Fancy colored diamonds are some of the most fascinating gemstones in the world. They can appear yellow, pink, blue, green, orange, red, brown, or even combinations of several colors. But while they may all fall under the broad category of fancy color diamonds, they do not all get their color in the same way.
The origin of a diamond's color is one of the most important things to understand when purchasing a natural colored diamond. Some colors are created by trace elements, some by changes within the diamond's crystal structure, some through natural radiation, and others through treatments performed after the diamond has formed.
Understanding the difference can help you appreciate not only how a diamond looks, but why it may be rare and valuable.
What Is a Fancy Color Diamond?
A fancy color diamond is a diamond whose color extends beyond the normal range of the traditional D-to-Z diamond color scale.
The standard color scale evaluates diamonds primarily from colorless through increasingly noticeable yellow or brown. Once a diamond displays a sufficiently strong color beyond that traditional range, it can enter the world of fancy color grading.
Fancy color diamonds are evaluated differently from traditional colorless diamonds. Instead of simply asking how close a diamond is to colorless, gemologists consider characteristics such as hue, tone, and saturation.
This means two diamonds with the same carat weight and clarity can have dramatically different values depending on their color.
Why Do Diamonds Have Different Colors?
Diamond is made almost entirely of carbon, but tiny differences in its crystal structure or trace elements can dramatically change the way it interacts with light.
During its formation deep within the Earth, a diamond may encounter other elements or geological conditions that influence its final appearance.
For example, nitrogen can contribute to yellow coloration, while boron is associated with many natural blue diamonds.
Other colors have different causes.
This is what makes colored diamonds so fascinating: their appearance can reveal something about the extraordinary conditions under which they formed.
What Causes Yellow Diamonds?
Yellow is one of the most recognizable fancy diamond colors.
Natural yellow diamonds typically owe their color to nitrogen within the diamond's crystal structure. The amount and arrangement of nitrogen can influence the intensity and character of the yellow.
Some yellow diamonds are relatively subtle, while others display intense, saturated golden color.
When a yellow diamond reaches the fancy color range, it may be described using grades such as Fancy Light, Fancy, Fancy Intense, Fancy Vivid, or Fancy Deep, depending on the laboratory's assessment.
A naturally colored Fancy Vivid Yellow diamond, for example, can be extraordinarily desirable.
What Causes Blue Diamonds?
Natural blue diamonds are generally associated with boron.
Boron can enter the diamond crystal during formation and affect the way the stone absorbs light, producing blue coloration.
Natural blue diamonds are exceptionally rare, particularly when they have strong saturation and significant carat weight.
Blue diamonds can also contain modifying colors, which can create blue-gray or greenish-blue appearances.
Because natural blue diamonds are so rare, laboratory documentation is particularly important when evaluating one.
What Causes Green Diamonds?
Natural green diamonds have a very different origin.
Their color is typically associated with exposure to natural radiation during their geological history. Radiation can alter portions of the diamond's crystal structure, producing green coloration.
Natural green diamonds can be exceptionally rare.
However, green diamonds can also be artificially irradiated to create or intensify green color. This is why determining whether a green diamond's color is natural or treated is an essential part of evaluating the stone.
What Causes Pink and Red Diamonds?
Pink and red diamonds are particularly interesting because their color is not generally attributed to a trace element in the same way that yellow and blue diamonds are.
Instead, their color is associated with changes or distortions within the diamond's crystal lattice.
The exact mechanisms behind these colors are complex, but the result can be spectacular.
Pink diamonds range from delicate pastel tones to intensely saturated colors. Red diamonds are even rarer, making strongly colored natural red diamonds among the most extraordinary examples of fancy color diamonds.
What Causes Brown Diamonds?
Brown diamonds are among the more commonly encountered naturally colored diamonds.
Their color is generally associated with structural distortions within the diamond crystal rather than a particular coloring element.
Brown diamonds can range from very light champagne tones to deep chocolate-like colors.
Terms such as champagne diamond and chocolate diamond are commonly used in the jewelry industry, but they are descriptive terms rather than standardized scientific color categories.
The exact appearance and quality of the individual diamond remain much more important than the nickname given to its color.
What Causes Orange Diamonds?
