For fancy colored diamonds, what orientation is used when grading color because cut can influence color?

• A. Face-up
• B. On-edge
• C. From the girdle
• D. Table-down

Answer: (A)

Color in fancy colored diamonds is graded with the stone oriented face-up (table up) to standardize how the color is seen. This view shows the color the way it would appear when the diamond is viewed from above in normal wear, and it accounts for how cut can alter light paths and color perception. Viewing from on-edge, table-down, or from the girdle changes how light travels through the stone and can shift the apparent color, making judgments inconsistent. The face-up orientation provides a stable, most representative impression of the color, enabling fair comparison across stones.