Key Points

  • Colour refers to a diamond's lack of colour, grading the whiteness of a diamond.

  • A colour grade of D is the highest possible, while Z is the lowest.

  • Blue Nile only sells diamonds with a colour grade of J or higher.

Colour manifests itself in a diamond as a pale yellow. This is why a diamond's colour grade is based on its lack of colour. The less colour a diamond has, the higher its colour grade. After cut, colour is generally considered the second most important characteristic when selecting a diamond. This is because the human eye tends to detect a diamond's sparkle (light performance) first, and colour second.

At Blue Nile, you'll find only the finest diamonds with colour graded D-J. Diamonds graded J or better are colourless or near-colourless, with colour that is typically undetectable to the unaided eye.

Diamond Colour Chart
Diamond Colour
Z-N Noticeable colour. Not carried by Blue Nile.
M-K Noticeable colour. Not carried by Blue Nile.
J-I Near-colourless. An exceptional value with slightly detectable warmth or tone.
H-G Near-colourless. Colour difficult to detect unless compared side-by-side against diamonds of better grades. An excellent value.
F-E Colourless. Minute traces of colour can be detected by an expert gemologist. A rare diamond.
D Absolutely colourless. The highest colour grade. Extremely rare.


What Colour is Right for Me?

  • For the purist, look for a colourless diamond with a grade of D-F for a diamond with no discernible colour.

  • For an excellent value in a diamond with little or no noticeable colour to the unaided eye, look for a near-colourless grade of G-I

Now that you understand how colour affects the white look of a diamond, you are ready to learn about clarity.

Want to learn even more about colour? Check out our tips and hints section.


What are others buying?

The chart below reveals what types of diamonds other Blue Nile customers are selecting. Modify the cut, carat and price, and the chart will display what others are purchasing according to the various colour and clarity grades. By clicking on the percentages, our Diamond Search will generate a list of diamonds that correspond to those criteria.



Have a question?

Contact us by phone at 888-565-7609 or email at serviceca@bluenile.ca. In addition, Live Chat is available during most business hours.