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Colored Diamonds

Diamonds are Forever...
 We focus on facts to ensure you have the information to make the right choices when buying diamonds. Sit back and watch our videos or read our articles to get the whole story. Our impartial advice will help you make the right decision, because Diamonds are Forever...

Colored Diamonds
Diamonds are found in nature in a variety of hues. The colorless or white diamond are the most common, while some tinted stones, colored diamonds, are extremely rare and valuable. The shades of colored diamonds include yellow, blue, pink, red, green and brown.

Definition of Diamond Color - Difference between Colorless & Colored Diamonds
What is the Definition of Diamond Color and what is the difference between Colorless & Colored Diamonds? Colored diamonds contain impurities or structural defects that cause the coloration, while pure or nearly pure diamonds are transparent and colorless. Most diamond impurities replace a carbon atom in the crystal lattice.

The most common impurity, nitrogen, causes a slight to intense yellow coloration depending upon the type and concentration of nitrogen present. Diamonds with a detectable hue other than yellow or brown are known as colored diamonds.

Famous Colored Diamonds
 Famous Colored Diamonds are found in colors such as pink, green, red, orange, black and blue.  Some of the world's most famous diamonds are the colored ones, the heavy Dresden Green, for instance, and the infamous Hope Diamond. The Hope Diamond, which is blue in color, is thought to hold certain negative energy, and many unexplained deaths have been associated with its owners. The most famous diamonds in the world are almost always substantial in weight. There are, however, a significant number of famous diamonds that are not only large but are also colored. Many of the different colored diamonds are detailed below and the facts and information about each of the colored diamonds include an example of a famous diamond of each specific color.

Diamonds are Forever...
 An Impartial Guide to Diamonds

White Colored or Colorless Diamonds
The traditional color associated with the Diamond is white, or colorless, and is strongly favored as a popular gem in  jewelry. However, the white colored, or, colorless, diamond is categorised into the following: Colorless, Nearly colorless, Faintly tinted (usually yellow), Lightly tinted (usually yellow) and Tinted (usually yellow but may progress to brownish). The color scale for colorless diamonds goes from 'D' (colorless) to 'Z' (dark yellow). The amount of yellowish color decreases the value of a "colorless" stone.

Black Colored Diamonds
 Diamonds can occur in nearly any color, though yellow and brown are by far the most common. "Black" diamonds are not truly black, but rather contain numerous dark inclusions that give the gems their dark appearance. One of the most famous black colored diamonds is the Black Orlov (aka Orloff) which was acquired by the Russian Princess Nadia Vyegin-Orlov (aka Orloff) in the 1850's.

Blue Colored Diamonds
 Natural blue diamonds contain the element boron (B) which changes the conductivity of the diamonds. The most famous blue diamond is the infamous Hope Diamond. The French Blue Diamond, which later became the Hope Diamond, was stolen in 1762 from the French Crown Jewels during the French Revolution.

Red Colored Diamonds
 Crystal lattice defects during the formation of diamond causes the red color. Only a very few red diamonds have ever been found. Red colored diamonds are therefore extremely rare and valuable. One of the most famous red colored diamonds is the Halphen Red ( or Hancock Red). Its deep ruby color is unmatched. It was purchased in Paris by a diamond dealer called Edwin Streeter in the 19th century and famously sold at Christie’s in 1987 setting a new world per carat price for any gem.

Yellow Colored Diamonds
 Natural yellow diamonds contain the element nitrogen (N). One of the most famous yellow colored diamonds is the Allnatt Diamond which is a vivid yellow color. The Allnatt Fancy Vivid Yellow 101.29 carat Diamond was found in 1950 at the Premier Diamond Mine in South Africa. It was named after its original owner, Alfred Ernest Allnatt.

Pink Colored Diamonds
Crystal lattice defects during the formation of diamond cause the pink color. One of the most famous pink colored diamonds is the Pink Agra Diamond which was acquired by the first Mogul emperor, Babur (1483-1530) in 1526.

Green Colored Diamonds
 Exposure to the natural radiation in the earth such as uranium ore cause the green color. One of the most famous green colored diamonds is the Dresden Green diamond which was initially was sold to King Frederic August I in 1726 by Marcus Moses who acquired the stone in India. It has a fancy green color, weighs almost 41 carats, has 58 facets and has a pear shaped cut.

