At one time, the most common type of diamond was the clear, translucent variety with plenty of sparkle. Over the years, however, the availability of different colors of diamonds have increased. Celebrities in particular have picked up on the trend of colored diamonds and as a result they have become increasingly popular with mainstream society as well.Currently, one of the most popular colors of diamonds making the trend scene is brown. These earth colored diamonds are available in varying shades and have quickly become the new darling of the diamond world. Known by a variety of different intriguing names, you likely will not actually find these diamonds termed as ‘brown’ in any retail jewelry establishments. What you will find are earth toned diamonds with names such as chocolate, champagne and cognac, just to name a few.
Part of the reason that these interesting color diamonds have become so popular is the fact that consumers have become increasingly fashion conscious. As a result, their interest in having jewelry that matches their ensembles has grown. Consequently, colored diamonds have become the current trend.
In the last few years, colored diamonds have definitely swept the jewelry scene. Only approximately one out of every ten thousand diamonds are actually colored diamonds. Of those that are colored diamonds, the most common colors are yellow and brown.
Due to the fact that yellow and brown diamonds are more plentiful and not as rare, they are also less expensive that other colors. For example, two of the rarer colors in the spectrum of diamond hues are blue and pink. As a result, they are naturally more expensive. Diamonds can certainly hail from anywhere around the world; however, a large majority of the brown diamonds are typically found in Australia. Although the average consumer’s attitude toward brown diamonds in years past was somewhat negative, that has certainly changed in recent years.
Part of the reason for that could be the growing acceptance of celebrities toward the interesting colored stones. Just as with any other fashion trend, consumers tend to emulate what they see their favorite stars wearing. As soon as big name stars began donning chocolate and cognac colored diamonds, it was only a matter of time before they gained acceptance in the larger retail industry as well.
Generally, champagne and cognac colored diamonds are reserved for fashion jewelry pieces while clear or white diamonds are still the preferred medium for engagement and bridal jewelry. That is not to say, however, that there is not a segment of the consumer population that is using these colored stones for engagement rings.
Overall, it is estimated that darker colored diamonds represent at least $4 billion in sales annually. Compared to the entire diamond retail industry this amounts to about 7% of the annual diamond sales around the world. With names like cognac, champagne and chocolate summoning up images of decadence and luxury, it is little wonder that these diamonds are gaining in popularity.
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