According to Wikipedia the name diamond derives from the ancient Greek (adamas) "invinciable", "untamed", from (damao) "to overpower, to tame"

We all love the allure of owning a diamond, it is given as a promise of everlasting love, as a reward for many years of service, as a gift to a couple who have managed to sustain a wonderful marriage for sixty years. The De Beers Jewellers tells us that " a diamond is forever". Yet with all the desire we have to own them and the high price we are willing to pay to acquire this status symbol we know very little about choosing the best diamond for our money.

Oh, we know that a diamond is the hardest naturally occurring mineral and that it will cut glass as well as another diamond, we know they are shiny and they sparkle beautifully on our fingers, but do we really understand what we are purchasing when we seek to buy that promise of forever.

We have all heard of the 4 C's involved with judging the quality of a diamond and since that is a well talked about subject, I will not be writing about that aspect of choosing the right diamond, but rather I shall discuss the subject of diamond tint and how it affects its quality and value.

Tint is often confused with treating a diamond but they are not the same, some diamonds are treated to improve clarity, they can be heat treated and sometimes even painted. Diamond tint however refers to the "whiteness" of a diamond not some alteration by man.

A white diamond demands higher prices, although it is not truly white as we think of something that is colored white, but is actually colorless. The less color a diamond prosesses the more desirable; at least that is what the De Beers Jewellers has promoted with tremendous success and we have come to agree. However, in truth the intensely natural colored diamonds are far rarer and can command much higher prices. These beautifully colored diamonds are known as "Fancy" or "Fancies". But, if consumers were more educated to the value and raity of these colored stones they might tend to gravitate towards buying not only these beauties, but also other colored stones such as rubies, emeralds, sapphires and amethysts.

So what does the term "tinted white" or "white" refer to, simply how colorless the diamond actually is. A top of the line diamond that is colorless is referred to as "exceptional white" then "rare white+", "rare white", "slightly tinted white", "tinted white" and so on down the scale, as the diamond becomes whiter in color.

In conclusion when you see a diamond described as slightly tinted white it has not been treated in any way, it merely has more color to it than it's so called "colorless" counterparts. In reality the diamond itself is not in any way less desirable or of lesser quality it simply has more color thus not as rare as the colorless version, remember the rule of "supply and demand". These tinted white diamonds still shine, they still have fire and are more affordable for the average consumer.

You should choose the jewelry you love, in whatever colors you love and make yourself happy. It is the same philosophy as choosing art. Do not acquire art merely because it goes with your decor, but choose it because you love its beauty and the way it makes you feel. Thank you for your time.