Will metal color affect the color of my diamond?

One of the most exciting parts of shopping for fine jewelry is choosing the type of metal (gold or platinum), color (yellow, rose, or white), and karatage (percentage of gold content, 14k or 18k).

If you’re shopping for your significant other, metal color may be something to plan for, so try to pay attention to his/her preferences, take a look at other jewelry pieces he/she wears and their taste in fashion. Yellow lends to warmth and a classic look, rose gives a soft touch of elegance and is fashion forward, while white is cool, versatile, and timeless.

When deciding on the metal color, it’s worth considering the color of your diamond and how the two will complement each other. You may be wondering, how does this influence a diamond's color? Well, one of the 4 C’s of diamonds is Color (judged un-mounted), so the mounting and prongs can play a role once set in your desired piece, which can affect the overall appearance of your jewelry.

Consider white metal colors like white gold or platinum if the diamond's color grade falls between D through J. This will help mask the diamonds color, make it appear less “yellow,” and will make your diamond appear even more colorless when viewed from the face-up position.

For color grades that fall between K, L, or M, either white, yellow, or rose metal colors can work depending on the look you’re going for. Keep in mind, unmounted, this color range will appear with a slight tint of yellow when viewed from the face-up position, so you have some flexibility in choosing the desired outcome in terms of more or less appearance of color.

Consider a yellow metal color if the color grades fall between N through Z. This color range will no doubt appear obvious in terms of yellow from the face-up position. Doing so will accentuate the diamonds “yellow” color.  

Prong color can also play a role in your diamond's appearance when set, especially in a setting other than white metal or a two-tone setting. Generally, with higher color grades, you can’t go wrong with white metal prongs. If your diamond is lower on the color scale (more yellow), or even considered “fancy”, then you may want to consider having yellow metal prongs, as this will add warmth and complement the yellow diamond.

The idea is to play into the strengths of your particular diamond. No two diamonds are alike or necessarily better than another. Each brings its unique combination of 4 C’s to the table. There’s no right or wrong way to go when choosing metal color! While it can play a role in either masking or accentuating the diamonds color, it won’t make or break the overall appearance of your jewelry.