Coloured Diamonds
Extreme rarity, small supply and high demand for coloured Diamonds means they are very sought after
Diamonds come in a wide variety of colours. The most common colours are white or near colourless diamonds. But diamonds exist in just about any colour. Because coloured diamonds are so rare they are not promoted as much as white diamonds.
The Argyle mine in Western Australia is the largest and most productive coloured diamond mine in the world. Before the discovery of the Argyle mine, the finest quality pink diamonds found elsewhere were very faint in colour. Argyle pink diamonds and purple-pink diamonds in comparison have a characteristic bright and intense colour. Of every 39.2 million carats of diamonds mined at the Argyle diamond mine, only 40 carats of pink diamond is considered worthy of being presented for sale at their annual, invitation-only Pink diamond tender.
Coloured diamonds are usually cut and polished into cushion or radiant shapes as this brings out the best in the colour and the brightest sparkle.
Colour is the most important factor in determining beauty and value. The 4 main factors involved in diamond colour are hue, tone, saturation and distribution.
Hue is the term of the actual colour spectrum, red, orange, yellow, green, blue etc. The more pure a diamond hue is the more valuable the coloured diamond is.
Tone is how much light or dark appears in the diamond depending on how much brown, black, grey or white is present. Saturation is the brightness of the coloured diamond. The more colour saturation there is the more valuable the diamond is. Distribution is when the colour is evenly spread across the body of the diamond.
Red diamonds are undoubtedly the rarest of coloured diamonds. Green and blue diamonds follow closely being exceptionally rare and then purple, pink and violet colour diamonds. Orange, yellow, brown, champagne, gray and black are also unusual.
One important factor to remember is that in coloured diamonds, clarity is secondary to the intensity of the diamond's colour.
Because natural coloured diamonds are so rare and therefore so expensive people have been forced into finding a lower price alternative. Scientists came up with a process that is similar to the way diamonds occur naturally. Enhancing diamonds is most commonly known as irradiation. Irradiation is a process that natural diamonds with non fancy colours are subject to high energy particles (x-rays, microwaves) in a laboratory. Some of these diamonds are further enhanced by heating at extremely high temperatures. Proof that a diamond has a natural colour can only be obtained by a gemmological laboratory. Therefore when purchasing an expensive coloured diamond it is important to have a genuine certificate from a reputable laboratory stating the natural origin of its colour.
Enhanced Coloured Diamonds
The rarity of coloured diamonds is defined by Mother Nature. Some of the rarest and most famous coloured diamonds were brought together at the Smithsonian Museum in 2003, being part of an exhibit titled The Splendour of Diamonds (photo above). The exhibit featured a number of exceptional coloured diamonds: (top row left to right) the Steinmetz Pink, the Millennium Star, the Allnatt Diamond (bottom row left to right) the Heart of Eternity, the Pumpkin Diamond, the Tiffany Yellow, the Moussaieff Red and the Ocean Dream.
About Buying Diamonds is a comprehensive guide explaining diamond characteristics like cut, colour, clarity & carat, as well as the different diamond shapes and types of diamonds. You can learn what to buy for your diamond jewellery needs such as diamond rings or diamond bracelets and how these grades will affect diamond prices. The process of buying diamonds online may be daunting to some, so throughout this site we offer advice and information on buying all types of diamonds including loose diamonds and wholesale diamonds and the reasons why you should always buy certified diamonds.