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Complete Guide to Buying a K Color Diamond
Not all diamonds are created equal—and when it comes to the K color diamond, the difference between a smart buy and an expensive mistake lies in the details most shoppers overlook. This guide is written by Benjamin Khordipour, a GIA Graduate Gemologist, author, lecturer, and one of the most respected celebrity jewelers in the world.
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What is a K Colored Diamond?
A K color diamond is a natural diamond that falls just below the near-colorless range on the GIA color scale, which runs from D (completely colorless) to Z (noticeable color). While diamonds in the D–J range are generally considered colorless or near-colorless, K color diamonds have a visible yellow or warm tint. This is especially true when viewed up close or placed next to a whiter stone. This subtle warmth gives K diamonds a distinct character, and in certain settings—especially vintage or yellow gold—this hint of color can actually enhance the diamond’s beauty and charm.
Although K color diamonds show more warmth than their higher-grade counterparts, that doesn’t mean they lack beauty or brilliance. In fact, many K diamonds—especially those with excellent cut quality—can still appear vibrant and full of life. Their warm tint can pair beautifully with yellow or rose gold settings, creating a rich, vintage-inspired look. And because K color diamonds are significantly more affordable than whiter stones, they offer an excellent value for buyers who prioritize size, cut, or overall character over absolute colorlessness.
How Yellow is a K Color Diamond?
As we’ve mentioned above, it’s unlikely that you or I would be able to see much yellow color in a K color diamond unless, perhaps, we had a colorless diamond sitting beside it for comparison.
On the old color scales, K was the equivalent of what was called “Tinted White”, as opposed to the next grade of “Tinted Color”. This indicates that K belongs more to the top end of the scale than to the bottom.
When set with platinum or white gold, the yellow tint in a K color diamond may start to become noticeable. However, this would still require close examination. With the usual viewing distance that you’d expect for an engagement ring (about 15 inches or so), any observer would be hard-pressed to see anything but a colorless diamond.
Conversely, in a yellow-gold setting, the slight warmth of the K color would be exaggerated. This versatility makes a K-color stone one of the most versatile there is.
J Color Diamond vs K Color Diamond
Deciding between getting a J color or a K color is a much more common question than you would believe. And it’s also a very hard question to answer objectively.
Here is a list of things to consider so that you can answer the question by yourself:
- The difference in color between a J and K diamond is generally not so noticeable (especially with an antique diamond)
- The price difference is quite noticeable, especially in diamonds larger than 2 carats.
- J Color diamonds are a little easier to sell and are more desirable (and rarer)
- Many feel that once a diamond already has some color (j color), it doesn’t matter to have a little more color
- J and K are in two different color brackets on the color-scale chart.
Important Note: Please note that some diamonds will get a certification of j/k color (or jk color or j-k color). This means that the certifier felt that the diamond fell somewhere between both colors.
How Much Does a K Color Diamond Cost?
One of the biggest advantages of choosing a K color diamond is the price—these diamonds can cost far less than near-colorless options like G or H, making them a smart choice for buyers who want a larger stone without paying a premium for color. This cost difference allows shoppers to prioritize size, cut, or setting design, especially when the diamond will be set in yellow or rose gold, which naturally softens the appearance of the warm tint.
In the U.S., most buyers prefer a bigger diamond with a touch of warmth, while in Europe, shoppers typically favor smaller stones with higher color grades, such as H or better. This cultural difference helps explain why K color diamonds are more popular in the American market, particularly among those who want maximum impact for their budget.
Whereas a J color diamond will be around half the price of a D color with all other things being equal, similarly, a K diamond may be as much as 20-30% lower in price than a J color.
“Most jewelers will consider the color K to be the start of the tinted diamonds when really it could also be classified as the end of the colorless,” says Afshin Shaddaie.
To get a better idea about how much a K-color diamond costs, let’s take an example of a stone where all other factors are the same (cut and clarity). For this table, we’re using a VS2 excellent cut round brilliant diamond. Bear in mind that the pricing below reflects market pricing as of Mid-2025. To get the best rates, contact us at Estate Diamond Jewelry for exclusive diamond pricing.
| Carat Weight of K color | Price |
|---|---|
| .50 Carat | $650 |
| 1 Carat | $2,800 |
| 2 Carat | $12,600 |
| 3 Carat | $33,000 |
| 4 Carat | $56,000 |
| 5 Carat | $85,000 |
| 6 Carat | $102,000 |
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Understanding Antique K Color Diamonds
Antique diamonds are becoming harder to find, but those that do survive, though, have a couple of distinct advantages over a modern cut diamond. This is especially true of those “officially classed as K color”.
Antique diamonds have something that modern stones will never have, which provides a big advantage in terms of color.
Diamond grading is always done at 10x magnification, which makes seeing inclusions, flaws, and color tints much easier. With antique cuts like old mine and old European, the cut itself is a huge help to the apparent color.
Although classed as K color, most antique diamonds will actually present themselves quite differently from a top-view angle. Many K color antique diamonds compare favorably to a modern J or even I color stone.
The old cuts somehow mask any tint at this level, making them appear much whiter than a 10x loupe examination would establish.
Pros and Cons of a K Color Diamond
One of the biggest pros of a K color diamond is its value. You can often go significantly larger in carat weight or upgrade to a higher cut quality without breaking your budget. When set in yellow or rose gold, the warm tint of a K diamond blends in beautifully, making the color less noticeable to the untrained eye. K color diamonds also pair well with antique or vintage-style settings, where a slightly warmer hue feels more authentic and timeless. For buyers who care more about size, style, or setting than absolute colorlessness, K color can be an excellent and rewarding choice.
