Are you in search of the ideal online destination to purchase yellow diamond jewelry? Look no further! This Learning Jewelry guide offers valuable insights into common inquiries such as:
- What are the factors to consider when purchasing yellow diamonds online?
- Is yellow diamond a suitable option for an engagement ring?
- How can you ascertain that you are receiving a fair deal?
- What are the warning signs to be aware of when making a purchase?
Best Places to Buy Yellow Diamonds Online
Here are my top recommendations for finding high-quality yellow diamonds from reliable online vendors if you need the list right away. For additional details on each of these shops, continue reading.
What do Yellow Diamonds Represent?
Yellow gemstones are a prevalent variety of fancy colored diamonds, deriving their color from impurities within the crystal during formation. Specifically, nitrogen molecules absorb blue light within the diamond, resulting in a yellow hue.
The term “canary diamonds” is used to describe yellow diamonds with the most desirable saturation, although there is no exact standard for what qualifies as a canary diamond, leading to some controversy in the industry.
Nevertheless, in the world of jewelers, pure yellow diamonds are more valuable than those with brown, red, or orange tints. If you’re considering purchasing a yellow diamond online, we’ll guide you through all the intricacies to help you make an informed decision. Let’s dive in!
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James Allen
James Allen Offers a Wide Range of Yellow Diamonds
James Allen boasts an extensive collection of fancy colored diamonds, including over 3,000 yellow diamonds, all of which come with GIA grading reports or other reputable lab reports. In addition to natural yellow diamonds, they also stock yellow lab-grown diamonds.
What sets James Allen apart is their commitment to transparency and customer satisfaction. Their 360˚ viewing technology allows customers to examine each stone in detail, providing complete transparency regarding any inclusions that may appear in lower clarity grades. James Allen is dedicated to helping customers find the perfect diamond within their budget.
The fact that all of James Allen’s jewelry comes with a lifetime warranty is arguably one of the finest benefits of purchasing a ring from them. Wear and tear is covered by this free guarantee as well as design defects.
AVAILABLE ON JAMESALLEN
James Allen addresses scratches and dents as well as cleaning, tightening stones, and rhodium plating white gold. In the event that your ring doesn’t fit well, you are also entitled to one free resize within the first year.
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Blue Nile
Blue Nile is a reputable online retailer that offers the largest selection of natural yellow diamonds, with approximately 4,000 loose yellow diamonds available for purchase. Although they offer yellow lab diamond jewelry, they do not sell yellow lab loose diamonds.
Blue Nile provides controllable 360-degree viewing of some of their diamonds, but it is not available for all of them. Unfortunately, Fancy Intense and darker yellow diamonds do not have this feature. Customers cannot always rely on the accuracy of images, but Blue Nile offers a 30-day return policy to accommodate any concerns.
To ensure customer satisfaction, Blue Nile lists the hue range of every yellow diamond, which is useful in case the color is not accurately represented on a computer screen. All diamonds, whether colorless or fancy colored, in their inventory are GIA certified. GIA or AGS certifications are highly dependable and valuable, making Blue Nile a trustworthy source for diamonds.
Blue Nile is recognized for their strong and reliable reputation with customers as the first online diamond retailer in 1999. This reputation and their 24/7 customer service contribute to their slightly higher prices compared to other unknown retailers.
AVAILABLE ON BLUENILE
Although Blue Nile does not offer any warranty options beyond the manufacturer’s warranty, their commitment to customer satisfaction and the quality of their products make them a great choice for diamond purchases.
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Brilliant Earth
Brilliant Earth is a well-known online diamond vendor recognized for its “Beyond Conflict-Free” campaign, which is a significant attraction to customers. Unlike most diamond retailers, they can trace the source of all their diamonds, and therefore, we suggest them as a conflict-free option.
Their inventory comprises a limited assortment of natural and lab-grown yellow diamonds. Specifically, they offer approximately 21 natural yellow diamonds and 8 lab-grown yellow diamonds. Despite the limited quantity, they provide a diverse selection with distinct intensities and even a color variation, as exemplified by the stunning orangey-yellow diamond pictured below.
AVAILABLE ON BRILLIANTEARTH
One feature I particularly admire about Brilliant Earth is their ability to show customers how their diamond will look in various settings. While most online retailers only offer this service for colorless diamonds, Brilliant Earth extends it to their colored selection, setting them apart from even James Allen. Although not visible in the 360˚ video, it’s available while browsing.
Furthermore, Brilliant Earth offers a manufacturer’s warranty and an optional Extended Service Plan, which is a paid 3-year warranty based on a sliding scale. This service surpasses some of our recommended options. Beyond this period, any regular maintenance costs would be the customer’s responsibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it recommended to use yellow diamonds for an engagement ring?
For an engagement ring or daily wear, any natural colored diamond, whether it is small or large, can be a great option. Furthermore, lab-created diamonds possess identical properties to natural diamonds, making them just as resistant to dirt and other potential issues.
