Diamonds are traditionally graded according to the famous “4 Cs“: cut, color, clarity and carat weight. However, traditional grading does not include the fancy natural colored diamonds that are becoming a popular jewelry trend. Fancy colored diamonds have been worn and collected for centuries, in fact the Rajah of Agra gave Babur, a Moghul Emperor, the light pink “Agra” diamond as a gift in 1526, and Babur wore the diamond in his turban for many years after.But it has only been in recent decades that enough natural colored diamonds are available to the commercial or consumer diamond market. There have been unfortunate developments in science that allow for the manufacture of colored diamonds in laboratories, simply by introducing various degrees of radiation to clear stones, and buyers must be aware of this and purchase loose diamonds or colored diamond jewelry only from reputable vendors.
Fancy colored diamonds are available in a rainbow of hues and colors, in fact over 300 colors have been identified, but for simplification, fancy colored diamonds are categorized into several main color groups, and each group comes with an entirely different price tag. There are yellow, brown, pink, blue, black, green, orange, red, purple and olive stones. The variations are almost limitless, and some colors are found only in specific geographic regions, or even specific mines owned by diamond companies. For example, pink diamonds are found only in a very limited area of the world, and it is primarily from the Australian area that the majority of pink diamonds enter the market. For this reason they tend to carry a much higher sale price and value.
Pink diamonds are a new “must have” accessory for celebrities of all kinds. Found for centuries in India, Brazil and Tanzania, today the primary location for pink diamond mining is northwestern Australia. Color ranges for pinks vary from pastels of coral and baby pink to vivid and intense bubblegum and strawberry pinks. Some of the highest market sale prices for loose diamonds at auction are currently the pink diamond categories.
Yellow diamonds display a light to vivid yellow hue and are found most frequently in South African diamond mines and mining areas. Some of the world’s largest known cut diamonds are yellows including the “Red Cross“, the “Allnat” and the “Kahn Canary“. One of history’s most mysterious, and now missing, diamonds is the “Florentine” belonging initially to the famous Medici family. The stone is estimated to be 140 carats and is a yellow tinged with green undertones. In 1743 it entered into the property of Emperor Francis I, and disappeared in 1918 when the Habsburg royal family went into exile in Switzerland.
Rare among fancy colored diamonds are the blues, ranging from pale to peacock blue, the stones are tremendously popular and sought after for jewelry. The most famous diamond in the world, the “Hope Diamond” is a blue of extraordinary deep color. Though not huge by historical standards, at 45 carats, the stone’s colorful and mysterious history gives it a remarkable value. Today it is housed at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. Another very famous blue diamond is in fact a work of Hollywood fiction: the “Heart of the Ocean” which played a key role in the blockbuster film “Titanic” does not exist, but did play a strong part in alerting the public to the existence of actual colored diamonds.
Brown diamonds can range from light honey or caramel color to the deep brown of cognac or chocolate. They are mined in Australia, Africa and Siberia. They are currently a popular choice in the fashion and celebrity world. The largest cut natural diamond in the world is a brown – the “Golden Jubilee” presented to the King of Thailand on the 50th anniversary of his coronation, is a 545 carat stone that was three years in the designing, cutting and polishing process.
Green diamonds are so rare as to not actually enter the market with any predictability of frequency. A true green is rarely found, but instead variations of green are available, from yellowish greens to greenish yellows. The “Dresden Green” is one of the rarest diamonds in the world, weighing in at 48 carats; it is a true green, without any of the traditional patching patterns that occur with the irregular colorations of most green diamonds. The Dresden Green is on display in Dresden, Germany.
Because the color orange is not a primary color there are few occasions when a fancy colored diamond is deemed truly orange. Most of the orange diamonds available will be in a range shades from amber or brown, to fiery reddish copper. The “Pumpkin Diamond” at 5.54 is the largest of fancy vivid orange diamonds certified on record, and is currently in the hands of a world-famous collector.
Of all fancy colored diamonds, red is the most difficult to find. Most dealers or jewelers have never had the chance to even see a red diamond. Historically, the “Red Shield” is the largest known red diamond, weighing in at only 5 carats.
Finally the black diamonds, technically without color at all, are gaining popularity in the jewelry and collector industries. The play of light across the surface of a well-cut black diamond is just as hypnotic and intense as a colorless or white diamond.
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