On the downside, the yellow tint in a K diamond is more noticeable—especially in white gold or platinum settings, which tend to emphasize color. If your eye is sensitive to color or you plan to pair the diamond with smaller side stones of a higher grade, the contrast could become apparent. K color diamonds also tend to be less popular for resale, as many buyers still prefer whiter diamonds. That said, with thoughtful setting choices and guidance from an expert, the pros of a K color diamond can easily outweigh the cons for the right buyer.
Click here to browse our collection of K-color diamond rings and jewelry.
Best Diamond Shapes and Cuts for K Color Diamond
As we noted earlier, certain cuts will emphasize the yellow tint in a K color diamond, whereas others will camouflage it. As a general rule, the more faceted the stone, the better job it’ll do at masking the yellowed tint. These are our favorite cuts to get the whitest appearance from your K-color diamond.
- Old European Cut – We’ve already discussed how antique cuts can make a K color diamond appear whiter. The old European cut (and old mine cut diamond) is the predecessor to today’s modern brilliant cut diamond. It would make a great choice for a K color diamond because it can easily pass for a higher-grade diamond such as a J color. You can view our collection of old European cut diamond engagement rings here.
- Round Brilliant Cut – Arguably the most popular diamond shape of all time, the modern round brilliant cut is another great choice if you’re going for a k color diamond. The multiple facets help to mask some of the yellow tint, making the diamond appear whiter and brighter than it’s color grade.
- Cushion Cut – Another multi-faceted cut, cushion cuts can range from square to rectangular shaped and create a stunning “crushed ice” effect when you look at them in the light. This cut is one of our all time favorite diamond shapes and will also work brilliantly with a k color diamond. Find our extensive selection of vintage cushion cut diamond engagement rings here.
- Princess Cut – One of the more unique styles on our list, the Princess cut is great if you want a multi-faceted diamond with a more modern flair. It still gives a brilliant effect that will also work well to minimize yellow tints and would be a great choice for a k color stone.
How to Choose a K Color Diamond
If you’re choosing a setting for your K color diamond, here’s a few thing to consider.
1. Best Metals for a K Color Diamond
First is a your choice of metals. Because K color diamonds can have a yellowish tint, we recommend sticking to white gold or platinum settings which will give an overall brighter effect and make the diamond appear whiter. In addition, platinum always has an added advantage in that it allows for better craftsmanship, and provides a more durable setting than gold.
That doesn’t mean that you can’t use a yellow gold setting with a K color diamond. There are those that maintain that a yellow or rose gold can camouflage the yellowness of the stone. Keep in mind though, that the overall tone of your ring will be a warmer, more classic look, which is great if that’s what you’re going for.
2. Best Setting for a K Color Diamond
Another point to think about is the actual setting. As a general rule, a bezel setting is a better choice for a K color diamond than a pronged one. The reason is that the yellowness in the diamond will usually be most visible from the sides of the stone. In a bezel setting, the side of the stone is hidden, as opposed to a pronged setting where you can view the diamond from all sides.
That being said, an antique cut K color diamond will usually work even with a pronged setting, so if you specifically like the look of prongs, try to source an antique cut diamond for your ring. Our jewelers would be happy to help you find the perfect antique stone for you.
3. Best Accent Stones for a K Color Diamond
A great way to make your K color diamond appear brighter and less yellow is by properly utilizing the accent or side stones. Using lower color-grade diamonds, such as L color, to accent the center stone, will help it appear brighter and whiter by contrast.
Are K Color Diamonds Good for an Engagement Ring
In short, yes. K color diamonds make a fantastic choice for an engagement ring, and here’s why.
Many people prefer to get the largest stone they can within their budget. A large center diamond will usually look more impressive and make a bigger statement, which is great for a lifetime investment piece, like an engagement ring.
Unless you have an unlimited budget, usually getting a larger carat size means compromising on either clarity or color. With a larger diamond, it’s almost always a better choice to go for a lesser-grade color and higher-grade clarity. The reason for this is that the larger the stone, the more noticeable the inclusions become. This is especially true if we’re talking about a step-cut diamond like an emerald or Ascher cut, where there are less facets to hide the inclusions.
This is why a K color diamond makes an excellent choice for an engagement ring. Choosing a K color diamond will allow you to get a larger stone with great clarity, while still maintaining a reasonably bright color.
Pro Tip: Try to go for a VS2 clarity grade or higher when purchasing a K color diamond.
Are K Colored Diamonds Worth Buying
In our opinion, absolutely. K-Color diamonds offer great value and good quality at a much lower price than higher-grade stones. Specifically because K-color is right on the border of two color categories, the price difference is usually greater than the actual difference in quality and appearance. It’s one of our top recommendations and we think K-color is probably some of the best value you can get in a diamond due to its price to quality ratio.
Note: Taking into account what we said above, if your budget allows for it, a J-color diamond does have some advantages over a K-color. Read more about J-color diamonds in our expert guide if you’re trying to determine which is the best choice for you.
What Makes A Diamond White?
This is a trick question. Diamonds are naturally white, and the question is what makes certain diamonds appear a color other than pure white.
Traces of other elements are what cause otherwise white diamonds to be yellow, brown, and even red or blue.
In the most common non-white color of yellow, nitrogen is responsible for the color being present. Nitrogen, whilst being the most abundant element in the atmosphere, isn’t particularly common in the earth’s crust. This makes it a little surprising that Nitrogen is the element most commonly found in diamonds, after carbon.
By the time we get to K on the color scale, the yellow tint is starting to become more pronounced. Based on this, many would think that anything below J would be discarded and considered unsuitable for fine jewelry. But you’d be wrong to write off K color stones quite so easily.
Talk to a Diamond Expert
Have questions about purchasing a K color diamond ring? Or do you have a specific vision in mind for your engagement ring that you’d like help to create? Message one of our expert jewelers, and we’ll help you along the process of finding the perfect piece!
