yellow diamond engagement ring

Yellow Diamond Engagement Rings: It’s All About Color!

An increasingly popular option, yellow diamond engagement rings are the perfect way to showcase her individuality and style, while symbolizing happiness, joy and prosperity.

Yellow Diamond Engagement Rings

 

Most diamonds are essentially colorless, and it is preferred to have as few traces of yellow or brown coloring as possible. However, when a yellow diamond has a distinct vivid and intense color, the diamond is graded as being “fancy yellow”,  making it rare and valuable. In fact, fancy colored diamonds are so rare that only about one in 10,000 have enough color to be considered fancy. The good news? Yellow diamonds are the most commonly occurring fancy diamonds and therefore, the most affordable for engagement rings.

Probably the most well-known yellow stones are canary diamonds, which have the most vivid, bright and pure yellow coloring. While canary diamonds are expensive, other grades of yellow diamonds make beautiful stones for engagement rings.

 

Yellow Diamond Engagement Ring Styles

Yellow diamonds are a stunning choice for engagement rings and while there are many different types of settings available, certain metals and designs can compliment different shades of yellow more than others. Here are a few key factors to consider:

1. Stone Quality

To best showcase and enhance the yellow diamond, the cut and shape need to be of high quality.  Lower end cuts will take away from the natural beauty and color, making the stone less brilliant and dull. It is also recommended to only have a single yellow diamond in any given setting, as it can be difficult to match the exact color with other yellow diamonds. When there is a fancy colored stone in an engagement ring, it should be the focal point and not have other stones competing for attention.

2. Choice of Metal

Virtually any color of metal is beautiful for a yellow diamond engagement ring, yet there are a few things that you can do to best compliment the color. First, many shades of yellow diamonds look the best when set in yellow gold. Deep colored yellow canary diamonds look stunning against white gold, platinum or palladium metals.  Without color contrasts, the stone can either appear washed out when set in light metal (making it look like a low quality white diamond) or blend in too closely with the yellow gold.

3. Setting

As with any colored stone, yellow diamonds should be set up high and open to allow the maximum amount of light to shine from all angles. Solitaires are highly recommended and white diamond side stones can also give a dramatic and complimentary effect. Unless trying to hide flaws, channel or bezel settings are not usually recommended as they can make the yellow stone appear darker.

How To Save Big on Yellow Diamond Engagement Rings

  • If you want a setting in platinum,
    white gold or palladium, you can maximize the yellow color of your diamond by having the jeweler use yellow gold prongs or yellow gold basket round the main stone. A lighter grade yellow stone (less expensive) may appear as a deeper, more expensive stone with this technique. See the picture to the left.
  • Color modifiers can make a big difference in the price. Brown-yellow diamonds will be less expensive than those with green-yellow modifying colors. The strength and intensity of the color directly influences the price.
  • Purchase from a company that is nearest to the top of the wholesale diamond supply chain, bypassing the middle men in regular retail stores. The margins will usually be much less.
  • The best savings will generally be online. The downside is that you are unable to view the stones in person before buying. However, most reputable will have excellent photos with close-up views and detailed specifications on their colored stones. Upon request, they may be able to send you additional pictures.
  • Excellent online retailers for yellow diamond engagement rings include Blue Nile, Leibish & Co., Ice StoreDiamonds By Lauren
  • Synthetic (man-made) diamonds are an affordable alternative and are sold online by Takara Diamonds, Gemesis, Apollo, and D Nea.

 

Photos courtesy of www.bluenile.com, www.Kranichs.com

Leave a Comment