faint | K, L, M | A visible warm tint |
| Very light to light | N to Z | Clearly yellow, rarely used in fine jewellery |
The Varniya standard: DEF colourless
Varniya offers diamonds only in the D, E and F colourless range, the purest grades available. Warm metals like yellow and rose gold can flatter a lower colour grade, which is why the market often sells G, H and below as a way to save. With lab-grown diamonds, colourless grades are affordable enough that there is no need to settle, so we don't. When it comes to your engagement ring, you deserve nothing less than the best.
How colour shows in a setting
White gold and platinum reveal a diamond's true colour, so a colourless DEF stone looks its purest set in them. Yellow and rose gold add warmth of their own. Among shapes, the round brilliant hides colour best, while cushion and radiant reveal it a little more. Because every Varniya diamond is DEF, it faces up icy white in any metal you choose.
Browse the collection, or talk to a Varniya expert - we'll help you choose with confidence.
Next: Diamond Clarity. Back to Diamond Buying Guide.
