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K color with faint brown, what do you think?

J

jill_s

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
May 6, 2008
Messages
752
Hi, I am considering purchasing a stone that is a K color with a faint brown designation. The stone is approx 0.6 ct and I'm planning to set it in a WG bezel pendant setting. I currently own a pair of BGD sig K stones for earrings, so I'm familiar with how K stones look color-wise. The only thing I'm hesitating on is the faint brown designation. The price is good, and if the faint brown wasnt there, I would have bought it already. Am I overracting? Should I pass? The diamond is very well cut, so I know it will perform well. Appreciate your thoughts!
 
Can you set it in YG instead and play up the brownish tint? Make it look a bit more 'champagne' like on purpose?
 
I would pass. There is a diamond I am really interested in but I also see a faint brown tint which is turning me off.
 
I wouldn't do it
 
Exact opposite reaction - according to GIA precepts and my own experience, stones with the faint brown designation actually tend to read as being "whiter" than stones with faint yellow. I'd check to make sure it agreed with me personally, but I'd vote for the ""steely" look of a faint brown over the more typical faint yellow unless You really like the way it can look straight-up yellow in some lights ....
 
I am with Circe. There are some pluses about having a brownish undertone versus the yellow. Personally I have seen one and it looked very white face up and only mildly tinted in the body. I really think they look amazing in yellow gold and rose gold.

They tend to be chameleons (as I am learning) and take on different personality in different lighting. They are usually more reasonably priced than the diamonds with the yellow undertone. The price you see probably has taken this into account. There are people who like these traits (and their price point) and seek them out, but they aren't for everyone's tastes. I personally don't see them as a lesser quality. I equate "quality" with clarity and cut. The color is just a rarity/personal preference thing....well, and a price thing too. But that is just my own opinion :wavey:
 
I love the faint browns in rose gold to play up the champagne color
 
I have a beautiful 1.6 ct. L faint brown with strong blue flour. It is stunning and you would never guess it is an L. Visually way less tinted than any other L that I have seen. The brown is less detectable to the eye than the more typical yellow. I love my find and it was a great deal that I was happy to be knowledgable enough to take advantage of!
 
purplesparklies|1338059511|3204382 said:
I have a beautiful 1.6 ct. L faint brown with strong blue flour. It is stunning and you would never guess it is an L. Visually way less tinted than any other L that I have seen. The brown is less detectable to the eye than the more typical yellow. I love my find and it was a great deal that I was happy to be knowledgable enough to take advantage of!
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:wavey: purplesparklies. Could you show us a few pics of your beauty? It sounds gorgeous and I'd love to see it!
 
This feedback actually helped me too. Not to thread jack, I really was interested in this diamond 2.8ct but many PS told me to pass because of the color. It had awesome cutting and facetting.
 
CharmyPoo, I would have said the SAME thing six months ago. That's another reason to see something in person. From what I have read, its not the appearance that gives it negative press, but the fact that after the argyle mines opened (which produce most of the brown tinted diamonds in the world) these undertones were not very rare in comparison to their yellow based counterparts.
It depends on the situation. If I were looking for more size for the $, I wouldnt turn my nose up to one. If I were given a choice between a brown tinted and yellow tinted (whatever the terminology) without regard to price, I would probably go with the yellow undertone just because of the higher resale value. But, if you think about it, you will most likely pay more for the latter, so I am not sure if there would be any difference in net profit for resale in the future if you decided you didn't like or wanted to upgrade. I do think it is something worth an "in-person" look before you write them off.
Anyone, as usual, is welcome to correct or revise what I gleaned from the articles I read. There are certainly more educated people on here, but that's about all I know!!
 
In general, I prefer faint brown to yellow. I would at least see the stone and see what you think...
 
Vinjewels, that's interesting - what I was told was that they were more uncommon, still (hence the need to single out "faint brown" instead of assuming brown rather than yellow undertones on the part of the modern labs). As I understand it, the pale brown body color is still atypical - Argyle produces straight up champagne and brown, which might well still taint the public consciousness, sort of like the whole blue-white debacle tainting fluorescence. Man, I LOVE this kind of thing - the psychology, the marketing, fascinates me.

PS - My anniversary ring is a J/K according to my appraiser (he thought GIA could swing either way if I get it certed - and I did make sure to ask ... GIA J/K, or EGL, to which he replied the former, which is a margin I'm comfortable with), and it looks to me like it has a brown hue as opposed to a yellow one. So while I don't have time to repost representative images ... linkee: https://www.pricescope.com/communit...ng-2-5-carats-of-transitional-cut-joy.166379/
 
I have a stone that's a very nice cut (had it recut) and an appraiser said it had a hint of brown/gray. I now have it set in a WF pendant and it looks beautiful. Thing is once a stone is set and on your neck the color isn't as noticeable as the cut. My diamond sparkles and catches the light but even at a PS gathering no one would have guessed the stone was slightly off color. I also have an M set in a pendant and it also looks fabulous. The placement of a pendant hides the color.

If the price is right and you already have K's, go for it.
 
well, i looked for a stone like this--do you have pics?
I would so much LOVE to see it.
Are you gonna view it in person?
My vote is that you see it ;)
In a K color range you may find it very pleasing--the tint would be *so faint*, but in darker colored rooms, like rooms with a lot of mahogany furnitures/woodwork-& in lower lights-you might find it does something quite amazing.

