Colour is the grade you are most likely to notice once a stone is on a hand. Clarity mostly shows under magnification; colour shows in daylight, against white metal, and more as the stone gets bigger. This chart sets out the colour grades moissanite is sold in, what each looks like, and where the difference shows.
The moissanite colour chart
| Band | Grades | What you see | Where it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colourless | D, E, F | Icy white, no visible colour face-up or from the side | Nowhere to the eye, in any metal or any size |
| Near-colourless | G, H, I | White face-up, with a faint warmth | Larger stones, white gold and platinum, and next to a colourless stone |
| Faint tint | J, K | A visible warm, slightly yellow tone | Most sizes and most settings, especially in white metal |
| Tinted | L and below | A clearly coloured, warm stone | Everywhere |
Screens, lighting and eyes all render colour differently, so no picture can show these grades exactly. Treat any colour chart online, including this one, as a comparison rather than a reference.
D, E and F: colourless
D colour moissanite is the top of the scale: a stone with no detectable colour. E and F sit just below it, and the difference between the three is visible only to a trained grader comparing stones side by side. That's why they are sold as one band, DEF. To the eye, a DEF moissanite reads as pure white in any light.
So when people ask what D colour moissanite means, the practical answer is: colourless. It looks white face-up, from the side and in a white-metal setting, at every size.
G, H and I: near-colourless
Near-colourless moissanite looks white at a glance, but it carries a faint warmth. In a small stone set in yellow gold you may never notice it. In a larger stone, in white gold or platinum, or beside a colourless stone, you usually will. Much of the cheaper moissanite sold online sits in this band, often described as GH.
J, K and below: visible tint
From J down, the warmth becomes a tint you can see without trying. Some people like the vintage look of a warmer stone, and it can suit a yellow-gold setting. But if you want a white stone, this band is not it.
How metal and size change what you see
Metal colour
White gold and platinum reflect white light into the stone, so any warmth in it stands out. Yellow and rose gold reflect warm light, which masks a faint tint. A near-colourless stone can look fine in yellow gold and noticeably warm in white. A colourless stone looks white in all of them.
Stone size
Light travels further through a bigger stone, so colour builds up. A faint warmth that is invisible at 0.5 ct can be obvious at 2 ct. The larger the stone you want, the more colour grade matters.
Cut
Brilliant cuts such as the round scatter light and tend to hide a little colour. Step cuts such as the emerald and asscher have broad, open facets that show more of the stone's body colour. If you choose a step cut, colourless is the safer choice.
Coloured moissanite
Moissanite is also made in deliberate colours, such as black, blue and green. These are a different product from a tinted white stone: the colour is the point, not a flaw. We don't sell coloured moissanite; our range is colourless only.
What is the best colour for moissanite?
For a stone you want to look white, the best colour is DEF. It looks white in any metal, at any size and in any cut, so the choice of setting stays open. Near-colourless can work in a small stone set in yellow gold, but you are trading a look you may later notice for a lower price.
Why we sell only DEF
We decided to sell one colour band, the top one, so there is nothing to trade down to and no second tier to explain. Every stone we sell is DEF colourless and VVS clarity, with a certificate of authenticity and a lifetime warranty. Moissanite doesn't change colour over time, so the stone you receive is the stone you keep. If you want to understand the other grades too, our guide to how moissanite is graded covers clarity, cut and carat, and you can browse every stone at true size.
What is the best colour grade for moissanite?+
D, E and F are the top colour grades: colourless. A DEF moissanite looks white in any metal and at any size. Moissanite SA sells only DEF colourless stones.
What does D colour moissanite mean?+
D is the highest grade on the letter colour scale: a stone with no detectable colour. D, E and F are all colourless, and the difference between them can only be seen by a grader comparing stones side by side.
Is GH moissanite good?+
GH is near-colourless. It looks white at a glance but carries a faint warmth, which shows most in larger stones and in white gold or platinum. In a small stone set in yellow gold it can be hard to notice.
Does moissanite change colour over time?+
No. Moissanite does not cloud, fade or change colour. If a stone looks cloudy, it needs cleaning.
What colours does moissanite come in?+
Most moissanite is sold as a white stone, graded from colourless (DEF) through near-colourless (GHI) to tinted (J and below). It is also made in deliberate colours such as black, blue and green.