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. Our P.S. Multi-Color Diamond Long Tag Pendant is a Sethi Couture favorite with an array of multiple natural color diamonds.
Fun Facts of Fancy Color Diamonds
1. Fancy color diamonds come in a wide variety of colors in the visible spectrum. Yellow and brown diamonds are the most frequently encountered. Red, blue, green, orange, pink, violet, gray, and other fancy color diamond varieties have more rarity.
2. Billions of years ago, tiny amounts of nitrogen (yellow and orange shades), boron (blue), and hydrogen (violet) as well as natural radiation (green) contributed to the miracles that are mined today in parts of the world like Australia (pink), Siberia (purple), South America (green), and Southern Africa (blue).
3. Red diamonds are the rarest color variation of color diamonds with only 20–30 mined red diamonds existing in the entire world. The average size of a red diamond is ½ to 1 carat, and the valuation is $1 million per carat. Their red hue likely comes from a rare lattice defect that causes stress lamination during formation.
4. Pink diamonds obtain their pink color through plastic deformation. The crystal structure is compressed in such a way that it reflects red light.
5. Pink diamonds are so rare that the amount recovered in one year would only fill a champagne flute.
6. The majority of the world’s pink diamonds were discovered in the Argyle Mine in Australia, thus being called “Argyle Diamonds.”
7. The green hue in diamonds is the result of trace radioactive material like uranium or thorium emitting radiation that penetrated the diamond during formation.
8. The 41-carat Dresden Green Diamond is one of the rarest fancy diamonds. It was most likely mined in India and has been displayed for centuries in Dresden, Germany.
9. Brown diamonds became popular in the 1980s when the industry began marketing them with names like “champagne,” “cognac,” and “chocolate.”
10. The yellow hue of yellow diamonds is caused by trace amounts of nitrogen. Unlike white diamonds where yellow is undesirable, a deeper yellow saturation increases value.
11. The 45.52-carat deep blue Hope Diamond was named after Henry Philip Hope. It was later donated by Harry Winston to the Smithsonian Institution. The blue hue is due to boron in the crystal structure.
12. When a diamond falls outside of GIA’s D-to-Z color scale, it is considered a fancy-color diamond. The grading scale for color intensity includes: faint, very light, light, fancy light, fancy, fancy intense, fancy vivid, fancy dark, and fancy deep.
13. Color diamonds are cut to maximize the intensity of their color. Radiant and oval cuts enhance yellow, while pinks look best in radiant, round, or princess cuts. Champagne diamonds show strong shades in most shapes.
14. Not all fancy color diamonds are valued equally. Price is influenced by rarity and color intensity. The rarest and most valuable are intense/vivid red, purple, and orange diamonds. More common varieties like champagne or black diamonds are typically more affordable. Our Leena Multi-Color Diamond Pendant is a showcase of natural color diamonds in an assortment of shades.