I purchased an N colored stone--it's not a faint brown, but it's not yellow either-I get a slight cream soda tint in certain lightings, or if it's right next to white diamonds you can see a slight amount of color. For the most part though, it's white, even as a N, & this doesn't change the color of the firey reflections or the brilliance.
(but i'm a person who did not want anything higher than a J-i'm not a steely diamond fan)
 
Hello Enerchi! :)

I have pics in an old post about my BGD re-cut. My stone was a lucky eBay find that BGD polished into perfection! I am still in love with it and have never regretted taking a chance on this one.
 
Niiiiiiiiiice ring!!!! that's a great faint brown diamond - I would never have expected it to look like that- its so lovely and soft and warm and kind of pinkish too :love: Gorgeous!!!! Thanks!
 
Thanks! :) :) :) She's a real chameleon. Amazing colors reflect out of her. I have been at very hoity-toity events with the hubby and had wives of CEOs, etc. gasp and grab my hand. They often have enormous colorless diamonds and they always comment on my fireball. :) I think it's a combination of her unique color/faint brown/strong fluor and the amazing cut.
 
Circe|1338074844|3204467 said:
Vinjewels, that's interesting - what I was told was that they were more uncommon, still (hence the need to single out "faint brown" instead of assuming brown rather than yellow undertones on the part of the modern labs). As I understand it, the pale brown body color is still atypical - Argyle produces straight up champagne and brown, which might well still taint the public consciousness, sort of like the whole blue-white debacle tainting fluorescence. Man, I LOVE this kind of thing - the psychology, the marketing, fascinates me.
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It fascinates me too, Circe. I would definitely yield to your being more experienced than myself on old cuts, grading, etc.. I didn't know they existed until last year. I think my limitations on knowledge about it tend to make me over-generalize, when there is much more to it than just brown vs. yellow. I wish there was more info out there on the subject.
 
swingirl|1338076745|3204470 said:
I have a stone that's a very nice cut (had it recut) and an appraiser said it had a hint of brown/gray. I now have it set in a WF pendant and it looks beautiful. Thing is once a stone is set and on your neck the color isn't as noticeable as the cut. My diamond sparkles and catches the light but even at a PS gathering no one would have guessed the stone was slightly off color. I also have an M set in a pendant and it also looks fabulous. The placement of a pendant hides the color.

If the price is right and you already have K's, go for it.
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Swingirl, I just looked up your old threads on your two pendants, and they were so helpful! I can't believe how good your M pendant looks - I think cut really does help. I want to set this stone exactly like you set that pendant.
If you don't mind me asking, what is the color of your other pendant that you had recut? It looks very beautiful too, and I couldn't see any brown from the photos. Do you see any IRL?
 
Circe|1338052795|3204316 said:
Exact opposite reaction - according to GIA precepts and my own experience, stones with the faint brown designation actually tend to read as being "whiter" than stones with faint yellow. I'd check to make sure it agreed with me personally, but I'd vote for the ""steely" look of a faint brown over the more typical faint yellow unless You really like the way it can look straight-up yellow in some lights ....
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Thanks for posting, Circe. Now that you mention it,I thought I had also heard that faint brown stones could also look more steely. I think I would prefer the steely look.

I also enjoyed looking at the pics of your new ring, it is just gorgeous!
 
purplesparklies|1338078312|3204483 said:
Hello Enerchi! :)

I have pics in an old post about my BGD re-cut. My stone was a lucky eBay find that BGD polished into perfection! I am still in love with it and have never regretted taking a chance on this one.
Click to expand...


Purplesparklies, that recut was awesome! Your ring is beautiful! Thanks for posting and offering your thoughts!
 
Jill, one thing to remember is that the amount of tint in the stone is a K no matter the hue. GIA is just saying that what body color that it has, is brown not yellow. I suspect that it will be hard to even notice at all. I like brown tints myself. I say go for it! Another option, can you find a local jeweler with any similar stones to see in person?
 
Have you seen the stone in person??
I just purchased an L colored stone that I am returning because it is too "yellow". It actually looks like a very pale citrine in some lights. I like "warmer" stones, but I prefer the brownish hues to the yellows. I think the flashes of bronze and steel are awesome!!

And DreamerD is right, it will be "barely there" color.
I would be excited!! But definitely see it in person, if you can! And if you get it, be sure to post pictures!!

Good luck deciding!
 
Unless I am mistaken, this is a secondary buy and I doubt she can see it before buying in a final sale.
 
Oh, I see. That's a bummer.
 
Jill_s - can you get photos of the diamond you are considering? Can the vendor take photos of it under a variety of lighting situations? Is it currently set or selling as a loose diamond? - just to get a sense of how it looks in its current metal, if it is set
 
I honestly think a K is a K is a K; the tint is so little these type of modifiers hardly matter.
 
Hi everyone!
Personally I LOVE stones with the brown modifier.
Even in a K color, the difference from a "normal" tint is clear. The subtle tones may indeed look....dare I say...PINK... in some cases of -L-M colors with the brown comment from GIA.
These stones are rare.
Not that that makes them more valuable- as we can see here- some people will always see brown as a negative color, for which I am thankful ( it keeps prices down:)
 
Ditto PPs - I much prefer the faint brown modifier, I'd take a K w/ brown notation over a "yellow" K any day!
 
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