Rarity and value are primarily determined by a diamond’s color, or lack thereof. Whether a diamond possesses a red, pink, blue, green, or yellow hue, it is the intensity and transparency of that color that ultimately contributes to its overall value. In order to determine this purity, gemologists have developed a grading scale that starts at the letter ‘D’ and continues down the alphabet. Diamonds placed in the ‘D’ category are the most rare and thusly are of the greatest value. Conversely, diamonds placed in the ‘Z’ category, are considered of poorer quality and lesser value.