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Arrange your visitWhat Is Diamond Tinge and Milkiness - Natural Diamonds
Natural diamonds with similar headline grades can differ in appearance and price for several reasons, including proportions, transparency and the type and position of inclusions. Supplier shade, lustre and transparency fields can help, but their terminology varies. Review them alongside the laboratory report and the individual stone.
These example listings show a price difference between stones with similar headline grades. A lower price is a reason to compare the full details and appearance; it does not establish a quality problem on its own.
Diamond milkiness, also known as haziness or cloudiness, is a whitish or cloudy appearance that can make a diamond appear dull or opaque. It is caused by microscopic inclusions or surface blemishes that scatter light and interfere with its transmission through the diamond. This can reduce the diamond's brilliance and fire, and make it appear less transparent.
Milkiness is one detrimental flaw which can make or break even a D VVS1 diamond. It doesn't discriminate. Essentially the diamond looks blurry or "milky". It isn't mentioned clearly on a GIA certificate. Yes sometimes there can be comments saying clouds, but you can have beautiful non milky diamonds and still have the comment of clouds. This is where things get confusing.
So how do we find out if the diamond we're buying is amazing or the most expensive disappointment waiting to happen. That comes down to the jewellers intuition and experience.
First clue would be looking at the video to ascertain if it does seem to be a milky diamond. Hard for the layman to spot but a skilled jeweller with experience buying diamonds directly from the manufacturers should be able to spot it. Second would be the price. Is it an outlier or is it within the range of the other diamonds in question.
Milky Diamond - Notice the cloudiness
Non Milky Diamond. Notice how clear it looks, no blurriness present.
Supplier information can add observations about appearance to the laboratory report. Ask what the circled fields mean, how they were assessed and whether the descriptions have been checked against the individual stone.
The example uses Ex/VG/G for lustre and M0/M1/M2 for milkiness. These are supplier fields, not a universal laboratory scale. Ask for the supplier's definitions rather than treating a code as a guarantee. Shade or tinge labels also vary; GIA's D–Z grading already addresses normal yellow and brown colour. Compare the report, any additional observations and clear video or an in-person view under several light sources.
Now this all sounds rather difficult to navigate with traps left right and centre but trust in your jeweller to do you right and not palm off a lack luster diamond as a "good deal". Our ace up our sleeve at Anny's, on top of our experienced diamond hunters, is our independent Quality control check undertaken before each diamond is shipped from overseas to Australia. We contract an independent party to examine the diamond pre-purchase when a client requests to purchase a stone. If we get the green light, the show goes on. If there is questionable characteristic raised in the QC, we go back to the drawing board and find another option for the client.
Rest assured, we only say yes to a diamond if we are 110% confident.
In this example, the supplier describes one G-colour stone as non-milky, with Excellent lustre and a very light brown shade. That is the supplier's description of this stone, not a separate universal colour grade. Compare both stones and their full reports before deciding which appearance and price suit you.
Bad Diamond with tinge
Good Diamond No tinge
Common questions
What is diamond tinge?
Suppliers may use tinge or shade to describe a diamond's colour appearance, but terminology varies. These fields are not a universal second colour-grading system: GIA's D–Z grading already addresses normal yellow and brown colour. Ask what a supplier's label means for that stone and compare it with the report and actual appearance.Are milky diamonds a problem?
Milkiness describes a hazy or cloudy appearance that can reduce transparency and affect brilliance. Headline colour and clarity grades alone do not settle how a stone looks. Some suppliers use M0/M1/M2 labels, but definitions can vary; ask what they mean and inspect the individual stone under suitable lighting.Does GIA grade milkiness?
A standard GIA grading report does not have a separate supplier-style milkiness field. Clarity characteristics and comments can inform the assessment, but a cloud or graining reference alone does not establish visible haze. Read the report and any defined supplier fields alongside examination of the stone's transparency.