The Intrigue of Natural Color Diamonds
Diamonds occur naturally in a stunning spectrum of colors, from red to pink, yellow to orange, blue and beyond. We invite you to explore the fascinating history, origins, and unique beauty of these extraordinary natural colored diamonds, offering insights and intriguing facts that highlight their rarity and appeal.
Fascinating Facts of Fancy Color Diamonds
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Fancy colored diamonds can be found in nearly every shade of the visible spectrum. Yellow and brown diamonds are the most common, while rarer hues such as red, blue, green, orange, pink, violet, and gray are far more elusive. Our P.S. Multi-Color Diamond Long Tag Pendant is a Sethi Couture favorite with an array of multiple natural color diamonds.
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Billions of years ago, trace elements and exposure to natural radiation contributed to these miracles that are mined throughout the world. Nitrogen is responsible for yellow and orange hues, boron for blue, hydrogen for violet, and natural radiation for green. Pink diamonds are mined in regions like Australia, purple in Siberia, green in South America, and blue in Southern Africa.
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Red diamonds are the rarest of all colored diamonds, with only 20 to 30 known examples worldwide. Typically ranging from ½ carat to 1 carat, these extraordinary gems command valuations of around $1 million per carat. Composed entirely of carbon, red diamonds are somewhat mysterious, as their red color is believed to result from lattice defects that cause stress in the diamond’s atomic structure during its formation.
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Pink diamonds are highly sought after and owe their color to a process called plastic deformation, in which the diamond's crystal structure compresses in a way that reflects red light, creating their distinctive pink hue.
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Pink diamonds are so rare that the total amount recovered in one year would barely fill a champagne flute.
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The majority of the world’s pink diamonds come from the Argyle Mine in Australia, leading them to be known as "Argyle Diamonds." These gems are considered exceptionally rare.
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The green color in diamonds is caused by trace amounts of radioactive elements such as uranium or thorium. As these materials decayed, radiation penetrated the diamond, giving it its distinctive green hue.
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One of the rarest fancy diamonds in the world is the 41-carat Dresden Green Diamond. Although it was likely mined in India, it has been housed in Dresden, Germany, for centuries and is now part of the collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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Brown diamonds gained popularity in the 1980s when the diamond industry began marketing them with romantic names like “champagne,” “cognac,” and “chocolate.”
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The yellow color in diamonds is caused by trace amounts of nitrogen in their crystal structure. While a faint yellow tint in white diamonds can decrease their value, the worth of a true yellow diamond depends on the saturation of its color.
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The renowned 45.52-carat deep blue Hope Diamond was named after Henry Philip Hope. Passed down through generations of the Hope family, it was eventually sold in 1901 to settle debts. In 1958, the famed jeweler Harry Winston generously donated the diamond to the Smithsonian Institution. The blue hue seen in blue diamonds is due to the presence of boron in their crystal structure, which absorbs certain wavelengths of light.
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When a diamond falls outside the GIA's D-to-Z color scale, it is considered a colored diamond, also known as a fancy-colored diamond. This includes all hues other than colorless to light yellow or brown. The grading scale for fancy-colored diamonds, based on color intensity, ranges from faint, very light, and light to fancy light, fancy, fancy intense, fancy vivid, fancy dark, and fancy.
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Fancy-colored diamonds are typically cut to enhance the intensity of their color, rather than optimizing light return. The cut that best emphasizes a diamond’s face-up color is crucial. For instance, radiant and oval cuts are most effective in showcasing yellow diamonds, while pink diamonds are best exhibited in radiant, round melees, or princess cuts. Champagne diamonds can showcase strong tones across various cuts, including rounds, ovals, radiants, and princess cuts.
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Not all fancy-colored diamonds hold the same value. The price per carat and overall worth are determined by the rarity of the color. The most valuable diamonds are those with intense or vivid shades of red, purple, and orange. When comparing two rare-colored diamonds of equal hue and intensity, the value is then influenced by the stone's size. In contrast, champagne or black diamonds are more commonly found, making them a more affordable option. Our Leena Multi-Color Diamond Pendant is a showcase of natural color diamonds in an assortment of shades.