The Mohs Scale of Hardness is a numerical rating system that evaluates the hardness of minerals and gemstones on a scale of 1 to 10. Hardness refers to a mineral’s ability to resist dust, dirt, and scratches. With a perfect score of 10, diamonds are the hardest known mineral on Earth.
However, it’s worth noting that specific color treatments or enhancements on yellow diamonds may cause them to change color when exposed to high heat or sunlight. We will discuss this further in the future.
Are yellow diamonds expensive?
When it comes to pricing, a natural yellow diamond that has not undergone any treatment will generally be more expensive than a colorless diamond of similar quality. However, yellow is the most common of the fancy color diamonds, and as such, many of them are priced comparably to colorless diamonds. Nevertheless, as the weight of the diamond increases, particularly over 1 carat, you can expect a significant hike in price.
RECOMMENDED: 1 Carat Diamond Ring Guide
The cut of a colored diamond is essential, but it doesn’t have a significant impact on its cost. What matters most is that the diamond is shaped well. Many people choose fancy diamond shapes for colored diamonds since round diamonds reflect more white light.
Color intensity is usually the most significant factor in determining a colored diamond’s price, especially if the color is natural and untreated. Even treated natural colored diamonds command high prices in the market.
What to consider when purchasing yellow diamonds online
When it comes to buying a yellow diamond ring online, you want to ensure that you get the best quality for your money. But how do you achieve this? Let me guide you through the four Cs of yellow diamonds that you should consider to choose the best one: carat weight, color intensity, clarity, and cut. By examining these characteristics, you can select a yellow diamond that suits your taste and budget, and you can have confidence in your purchase.
Cut
Unlike colorless diamonds, the cut of a yellow diamond is not the most crucial factor in determining its quality. While cut plays a vital role in enhancing the brilliance of a colorless diamond, a fancy color diamond like yellow relies more on its color intensity.
When it comes to a yellow diamond, a Very Good Cut or Good Cut grade is generally sufficient. It’s essential to ensure that the sides are even, and the overall shape is smooth. You can distinguish a good cut from a bad one by examining the outline and shape of the yellow diamond. However, it’s important to note that cut grades are only applicable to round brilliant cut diamonds, and other fancy shapes do not have official cut grades on reports.
Radiant is considered the best cut shape for a yellow diamond as it combines both brilliant and step cutting techniques, providing both sparkle and color. With a radiant cut, the yellow hue of the diamond is still apparent while maximizing its brilliance.
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Color
Yellow diamonds are highly prized for their color, which is determined by their hue, tone, and saturation. Instead of assessing each of these factors separately, the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) evaluates them as a whole and assigns a single grading to the stone.
The tone of a yellow diamond is influenced by the amount of nitrogen present in its natural crystal. It determines the lightness or darkness of the diamond’s color. When the tone is light, the diamond usually has a higher saturation.
However, if a yellow diamond’s tone is too dark, it can give the stone a brownish-yellow or grayish-yellow appearance. It is worth noting that the GIA does not consider gray a secondary hue for yellow diamonds.
The grading system for fancy diamonds includes a range of terms such as Faint, Very Light, Light, Fancy Light, Fancy, Fancy Dark, Fancy Deep, Fancy Intense, or Fancy Vivid. It’s possible to have a diamond that is both Fancy Light and Fancy Intense, such as a fancy light purplish-pink diamond.
The grading of these diamonds is based on their tone and saturation. The terms can apply to yellow diamonds with any hue. For instance, yellow diamonds with a light or faint yellow tone are referred to as Cape Diamonds. Meanwhile, those with a grade of fancy vivid or fancy intense yellow are called canary yellow diamonds.
The hue of a colored gemstone refers to the presence of a particular color within the stone. A pure hue is the most desirable and valuable. However, there are some gemstones where the presence of certain secondary colors can increase their value.
It is common for colored diamonds to exhibit secondary hues of other colors. For instance, yellow diamonds may have secondary hues of orange or green. Greenish-yellow diamonds are generally more affordable and easier to find.
The saturation of a colored diamond refers to the intensity of its hue. A fancy light yellow diamond, for instance, will have higher saturation compared to one with a darker tone.
If a colored diamond exhibits strong tone and saturation, it is referred to as fancy deep yellow. These stones are highly coveted and known as Canary Yellow Diamonds.
Clarity
When it comes to yellow diamonds, it’s important for the clarity to be eye clean. This means that if you’re considering purchasing a heavily included yellow diamond such as an I2 or I3, it may not be of good quality.
However, an I1 diamond, while still heavily included, can still look nice and is a more affordable option. Our recommendation for yellow diamond clarity would be an SI1 or SI2.
If you’re shopping for diamonds online, it’s crucial to have access to high-quality images or videos of the diamond. Even two I1 yellow diamonds of the same quality can have vastly different appearances.
It’s also important to check where the inclusions are located. If they are located on the edge of the diamond, it may not affect the overall appearance as much as if they were in the middle.
