Fancy Colored Diamonds 

When most people picture a diamond, they imagine a sparkling, crystal clear gem. But colorless diamonds, also called white diamonds, aren’t the only diamond color option. Diamonds come in a beautiful array of colors and depths, including pale blue, vibrant pink, and deep black. 

But what makes colored diamonds different from white diamonds? How do they get their color? Find the answers to these questions and more as we take a closer look at everything you need to know about fancy colored diamonds.

What is a Fancy Colored Diamond? 

Fancy colored diamonds, also called fancy color diamonds or fancy diamonds, are diamonds that fall outside of the color grading range for colorless diamonds. Colorless diamonds are graded on a scale of D to Z, with D being completely colorless and Z being light yellow. When a diamond doesn’t fit within that range, it’s considered a fancy color diamond. 

Fancy diamonds come in a wide range of colors, including every color of the rainbow. There are red diamonds, pink diamonds, orange diamonds, yellow diamonds, green diamonds, blue diamonds, and purple diamonds. There are also diamonds that have more earthy or inky hues, like brown diamonds and black diamonds. 

Fancy colored diamonds also come in a range of depths. For example, a blue diamond may be pale sky blue, vibrant true blue, or lush deep blue. Every colored diamond is beautiful, but diamonds with intense or vivid color are generally considered more valuable. 

Are Fancy Colored Diamonds Rare? 

All fancy colored diamonds are rarer than colorless diamonds. The rarest fancy colors are red, green, purple, and orange. Yellow and brown are the least rare fancy colors, but yellow and brown diamonds are still more rare than colorless diamonds. 

What Gives Colored Diamonds Their Color? 

Colored diamonds get their color from the presence of trace elements or unique structural phenomena. Completely colorless diamonds are made of carbon atoms bound together in a distinctive crystal structure. The presence of trace elements or unique structural phenomena can add color. For example, blue diamonds have traces of boron and pink diamonds have a unique type of bond dislocation that changes how they absorb light waves. 

Natural color diamonds get their color from natural processes or element exposures that occur during the diamond’s formation over millions of years. Today, there are also lab-grown colored diamonds that get their color from human intervention. Scientists can grow man-made diamonds in a lab using methods that strategically add trace elements or create desirable structural phenomena. Essentially, they mimic the specific makeup of each type of colored earth-mined diamond in order to create lab diamonds with the same color.  

How Are Colored Diamonds Graded? 

Most of a colored diamond’s value is determined by just one factor: how attractive its color is. While colorless diamonds are graded on a simple color scale, colored diamond grading is more complex. 

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) grades colored diamonds on the following scale: Faint, Very Light, Light, Fancy Light, Fancy Intense, Fancy Vivid, Fancy Dark, and Fancy Deep. Generally, Fancy Intense and Fancy Vivid colored diamonds are considered the most attractive and, therefore, the most valuable.

There are three factors that impact fancy diamond color grade: hue, saturation, and tone. Hue refers to the dominant color in a diamond, which places it in its fancy diamond color category, as well as any secondary colors. Saturation is how strong the color is in a diamond. Stronger saturation, or intensity of color, is generally considered more desirable. Tone is how light or dark the diamond looks. Diamonds with more moderate tones are considered more desirable than diamonds on the extreme ends of the color tone spectrum. 

While color is generally considered the most important aspect of fancy colored diamonds, it isn’t the only factor that affects a colored diamond’s quality, beauty, and value. Most notably, carat weight has a huge impact on the value and price of a colored diamond. Diamond cut grade, which grades how well a diamond was cut into its shape, is also a crucial factor, as it affects the diamond’s beauty and sparkle. Diamond clarity grade, which grades how flawless a diamond is, is generally considered less important for colored diamonds. However, if a colored diamond has flaws that affect its durability, that will dramatically lower its value. 

With all this said, remember that how you feel about a diamond is ultimately more important than the grade it gets. If you find particularly deep or light-toned diamonds more attractive, that’s all that matters. 

Blue Diamonds 

Fancy blue diamonds have a lovely, calming color. This serene stone gets its shade from tiny traces of the element boron. A single boron atom per one million carbon atoms can create a blue hue. Boron frees up electrons in the diamond lattice, causing red light to be absorbed while blue light shines through. 

Blue diamonds are thought to represent spirituality, devotion, trust, and faith. Some believe that blue diamonds can protect against misunderstandings, creating a more tranquil life. As a highly rare stone, blue diamonds are also a symbol of luxury. When used as a center stone in an engagement ring, blue diamonds are said to symbolize loyalty, harmony, and eternity. 

Black Diamonds 

Black diamonds have captivating depth. This lush, dark diamond gets its color from large quantities of mineral inclusions. Minerals like graphite, pyrite, and hematite create the dark look inside black diamonds. Deep, even black diamonds are considered more valuable, so many black diamonds are heat treated to enhance their color. 

Black diamonds are associated with power, charisma, and passion. In engagement rings, black diamonds also symbolize fidelity, love, and eternity. A black diamond is the perfect stone for someone who appreciates bold jewelry and loves to stand out from the crowd. 

Pink Diamonds 

Pink diamonds have an ethereal, romantic look. This dazzling gem gets its color from a unique type of structural anomaly called plastic deformation, which is typically caused by extreme parallel force. This force slightly changes a diamond’s lattice structure, causing it to absorb light differently and creating a pink hue. 

Pink diamonds can have secondary tones of brown, orange, or purple. Pure pink diamonds are usually considered ideal, but purplish-pink diamonds with a touch of purple color are also highly prized. 

Pink diamonds are associated with romance, tenderness, creativity, and innocence. Pink diamond engagement rings are a symbol of intense love, good fortune, and free spiritedness. 

Yellow Diamonds 

Yellow diamonds are lush gems with captivating golden tones. These diamonds get their yellow color from the presence of nitrogen, an element that absorbs blue light and allows yellow to shine through. Intense or vivid yellow diamonds are also sometimes referred to as canary diamonds. 

Yellow diamonds are cheerful stones that symbolize optimism, happiness, energy, hope, and love. Yellow diamond engagement rings represent the start of a long and happy relationship. 

Brown Diamonds 

Brown diamonds have a captivating, elegant look. These earthy gems get their color from internal parallel brown grain lines in their crystal lattice. 

Brown diamonds come in a range of beautiful earth tones. Brown diamonds with a lighter tone are sometimes called champagne diamonds, while ones with darker tones are sometimes called chocolate or cognac diamonds. 

Brown diamonds are associated with stability, maturity, warmth, and luxury. In an engagement ring, brown diamonds are a symbol of strong connection, deep love, and long-term stability. 

Explore Fancy Color Diamond Jewelry 

Discover your perfect diamond design in our dazzling collection of colored diamond jewelry. Find a sparkling pair of studs, the colorful engagement ring of your dreams, or a one-of-a-kind beauty.