Editor’s Note
This article highlights the contrasting value drivers between colorless and fancy color diamonds. While traditional D-to-Z diamonds are prized for their lack of color, the rarity and intensity of hue in fancy color diamonds make them uniquely desirable to collectors and connoisseurs.
Gem diamonds in GIA’s D-to-Z range usually decrease in value as the color becomes more obvious. Just the opposite happens with fancy color diamonds: Their value generally increases with the strength and purity of the color. Large, vivid fancy color diamonds are extremely rare and very valuable. However, many fancy diamond colors are muted rather than pure and strong.
Diamond is the birthstone for April and the gem of the 10th and 60th anniversaries. Fancy color diamond adds a unique twist to your celebration.
1 in 10,000
Only one in 10,000 diamonds has a fancy color.
$71.2 million
In April 2017, the Pink Star diamond, 59.60 carats, became the most expensive gem ever auctioned.
Hope Diamond
The 45.52-carat Fancy Deep grayish blue Hope Diamond is the world’s most famous gem.
Mineral: Diamond
Chemistry: C
Color: All colors
Refractive index: 2.42
Birefringence: None
Specific gravity: 3.52
Mohs Hardness: 10
1. Rarest of the rare
Fancy color diamonds are the rarest of the rare. Each is one of a kind.
2. Red
Red diamonds are so rare that only a handful are known to exist.
3. Boron
Less than one boron atom per million of carbon atoms can give a diamond a blue color.
Strength and purity of color influence a fancy color diamond’s value.
Color
The most valuable hues are pink, blue, and green. Slight color differences can impact value.
Clarity
Even diamonds with a low clarity grade are prized by connoisseurs if their color is attractive.
Cut
Fancy shapes like radiant cuts are commonly used to maximize the intensity of the color.
Carat Weight
In pink, blue, green and orange, even fancy color diamonds below a carat are rare and valuable.
Where Do Blue Diamonds Come From?
Blue Diamonds Have a Surprising “Superdeep” Origin and a Link to Ancient Oceans
Evan M. Smith, Aug 1, 2018
Natural-Color Pink, Purple, Red, and Brown Diamonds: Band of Many Colors
Sally Eaton-Magaña, Troy Ardon, Karen V. Smit, Christopher M. Breeding, and James E. Shigley, Feb 1, 2019
Natural-Color Blue, Gray, and Violet Diamonds: Allure of the Deep
Sally Eaton-Magaña, Christopher M. Breeding, and James E. Shigley, Aug 6, 2018
Very Large Irradiated Yellow Diamond
Wuyi Wang, Jan 30, 2015
