H color diamonds are ALWAYS a popular option. For starters, H color is right in the top half of the Near Colorless color category. Within this range you should not be able to see any strong visible hints of yellow to the naked eye. However, H color is not necessarily uniform among all diamond shapes.
Depending on the diamonds cut/shape it can distribute color differently. In this post we'll talk a bit about color and focus on what makes H color diamonds a great option.
Near Colorless diamonds include those graded at G, H, I, and J color. These offer a great value since it is typically hard to tell color just by looking at the diamond alone. Any warmth in G and H color diamonds is virtually undetected by the average person. At I and J, the color becomes a bit more apparent though really only when directly compared to a diamond of higher color grade. If you took a look at an I or J color diamond alone you may not see any warmth within the diamond.
Let's start with the diamond shapes that hide color:
Round:
Round brilliant cut diamonds are cut to perfection to maximize sparkle. Because of their blinding fire it is extremely difficult to tell color within the diamond from the face up position.
Princess:
Princess cut diamonds are known for the sharp corners and bright flashes of light. From all the diamond shapes other than round, this is truly one of the sparkliest and arguably underrated shapes! Once again due to the brilliance they give off, it is difficult to pick up a strong tint of color
Emerald:
Emerald cut diamonds are a shape that tend to hide color very well. This is due to their step cut faceting that make it hard to see color saturation. This is a benefit to someone purchasing an emerald cut. Because one thing that the emerlad has going against it is that that any imperfection within the diamond is magnified greatly due to the cut of the diamond. For example a round brilliant cut can easily hide imperfections within an SI clarity graded diamond due to it's brilliance. An emerald cut diamond has a more "see through" effect and cannot hide SI graded imperfections very well at all! This means for the emerald cut you can scale down a bit on color without noticing a difference and increase on the clarity instead so that you can be sure you won't see any imperfections to the naked eye.
Diamond shapes that can potentially show more color:
Cushion, Radiant, Marquise, Oval, and Pear shape
You will notice a trend here, these shapes that show color tend to be more elongated diamond shapes. Now this is not to say you are going to have a yellow looking diamond just because it is elongated! But the next shapes will potentially show more color in comparison to the ones listed before. The reason for this is that elongated diamonds have larger surface areas and therefore show more color saturation and color distribution
When it comes to these diamond shapes take every single one on a case by case basis. Look at them in person or in an HD video to see if it is something you are comfortable with. In most cases the color is only obvious when held next to something else. Do the positives within the diamond outweigh any negatives? Ask yourself these questions to see what works best for you.
Once thing you could try, if you are color sensitive, is lowering the carat size or clarity on the diamond to increase on color
Don't forget at the end of the day the diamond you pick is going to be worn on a hand in a ring. You won't necessarily happen to have a comparison diamond to compare it to at all times to notice the differnces in color!
We highly recommend looking at our loose diamond video gallery where we showcase all the diamond shapes. This will get you more comfortable with the different qualities and how they stack up side by side. You can filter out by the different diamond shapes as well as price range to make your research simpler Lauren B Loose Diamond Quality Comparison
Thanks for tuning in to our post today, please Contact Us with any questions you might have and we look forward to hearing from you