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Top 5 Ways to Understand and Evaluate Diamond Color

By , About.com Guide

All of the resources here help you understand how to evaluate diamond color and choose the best diamond for you.

1. Understanding Diamond Color

Diamonds are not all truly colorless, but it's the colorless stones, called white diamonds, that other diamond shades are judged against. Start getting comfortable with the terms you'll hear that describe diamond color.

2. Diamond Fluorescence

Fluorescence is a characteristic that makes some diamonds appear to change color when they are exposed to ultraviolet light, and it can be perceived as a pro or a con, depending on your attitude and the type of color shift that occurs.

3. Diamond Color Treatments

Gemologists have developed color treatments that turn ho-hum diamonds into the show-stoppers that the public demands. But like other diamond treatments, only some types of color enhancements are permanent.

4. From Brown to Red and More

Irradiation, followed by a high heat, can turn some brown and yellow diamonds into fancy colored diamonds--greens, vivid yellows, blues, purples, reds and other colors.

5. When a White Diamond Just Won't Do

Take this photo tour of fancy color diamonds and you'll put a vivid diamond on your wish list. You'll see lots of photos, details about the special Four C's of fancy colored diamonds, pricing facts and a section all about popular pink diamonds.

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