Abstract
We present insights into the electronic structure and relaxation of N-V color centers in diamond which support the contention that Jahn-Teller effects may play a very significant role in the excited E state. We also consider several opposing arguments, but show that the unusual relaxation behavior of the N-V center can mask common signatures of the Jahn-Teller effect, and that it remains a strong candidate for the dominant interaction determining excited-state splittings.