What Causes the Colors in Diamonds?
Every diamond has a crystal structure which is a unique arrangement of atoms in a crystal. Any defects or irregularities in the ideal atom arrangements produce an unusual crystal.  The range of different colors in diamonds are due to crystal defects, the conditions that apply (such as heat and pressure) and the elements that are present when the diamond crystal is formed.

  • The Blue Colored Diamond is caused by the presence of the element Boron (B) which changes the conductivity of the diamonds
  • Red, Pink & Brown Colored Diamonds are caused by crystal lattice defects during the formation of the diamond
  • The Yellow Colored Diamond is caused by the presence of the element Nitrogen (N) which changes the conductivity of the diamonds
  • The Green Colored Diamond is caused by exposure to the natural radiation in the earth such as uranium ore
  • "Black" diamonds are not truly black, but rather contain numerous dark inclusions that give the gems their dark appearance

Ranked Value of Diamond Colors
Colored Diamonds are ranked according to their rarity and value. The following is the order in which the colored Diamond may be ranked in rarity & value:

  • 1 - Red - the rarest diamond color
  • 2 - Green
  • 3 - Blue
  • 4 - Pink
  • 5 - Mauve

The ranked value of diamonds indicate that the rarest diamond color is red. There are undoubtedly fine specimens not included in this classification, their tints and shades being so peculiar and varied that they may better be described individually than in groups.

Fancy Colored Diamonds
 Diamonds with a detectable hue other than yellow or brown are known as colored diamonds. If the colour is strong enough, a stone may be referred to as a fancy colored diamond by the trade. There are Natural fancy color diamonds and Synthetic Color Diamonds. For more information on the subject of the Fancy Colored Diamond please click the following link:

Fancy Colored Diamonds

Diamond Colors
Colors are comprised of three elements:

  • Hue - hue is the attribute of color such as red, blue or yellow
  • Tone - tone describes the relative lightness to darkness from white which is zero tone to black which is 100 tone
  • Saturation - saturation describes the intensity of the color.
  • The saturation of color in Colored Natural Fancy Diamonds is categorised as Faint, Very Light, Light, Fancy Light, Fancy, Fancy Dark, Fancy Intense, Fancy Deep and Fancy Vivid

Secondary colors may also effect the final color of the diamond.

Imperfections in Colored Diamonds
Colored Diamonds may conceal flaws and inclusions more easily than colorless stones. Colored Natural Fancy Diamonds may have visible inclusions but because they are so rare the price is not affected as it would with visible inclusions in a white diamond. For more information about imperfections and inclusions please click the following link:

Diamond Inclusions

Natural Colored Diamonds
What is the difference between natural and treated colored diamonds? Natural colored diamonds are a unique natural product created over thousands of years by the process of crystallization.

Factors affecting Diamond Color
Factors affecting diamond color include fluorescence, color enhancements such as high pressure, high temperature treatment and irradiation.

Diamond Fluorescence

Treated Colored Diamonds
Gemmologists have developed ways to treat less desirable natural diamonds to create affordable versions of the real thing - the treated color diamond. The process called Irradiation is used to change the color of the diamond. Thousands of the treated colored diamond are produced and then sold at a low cost - the re-sale value of a treated colored diamond is therefore minimal.

Synthetic Colored Diamonds
Synthetic colored diamonds are not natural as they are created in a lab. Synthetic stones are much cheaper than natural colored diamonds making them easily affordable to everyone. Thousands of synthetic colored diamonds are produced and then sold at a low cost. Synthetic diamonds are made of cubic zirconia, moissanite or other synthetic substance. Many of the best synthetic are made of moissanite which so closely resembles a diamond that even jewelry experts have a hard time telling synthetic and natural diamonds apart without the use of a special instrument. Like the treated colored diamond the re-sale value of the synthetic colored diamond is also minimal.

Definition - Famous - Causes - Guide - Color - Rank - Facts - Fancy - Information -Info
Jewelry - Jewellery - Imperfections - Colour - Natural - Treated Synthetic
White, Black, Blue, Red, Yellow, Pink and Green Colored Diamond

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