RECOMMENDED: Types of Diamond Inclusions
Avoid relying on stock images when making online purchases, as this may not provide an accurate representation of the diamond’s appearance. Additionally, the tone of the diamond can also impact how noticeable the inclusions are. For example, a faint yellow diamond may make dark inclusions stand out, while a brownish yellow diamond with a darker tone may conceal them better.
Fancy colored diamonds, much like color gemstones, are categorized into different types. These include Type Ia, Type IIa, Type Ib, and Type IIb.
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Type Ia colored diamonds have nitrogen present throughout their crystal structure. As a result, they tend to exhibit a yellowish color, which is why fancy yellow and orange diamonds are often classified as Type Ia. In fact, approximately 98% of yellow diamonds fall into this category.
Type II colored diamonds, on the other hand, have distinct fluorescence and do not exhibit any visible absorption. Of all the fancy diamonds, Type IIa are the most elusive. Due to the fact that nitrogen is responsible for the yellow coloration in diamonds, yellow diamonds cannot belong to the Type II category.
Type Ib diamonds, which absorb both yellow and blue light, are often associated with canary yellow diamonds.
Carat
Carat weight is considered to be of utmost importance in determining the value of a gem, second only to its color. Cut and clarity, on the other hand, typically do not have a significant impact on a gem’s overall worth.
However, when it comes to fancy colored diamonds, which make up only about 1 in 10,000 diamonds mined, factors such as hue, saturation, tone, clarity, and carat weight can greatly influence their value.
Yellow diamonds are the most prevalent among colored diamonds, and as such, a 1-carat yellow diamond will generally be less expensive than a pink or blue diamond of the same size. However, as carat weight increases, the price of yellow diamonds rises quite rapidly.
Many people mistakenly believe that carats represent the actual size of a diamond, largely due to the jewelry industry’s emphasis on measuring gems by weight rather than size. In reality, the size of a diamond can vary significantly depending on its shape.
For instance, a 1-carat pear-shaped diamond may appear smaller than a 1-carat emerald-cut diamond, despite weighing the same, due to differences in surface area.
Red Flags When Buying Yellow Diamonds Online
For many of us, splurging on a pricey gemstone isn’t feasible, nor desirable. This leads us to hunt for the best bargains online. However, it’s important to recognize that diamonds come at a cost – cheap, untreated, and flawless yellow diamonds simply do not exist.
Recently, numerous local gemstone vendors have flocked to social media platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram to peddle stones from their country of origin.
Typically, their prices are considerably lower than those offered by recommended sites – with quality being a key variable, of course. Unfortunately, it can be challenging to distinguish honest sellers from dishonest ones.
One common deceitful practice involves falsely labeling lab-created stones as mined. Although both types are genuine and natural, they must be accurately differentiated.
If you’re unfamiliar with yellow diamonds, you may end up paying untreated prices for a lab-created yellow diamond. Lab-created diamonds also possess no resale value, so paying such prices only to realize you can’t sell the stone is a major bummer.
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Certainly, it’s not a guarantee that all gemstone dealers on these apps will offer you a similar experience. However, to safeguard yourself, it’s best to purchase from a trustworthy dealer who has a proven customer base. It’s also essential to carefully review their return policy.
It’s worth noting that each of the companies we’ve mentioned in this discussion is a reputable yellow diamond dealer and has earned our stamp of approval.
Get the Best Deal When Buying Yellow Diamonds Online
To help you make the most informed purchase, here are some helpful tips to keep in mind when shopping for yellow diamonds online.
Consider the Ring Setting
It’s important to note that all of the companies mentioned in this article also offer ring settings in varying price ranges. These settings may feature metal embellishments like filigree or milgrain, or a highly polished metal. Some settings may even include accent diamonds or melee diamonds.
Choosing the right ring setting for your yellow diamond can potentially save you money on the overall cost of your purchase.
If you’re seeking a natural and untreated yellow diamond but have a limited budget, there are methods to reduce costs. Opting for a white gold or platinum setting for your yellow diamond engagement ring will enhance its yellow hue and make a faint yellow color appear slightly darker.
However, yellow gold settings tend to decrease the yellow appearance of the diamond, which is not desirable.
Know the Treatments
Yellow diamonds, whether they are mined or lab-created, can be subjected to treatments to improve their color or clarity. It is important to note that any treatments should be disclosed by the seller or stated in the certification.
The most widely used technique for treating yellow diamonds is High Pressure, High Temperature (HPHT), which results in a more vibrant yellow color. This treatment is permanent and does not harm the diamond’s durability or ability to withstand exposure to sunlight.
HPHT-treated yellow diamonds are significantly more affordable than their untreated counterparts of similar quality.
Another treatment method is irradiation, which intensifies the color of the diamond. However, irradiated diamonds are sensitive to high temperatures, so it’s crucial to inform a jeweler of the treatment before any work is done on the stone.
It’s not recommended to treat diamonds; some individuals may not have the budget to purchase untreated stones. If you must purchase a treated yellow diamond, HPHT is the better option as coatings are temporary and require ongoing maintenance.