Are They Still Diamonds?
In a word, yes. While the common color grading scale used for diamonds runs from D (completely clear) to Z (obviously yellow) there is an entire subset which fall beyond the Z rating into the umbrella grade of "Fancy." Fancy diamonds still hold all of the other characteristics of traditional white diamonds - the hardness, the technical measure of clarity, the cut, and carat are all the same.
A Scale All Their Own
Diamonds that fall outside of the white grading scale, still have to have a subjective color grade assigned to them. However, the grading scale is considerably easier for the layman to understand. Colored diamonds with the faintest hints of color are given a grade of Faint. Lightly colored gems are either Very Light, or Light. The bolder colors, your truly fancy gems, are graded along a scale ranging from Fancy Light to Fancy Dark, with Intense, Vivid, and Deep breaking up the middle.
A Stone of Many Colors
As you might have guessed, pink isn't the only color. The infamous, and rumored to be cursed, Hope Diamond is a 45.52 carat dark grayish blue diamond. Canary diamonds are a brilliant yellow. Both brown and black diamonds are both real and growing in popularity lately. Other colors include orange, red, green, and purple. According to the Gemological Institute of America and the International Gemological Institute, there are 27 official hues which span the color spectrum, and there are diamonds to fill each of those hues.
Not to Get Too Technical
How they gain those hues is a bit of a technical process. Essentially, when the diamonds are forming from pure carbon, the molecules arrange themselves into a cage called a crystal matrix. As the they are crushed under the earth's pressure, that matrix closes in on itself. Occasionally, during that process, atoms from other elements such as boron, nitrogen, or hydrogen, will be trapped inside as their respective matrices close. The end result is the colored diamond. As one would rightly assume, when multiple gases are trapped in the diamond, you get blended colors, like pink champagne.
Still Really Rare
While color is certainly one reason why people prize fancy diamonds, it's certainly not the only one. They are exceptionally rare. Colored diamonds, with a Fancy or deeper color grade, account for a mere 1.8% of the entire world's diamonds. When that percentage is broken down by color, those percentages get even smaller. Canary diamonds, which are known for their brilliantly yellow hue, account for less than 0.1% of the world's diamonds. Factor in the other common factors - the size of the stone, the inherent shape, and the sense of clarity, and colored diamonds of significant size and quality get even rarer still.
Why Choose a Colored Diamond?
They aren't for everyone or even for every type of jewelry. However, they do have some very strong selling points. The rarity of colored diamonds makes them special. The variety of colors means that they can be used to convey not only the emotions associated with a traditional diamond, but also to cater to the specific tastes of the recipient. It's those strengths that allow colored diamonds to fill jewelry niches that traditional white diamonds could not. In the end, a colored diamond provides a new and unique spin on a familiar and classic idea.
Jill Renee, President of DanforthDiamond.com has years of experience and expertise in the jewelry market, and has helped many satisfied customers in finding the right piece of jewelry from loose diamonds, wedding rings and engagement rings. Let Jill and her experienced staff help you, please visit DanforthDiamond.com
In a word, yes. While the common color grading scale used for diamonds runs from D (completely clear) to Z (obviously yellow) there is an entire subset which fall beyond the Z rating into the umbrella grade of "Fancy." Fancy diamonds still hold all of the other characteristics of traditional white diamonds - the hardness, the technical measure of clarity, the cut, and carat are all the same.
A Scale All Their Own
Diamonds that fall outside of the white grading scale, still have to have a subjective color grade assigned to them. However, the grading scale is considerably easier for the layman to understand. Colored diamonds with the faintest hints of color are given a grade of Faint. Lightly colored gems are either Very Light, or Light. The bolder colors, your truly fancy gems, are graded along a scale ranging from Fancy Light to Fancy Dark, with Intense, Vivid, and Deep breaking up the middle.
A Stone of Many Colors
As you might have guessed, pink isn't the only color. The infamous, and rumored to be cursed, Hope Diamond is a 45.52 carat dark grayish blue diamond. Canary diamonds are a brilliant yellow. Both brown and black diamonds are both real and growing in popularity lately. Other colors include orange, red, green, and purple. According to the Gemological Institute of America and the International Gemological Institute, there are 27 official hues which span the color spectrum, and there are diamonds to fill each of those hues.
Not to Get Too Technical
How they gain those hues is a bit of a technical process. Essentially, when the diamonds are forming from pure carbon, the molecules arrange themselves into a cage called a crystal matrix. As the they are crushed under the earth's pressure, that matrix closes in on itself. Occasionally, during that process, atoms from other elements such as boron, nitrogen, or hydrogen, will be trapped inside as their respective matrices close. The end result is the colored diamond. As one would rightly assume, when multiple gases are trapped in the diamond, you get blended colors, like pink champagne.
Still Really Rare
While color is certainly one reason why people prize fancy diamonds, it's certainly not the only one. They are exceptionally rare. Colored diamonds, with a Fancy or deeper color grade, account for a mere 1.8% of the entire world's diamonds. When that percentage is broken down by color, those percentages get even smaller. Canary diamonds, which are known for their brilliantly yellow hue, account for less than 0.1% of the world's diamonds. Factor in the other common factors - the size of the stone, the inherent shape, and the sense of clarity, and colored diamonds of significant size and quality get even rarer still.
Why Choose a Colored Diamond?
They aren't for everyone or even for every type of jewelry. However, they do have some very strong selling points. The rarity of colored diamonds makes them special. The variety of colors means that they can be used to convey not only the emotions associated with a traditional diamond, but also to cater to the specific tastes of the recipient. It's those strengths that allow colored diamonds to fill jewelry niches that traditional white diamonds could not. In the end, a colored diamond provides a new and unique spin on a familiar and classic idea.
Jill Renee, President of DanforthDiamond.com has years of experience and expertise in the jewelry market, and has helped many satisfied customers in finding the right piece of jewelry from loose diamonds, wedding rings and engagement rings. Let Jill and her experienced staff help you, please visit DanforthDiamond.com
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