Natural orange diamonds are extremely unusual.
Orange coloration is often associated with nitrogen and the way nitrogen is arranged within the diamond's crystal structure.
Pure, strongly saturated orange diamonds are particularly rare, and some orange diamonds may contain modifying yellow, brown, or pink tones.
A diamond described as Fancy Vivid Orange, for example, can be highly collectible because of the intensity and rarity of its color.
What About Purple and Violet Diamonds?
Purple and violet diamonds are among the more mysterious fancy colors.
Their coloration can be associated with structural changes within the diamond, and in some cases, trace elements may also contribute to the final appearance.
Because these colors are uncommon, terminology and grading can become particularly important.
A purple diamond may look dramatically different from a pink-purple or grayish-purple diamond even when the stones have similar carat weights.
Can a Diamond's Color Be Enhanced?
Yes.
Not every fancy color diamond receives its color naturally.
Diamond treatments can be used to alter or enhance a diamond's appearance. Treatments may include processes such as irradiation, high-pressure high-temperature treatment, or other techniques designed to modify color.
Treated colored diamonds can be beautiful and may offer an accessible way to enjoy colors that would otherwise be extremely rare.
The key is transparency.
A treated diamond should be properly disclosed and documented so the buyer understands exactly what they are purchasing.
What About Laboratory-Grown Fancy Color Diamonds?
Laboratory-grown diamonds can also be produced in a variety of colors.
Because laboratory-grown diamonds are created under controlled conditions, manufacturers can influence certain aspects of their composition and growth process.
Some lab-grown colored diamonds are intentionally created with color, while others may develop coloration from elements or structural characteristics associated with the growth process.
Again, the distinction between natural, treated, and laboratory-grown is essential.
These are different categories of diamonds, even when they can look remarkably similar to the naked eye.
Does Natural Color Always Mean More Valuable?
Not necessarily.
Natural color is an important factor, but rarity and beauty must be considered together.
A natural fancy color diamond with weak color may not be as desirable as another diamond with more attractive saturation. Likewise, a treated diamond can be beautiful even though its color is not naturally occurring.
For collectors, however, natural color can carry significant importance because it represents a rare geological phenomenon that cannot simply be reproduced underground.
How Are Fancy Colored Diamonds Graded?
Fancy color diamonds are evaluated based on their overall color appearance.
Laboratories typically consider:
Hue: The basic color, such as yellow, blue, pink, or green.
Tone: How light or dark the color appears.
Saturation: How strong or intense the color appears.
These factors work together to determine the diamond's overall color description.
This is why simply calling a diamond a "yellow diamond" doesn't tell you everything about it. Two yellow diamonds can have very different grades, appearances, and values.
Why Cut Still Matters
Color may be the defining characteristic of a fancy color diamond, but cut remains extremely important.
The proportions and faceting of a diamond influence how light travels through the stone and how its color is perceived.
Certain shapes can also emphasize color differently. Radiant, cushion, oval, pear, and other fancy shapes are frequently used for colored diamonds because their faceting can help showcase the body color.
A beautiful fancy color diamond should balance color intensity with brilliance and overall visual appeal.
Why Certification Matters
When purchasing a significant fancy color diamond, a reputable gemological report can provide valuable information about the stone.
A report can help establish the diamond's color grade, carat weight, clarity, measurements, and, when applicable, whether the color is natural or treated.
This documentation becomes especially important when the diamond's rarity and value are closely connected to its color origin.
At Martin Busch Jewelers, we believe the story behind a gemstone is just as important as the way it looks in the showcase. Understanding how a diamond acquired its color allows you to appreciate what makes it unique and helps you make a more informed decision when choosing a piece of jewelry.
The Beauty of Fancy Color Diamonds
The most exciting thing about fancy color diamonds is that there is no single formula for beauty.
A soft pink diamond, an intense yellow diamond, a mysterious green diamond, and a deep blue diamond can all be extraordinary for completely different reasons.
Some owe their color to trace elements. Others are shaped by changes within their crystal structure. Some develop color through natural radiation, while others are treated or created in a laboratory.
They may all be called fancy color diamonds, but they are absolutely not all created the same way.
And that is precisely what makes them so fascinating.