How Colored Metals Can Make Your Diamond Shine Brighter? | Vanessa Nicole Jewels (2024)

When you're shopping for your engagement ring, there are a lot of things you need to consider: diamond shape, diamond size, setting options, price. But the color of the ring itself is also something to consider.

Colored metals react in different ways with diamonds. Some of them make the diamond seem brighter, while others make the diamond seem darker. This guide will tell you how different metals react with the color of diamonds.

Color is one of the 4 C’s of diamond shopping, which makes it a vital factor to consider when you are shopping for a ring. The color grade of a diamond is rated between D and Z, D being colorless and Z having a light brown or yellowish tint to it. A diamond is most valuable when it has a D grade and least valuable when it has a Z grade.

A diamond’s color can be affected by the color of the ring’s metal band. There are many different colored bands to choose from. Depending on the color of the metal, the perceived color of the diamond can be affected by at least one color grade.

Colored Metals

Colored metals such as rose-colored and yellow-colored gold have the biggest effect on colorless diamonds because the diamonds will reflect some of the metal’s color. That means that colorless diamonds could appear to be 1-2 color grades lower than they actually are. This isn't in all cases, as it partly depends on how well the diamond is cut.

If you prefer a slight warmth to your diamond, it won’t be an issue, but it is something you should be aware of when shopping for your engagement ring.

Knowing that colorless diamonds pick up the hue of the colored band can save you money because you can buy a diamond that is slightly lower on the color grade scale. The slight yellow of a lower-graded diamond will blend in with the hue of the ring metal and will be less pronounced.

Two-Tone Ring Settings

Setting a colorless diamond on colored metal can make the prongs that the diamond sits on more prominent. Having colored prongs and a white diamond creates contrast. You can also choose to create a two-tone ring to make the prongs blend in more with the main diamond. An example is below:

Colored mounts also affect the color of a diamond. Yellow gold prongs will make the yellow in a lower color graded diamond less visible, while a lighter mount would make the diamond’s yellow color stand out more.

For example, let’s say you wanted a J-grade, round diamond on a colored band that had white metal or platinum prongs. The lighter metal of the prongs would reflect through the diamond, which would make it look brighter. As a result, the diamond may end up looking like an I-grade diamond depending on how well it’s cut.

On the other hand, if you wanted an F-grade diamond set on a colored band that had colored prongs, the diamond may end up looking like a G-grade diamond because it would reflect the color of the band.

Diamond Shape

The diamond shape can also affect how much of the colored metal base is reflected into the diamond. The way diamonds are cut and shaped give their faceting patterns different proportions, so no two diamonds are alike. This causes some shapes to show off their color more prominently or less prominently.

How the color grade of each diamond shape, how each diamond shape shows off its color, and how colored metals all react with each other are all things, you will need to consider.

The round brilliant shaped diamond is the shape that shows its body color the least. Emerald and Asscher shaped diamonds show their color more, so if you are planning on choosing one of these shapes, you should consider selecting a diamond that is one color grade higher than you would pick for a round brilliant.

Oval, marquise, and pear cut diamonds are the most susceptible to showing off their color depending on how well it's cut.

For white gold or platinum ring settings, it is best to stick with the following color grades:

For colored metal ring settings, consider sticking with the following color grades:

Shopping for an engagement ring can be a very overwhelming experience due to the all the choices that must be made. But if you make yourself familiar with how all the options interact with each other, it can make the process easier.