Colored Diamonds

Most people have had experience with diamonds, the beautiful, shimmering and shining gems that are a symbol of eternal love. However, more and more there are colored diamonds being marketed that seem to be the exact opposite of what a diamond is supposed to look like. It is now not uncommon to hear of ruby red diamonds, amber diamonds, yellow or pink diamonds or even blue and green diamonds. There are even very unusual colored diamonds in gray, browns and black colors. This is not a marketing scam, there really are colored or fancy diamonds that are naturally produced in the same fashion that traditional clear diamonds are, they just had additional mineral in the carbon that formed the diamond millions of years ago.

These fancy diamonds are more expensive than the traditional and more common clear diamonds, largely because they are very rarely occurring in nature. It is a true find to discover a fancy diamond and the deeper and more distinct the color is the more costly the diamond is. One estimate states that of 100,000 gem quality clear diamond stones found, only one will be a gem quality colored diamond. Keep in mind that it takes between 200 and 250 tons of mined ore to produce just one gem quality clear diamond, so these really are a rare find.

One of the most famous colored diamonds is the blue colored Hope diamond that was actually cut from a much larger blue diamond with a total weight of 112 carats. The current size of the blue Hope diamond is 45.52 carats, and the famous necklace that features this diamond also has a surrounding setting of clear diamonds. This celebrated diamond also is believed by many to have a curse attached to ownership and it would cost you a cool 250 million dollars to purchase, if the Smithsonian Institute would even consider a sale. Perhaps a bit less well-known pink diamond is the Darya-I-Nur (Sea of Light) diamond that is mounted in a gold brooch setting. This massive pink diamond is a staggering 182 carats and is a very pale pink color. The Hancock diamond, one of the most impressive examples of a red diamond sold for $880,000. Before thinking that this was quite a deal, you might want to consider that the Hancock diamond is less that one carat in size.

Colored diamonds can now be produced in a lab, however these colored diamonds are not as valued as the naturally occurring diamonds. Colors are produced by applying varying degrees of pressure, irradiation and high temperatures to the brownish colored diamonds to produce vivid greens, yellows and blues. Red diamonds can now be produced in a lab through the same general process that includes very high, rapid heating and cooling, irradiation and high pressures. These red diamonds are still difficult to purchase but the lighter pink varieties that are developed in labs are becoming more common and readily available.

Whenever shopping for a colored diamond be sure to use a reputable jeweler and always ask to see a certificate on the diamond. Be very cautious of sales and "deals" on naturally occurring colored diamonds, they are usually not a sale item under any condition.