Diamond professionals use the four Cs to describe and classify diamonds. When taken together, they help in evaluating the finished diamonds you buy. That's why they are often called value factors. The four value factors are color, clarity, cut and carat weight. I am going to explain these factors in the above listed order.
When applied to diamonds, color is often misunderstood by people outside the diamond trade. Many people think of diamonds as colorless. In reality, truly colorless diamonds are quite rare. Most diamonds used in jewelry are nearly colorless with faint yellow or brown tints. These diamonds fall in the normal color range. Diamonds in the normal color range are graded by their relative lack of color. A diamond that is said to have "fine color" has little or no visible coloration. The less color, the higher the value.
Why does the GIA color grading system start at D? Before GIA introduced the GIA D-Z Color Grading Scale, a variety of other symbols were loosely applied throughout the industry. Not only were A, B, and C used without clear definition, but some dealers, taking a cue from the poultry business perhaps, started grading their diamonds double A (AA). Other systems used numbers so both Arabic (0, 1, 2, 3) and Roman (I, II, III). Most dubious of all were systems that relied on descriptive terms like "gem blue" or "blue white." Terms like these are notoriously susceptible to misinterpretation. So the creators of the GIA Color Scale wanted to start fresh. They wanted symbols that would not have any association with earlier systems. Thus the GIA scale starts at the letter D. There may be some people still clinging to other grading systems, but no other system has the clarity and universal acceptance of the GIA scale.
If you are a purist, you may prefer a diamond with a grade of D-F which is colorless. For the best value in a color grade, look to the near-colorless grades, G-I, for top quality diamonds with no color noticeable to the unaided eye.
The chart below illustrates the color of diamonds of different grades. This chart is quite accurate although one's monitor and computer resolution will affect the exact color seen on screen. This chart is very helpful in my opinion.
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