Diamond Color Grade

The AGS Color Grade indicates where a diamond’s color falls on a scale that runs from 0 (colorless) to 10 (light yellow or light brown).

0 — Colorless. An unmounted diamond with this diamond color grade shows no trace of color to even a trained AGS Laboratories diamond grader under controlled conditions when observed either through the table or the pavilion.

0.5 and 1.49 — Essentially Colorless. An unmounted diamond in these diamond color grades will show only the faintest traces of color to trained AGS Laboratories diamond graders under controlled viewing conditions when observed through the pavilion.

1.5 to 3.49 — Near Colorless. Under grading conditions, an unmounted diamond in these diamond color grades will show a slight trace of color. When mounted in jewelry, it will appear colorless.

3.5 to 4.99 — Faint. If a diamond in these diamond color grades weighs less than approximately 0.50 carat, it will appear near colorless when mounted. In a larger diamond, a little color may be discerned.

5.0 to 7.49 — Very light. A diamond in these diamond color grades will show some discernable color. The larger the diamond, the more noticeable the color.

7.5 to 10.0 — Light. The diamond color is seen with increasing ease as the grade goes from 7.5 to 10.

Beyond the AGS 10 Color Grade, a yellow or brown diamond is classified as a fancy color. With diamond colors other than yellow or brown, any distinct tint qualifies as fancy, even if it is faint. However, as noted at the beginning of this section, the AGS Standards do not define Color Grades for fancy color diamonds.

To learn more about the AGS Cut Grading System, view any of the following topics:
The AGS 0-10 Grading System
Diamond Cut Grade
Diamond Clarity Grade
Glossary
Research and Technology
Performance Cut Grade System