F Color Diamonds

Bottom Line Recommendation…

• F color diamonds, together with D and E color diamonds are considered colorless diamonds. This means that you can get a clear stone at a much lower price compared to the D color grade. The F color may be up to 20% cheaper in price than a D color diamond. Compare an F color diamond here with a D color diamond here.
• The F color has some tint of color and this is why they are ranked lower than both the D and E color grades. However, this tint is very very hard to spot making them an excellent choice diamond.
• You will get a lot of brilliance and fire in F color diamonds when it comes to brilliant cuts. For the step cuts such as Asscher cut and Emerald cut, the F color grade offers amazing clarity and luster as you can see here. Do not compromise on both the cut and clarity when going for the step cuts.
• Pick a setting that will hide any sense of tint when choosing an F color diamond. A platinum setting is a great choice.
• When choosing an F color diamond, note that the price may still be high for some people’s budgets. However never compromise on cut quality. Instead, try going lower on the clarity scale when dealing with brilliant cuts. The brilliance of the diamond will hide away the imperfections.

Overview

F color diamonds are ranked as colorless diamonds in the GIA color scale. They are less expensive than the D or E color diamonds but still offer a clear looking and stunning stone. While the tint in a diamond may affect its appearance, it is the diamond cut that affects its overall brilliance, fire, and scintillation.

Many buyers searching the market for an affordable diamond may consider choosing an F color diamond. However, many questions may cross your mind. Is an F color diamond worth the price? Is the color too visible?

By understanding what an F color diamond is, you can make a much more informed buying decision.

A little history of color grading

Sorting color diamonds for resale started with the London diamond syndicate. Over the years as the trade of diamonds grew, grades were introduced by different institutions and vendors.

One of the major problems that arose from this was the lack of consistency in the grading of the diamonds.

Some of these color grades could at times be very confusing. Retailers would use different systems such as AA or AAA. Firms never really agreed to the introduction of the GIA’s color scale.

The GIA grading system was something that the lab had been working on since the early 1930s. They aimed to come up with an objectively accurate system for judging colorless to light yellow diamonds.

They came up with a system that would utilize absolutes and not vague descriptions which were so often the case during the early years of diamond trading.

But it wasn’t until 1953 that the GIA diamond color scale was introduced. It featured a D-Z grading system. The GIA chose the D as the starting color range purposely because, at the time, it had a lot of negative associations. Because of this, people in the diamond industry would not overuse it or misinterpret it.

But the introduction of the GIA color grade was just the first step. There was also a need to define how the diamonds would be assigned a could grade. The lighting, as well as the background and how the diamond was to be held during the evaluation, were specifically defined.

Understanding F color diamonds

The GIA color scale has the F grade as part of the colorless diamonds. As the color scale starts from D-Z, it is clear that the F color is the third best.

The table below shows the GIA color grade and where the F grade sits on the scale.

When evaluating and grading the colorless diamonds, the trained gemologist will observe the diamond on all its sides and judge it based on the absence of color. Less color on the stone will give it a higher rank on the color grade.

The F color diamonds will have a very very slight tint of color. The only way to see such color is when the stone is placed under special lighting conditions.

The rarity of colorless diamonds

Completely colorless diamonds are extremely rare. The majority of diamonds mined from the earth will have a tint of color that ranges between yellow and brown. This is referred to as the normal color range. When the stones have more intense colors, they are called fancy color diamonds.

Diamonds that do not have any color are called colorless diamonds. The diamond color grading in the normal color range is based on the lack of color. This means that colorless diamonds will be more valuable than diamonds with a tint of color.

F color diamond price

Diamonds that are higher up on the color scale will be priced at a premium. This means that a D color diamond is costlier than an E color diamond.

A D color diamond will be up to 20% more expensive than an F color diamond.

Note that even while the F color is cheaper than a D occur diamond, the prices are still relatively high for the F color diamond. However, they are a great choice for people who want a colorless looking stone and do not want to pay the full price of a higher color grade.

The main difference between a D and F color diamond

Many newbie diamond buyers are often under the misconception that a diamond lower on the color grade will have less sparkle and that the highest color grade will come with the most sparkle.

However, it’s important to keep in mind whenever you are shopping for a diamond that it is not the color grade that will influence the brilliance and sparkle of the diamond the most but the quality of the diamond’s cut.

It is near impossible to tell the difference between a D color diamond and an F color diamond with the naked eye. The right ring setting may even hide any sense of color in an F color diamond making it appear whiter than it is.

Comparing F color diamonds to lower diamond grades. 

Most buyers searching for an engagement ring will have a budget to work with. When the price of a diamond goes beyond your budget, you have one of two options. You could either increase your budget or go lower on the color grade.

Instead of compromising on cut quality and the carat weight, selecting a lower color grade is a great place to begin. You can find a quality cut stone with good brilliance at a lower price.

If you are in the market for an F color diamond, and you felt that the price was above your budget, you can go for the near-colorless diamonds between G and J on the color scale. Just make sure to choose a setting that will hide the tint such as yellow gold.

How F diamonds are graded

Before a diamond can be graded, it needs to be placed in an environment that eliminates the surrounding light. Only then can the true color of the stone be seen and evaluated.

While minor details in color can be seen in such a controlled environment, they will often not be seen in a natural light setting. This is especially true with the D, E and F color grades.

The diamond will be compared to a master set of diamonds held by The GIA or other major grading labs. These represent the highest color that is allowed for a particular color grade.

Factors affecting the appearance of an F color diamond

We’ve seen that the setting may hide any tint of color on an F color diamond making it appear like an E or even a D color diamond.

However, this is not the only thing that can affect it. The color of the diamond mounting will also affect the appearance of the F color diamond. A yellow gold mounting will hide any yellow tints in the stone making it appear whiter.

On the other hand, a white gold setting will make the yellow tint more visible. However, it is difficult for the untrained eye to tell the difference between a color grade that is higher or lower than their chosen diamond.

The carat weight will also affect the appearance of an F color diamond. A larger stone is more likely to show tints of color than a smaller stone.

When the F color diamond is compared to an F master stone, it will appear to the trained gemologist to have more color that the E color master diamond but will have less color than the G master diamond.

Conclusion

The F color diamonds sits on the edge of the colorless section of the color scale. They offer the best price for the look and are an excellent choice for buyers who want a stone that appears crystal clear to the naked eye but comes at a much cheaper price.