Do you think the love of your life deserves a yellow diamond ring? Are you thinking of proposing with one? Have you been dreaming of rocking the most beautiful yellow diamond rings and want to know more before you splurge some money on them? Here, we provide you some helpful information about yellow diamond rings that will satisfy your curiosity and answers your questions about this priceless jewelry.
What Makes Yellow Diamond Rings Unique?
The color yellow represents hope, zest, energy, and glamour. This is why yellow diamond rings are often presented as a symbol of joy and enthusiasm in a relationship. Due to the growing popularity of yellow diamond rings, many brides-to-be now prefer yellow diamond engagement rings to the everyday colorless diamond engagement rings.
And due to their rarity and uniqueness, natural, fancy yellow diamond rings are more visually appealing and alluring than the classic colorless diamond engagement rings, especially since they are so much more unique. You can’t miss with yellow diamond rings if your fiancée has olive-toned skin or her favorite color is yellow. Better yet, if you want to gift her something unique, rare, and worth more than the money you will spend, think yellow diamond rings!
All diamonds intrinsically have the same structure. Although rarer than white diamonds, yellow (and brown) diamonds are more common than most other colored diamonds. Yellow diamonds are yellow due to the presence of nitrogen and the intensity of the yellow color depends on the concentration of nitrogen in the stone. That means, the higher the nitrogen, the deeper the yellow and the rarer the stone. Although the price of diamonds is often based on the criteria of the 4Cs (color, carat, clarity, and cut), the more intense the yellow, the higher the price.
Shades of Yellow Diamond Rings
The color of a diamond is a sum total of its hue, tone, and saturation. Hue is the basic shade that identifies the color, while the tone refers to the lightness or darkness. Lastly, the saturation is the intensity of the color in a stone. Most colored diamonds have a primary color which is often modified by secondary colors which can alter the value of the diamond.
As for yellow diamonds, the primary color is yellow and may be accentuated by different shades. The most common secondary colors for yellow diamonds are orange, brown, and green. The lighter shades are more common and relatively inexpensive, while the intense yellow is rarer and therefore comes at a higher price per carat. A yellow diamond with a brownish tint will likely drop in value, while, all else being equal, a yellow diamond stone with greenish or orangey tints tends to increase in overall value.
According to the scale, grades D, E, and F connote a ‘purer’ colorless diamond, while grades K-M and N-R, have a slight shade of ‘pale yellow’ or ‘very light yellow’ and are therefore not as valuable. The color intensity scale for the classic yellow diamond begins with grade “S” on the white diamond scale. With grade “S”, the yellow shade becomes more noticeable and rarer, and the stronger the shade, the higher the diamond’s value.
Other than the tones, yellow diamonds are also ranked according to their intensity as follows: Faint, Very Light, Light, Fancy Light, Fancy Dark, Fancy Deep, Fancy Intense, and Fancy Vivid. On this scale, Faint and Very Light are quite identical to color grades XYZ on the white diamond color chart.
Carat, Clarity, Cut and Shape of Yellow Diamond Rings
Apart from the color which is often the most significant determinant of the pricing of yellow diamond rings, the three other important features are carat, clarity, and cut, which also influence the pricing.
According to the GIA, the diamond clarity grades, from highest to lowest are: FL, IF, VVS1, VVS2, VS1, VS2, SI1, SI2, SI3, I1, I2, I3. For yellow diamonds, the clarity often decides the value between stones of similar intensity. However, yellow diamonds have a relatively higher natural clarity and nearly 75% of all yellow diamonds belong to the VS group and above.
Finally, the cut refers to the way the diamond polisher cuts the shape of the diamond and whether the cut is poor, average, or excellent. Although many erroneously believe that cut and shape of yellow diamonds are two interchangeable or synonymous terms, they are actually two different but complementary features.
The diamond’s shape can alter the penetration of light through it, and thereby affect its hue and overall price. Therefore, some shapes can be more enhancing for yellow diamond rings than others. Due to their higher retention of yellow saturation, the most ideal shapes to choose are Cushion, Round, Pear, Heart, Marquise, Princess, Emerald, Radiant, and Oval shapes.
Yellow diamonds are relatively more expensive than white diamonds but are often less expensive than diamonds of other colors like red or blue. The price of yellow diamond rings is often determined by the weight (or size), intensity, and other features.
Whatever your budget is, working with a diamond expert will help you pick or even design the right yellow diamond ring that you’ll love. You really don’t have to break the bank for yellow diamond rings. They are truly rare and unique, yet they can be affordable!
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