Two lines on a diamond certificate decide more about how a stone looks than almost anything else: its colour grade and its clarity grade. Both are measured on fixed scales the whole trade reads from, and once you understand them you can spend your money where the eye actually sees a difference. Here are both charts in full, grade by grade, with our honest advice on where the value sits. You will see the word spelled colour or color depending on where the certificate was written; the scale behind it is identical.
Diamond colour chart (D to Z)
Colour grades how little tint a diamond shows, from D (completely colourless) down to Z (a visible pale yellow or brown). The differences between neighbouring grades are subtle, often invisible once a stone is set, which is exactly why the chart matters: it tells you where you can stop paying.
| Grade | Group | What you actually see | Our take |
|---|---|---|---|
| D | Colourless | Icy white, no tint from any angle | The rarest grade; a collector’s choice |
| E | No tint the eye can find | Indistinguishable from D on the hand | |
| F | No tint face-up or sideways | The last “colourless” grade, priced accordingly | |
| G | Near colourless | White face-up; a trace only next to a D | Where value starts, our most recommended grade |
| H | White face-up in any setting | The classic sweet spot of white and price | |
| I | Faint warmth sideways, white face-up | Excellent value, especially over 1 carat in gold | |
| J | A whisper of warmth in white metal | Lovely in yellow or rose gold settings | |
| K | Faint | A warm tint the eye can find | Charming in yellow gold, priced very kindly |
| L | Warmth visible face-up | Only with intent, in warm settings | |
| M | Clearly warm | Rare in engagement rings | |
| N to Z | Very light to light | Tint obvious to any eye | We do not stock these grades |
Our honest advice: a G or H stone faces up white in most settings and costs noticeably less than a D. Spend the saving on cut. If you love warmth and yellow gold, a K can be beautiful. There is more in our guide to the 4Cs.
Diamond clarity chart (FL to I3)
Clarity grades the tiny natural inclusions inside a diamond, viewed under 10× magnification. Most are invisible to the naked eye, which is the whole point of the term “eye-clean”: once no inclusion can be seen without a loupe, higher grades buy you rarity on paper, not beauty on the hand.
| Grade | Meaning | What you actually see | Our take |
|---|---|---|---|
| FL | Flawless | Nothing under 10×, inside or out | Exceptionally rare, priced for collectors |
| IF | Internally Flawless | Nothing inside under 10× | Rarity you cannot see on the hand |
| VVS1 | Very, very slightly included | Inclusions a grader struggles to find | Beautiful paper, invisible difference |
| VVS2 | Very, very slightly included | Tiny inclusions, hard to find under 10× | A quiet luxury grade |
| VS1 | Very slightly included | Minor inclusions under magnification only | Safely eye-clean in any shape |
| VS2 | Very slightly included | Minor inclusions, invisible to the naked eye | Our most recommended grade for value |
| SI1 | Slightly included | Visible under 10×, often still eye-clean | A bargain when chosen stone by stone |
| SI2 | Slightly included | Sometimes visible to a sharp naked eye | Only with a 360° video or in person |
| I1 to I3 | Included | Inclusions visible to the naked eye | We do not stock these grades |
Our honest advice: aim for the lowest grade that is still eye-clean, often a VS2 or a well-chosen SI1. You pay far less than for a flawless stone and see no difference on the hand.
The full 4Cs at a glance: cut, colour, clarity, carat
Colour and clarity are two of the four Cs. Here is how all four sit together, and where each one deserves your money.
| The C | What it measures | The scale | Where the value sits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cut | How well the stone returns light | Excellent to Poor | Never compromise; cut makes the sparkle |
| Colour | How little tint the stone shows | D to Z | G to J face up white for far less than D to F |
| Clarity | Inclusions under 10× magnification | FL to I3 | The lowest eye-clean grade, often VS2 or SI1 |
| Carat | Weight, not size on the hand | Continuous, priced in steps | Just under round numbers, such as 0.90 or 1.90 |
Carat is where prices jump rather than climb, and the round thresholds are where the jumps live. We priced the most famous one out in our guide to 1 carat diamond prices in Lebanon, and the same logic runs through our Lebanon diamond price guide.
Common questions about the charts
What colour and clarity is the best value?
For most buyers, G or H colour with VS2 clarity. The stone faces up white and clean in any setting, and the money saved against a D Flawless is enough to buy a visibly better cut, or simply a larger stone.
Is SI1 clarity good enough for an engagement ring?
Often, yes, but stone by stone. An SI1 with a small white inclusion near the edge can be perfectly eye-clean; one with a dark inclusion under the table is not. This is why we film every stone in 360° video, so you can judge the actual inclusion rather than the letter grade.
Which colour grades look white once set?
D through J face up white in white gold or platinum for nearly every eye. In yellow or rose gold, even K reads as white against the warm metal. The grades are easiest to compare side by side, which is exactly what we do at a viewing.
Do colour and clarity matter more than cut?
No. A well-cut stone hides both a little warmth and small inclusions behind its sparkle, while a poorly cut stone displays every fault it has. Read the two charts to know what you are paying for, then let cut decide between finalists, as we explain in Excellent versus Very Good cut. The certificate’s quieter lines matter too; we explain the most misread one in our note on diamond fluorescence.
How colour and clarity work together
Neither grade lives alone. A near-colourless, eye-clean stone with an excellent cut will outshine a flawless, D-colour stone that has been cut poorly, and cost far less. The trade buys to the eye, not to the top of the scale, and so should you. Every diamond we sell is GIA- or HRD-certified with the full grades on a report you can verify, and we film each stone in 360° video so you can judge colour and clarity for yourself before you commit. When you are ready, browse our certified diamonds or read about our GIA-certified diamonds.
