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Brown Diamonds

Brown diamonds are one of the most widely mined of the fancy coloured diamonds. Ranging from pretty pale pinkish browns, to intense and rich brown colours, there is a wide variety of shades in brown diamonds. Brown diamonds can have an orange, yellow or pink hue, and this variety in colours have inspired the marketing terms ‘champagne’ and ‘cognac’ diamonds, amongst many others. Brown diamonds can be a cost effective option for an engagement ring, and look truly stunning in rose gold settings.

Brown diamonds were first used for gem purposes in the 1980s. The majority of the world’s brown diamonds are mined from the Argyle Mine in Australia. Up to 80% of the Arygle Mine’s yield are brown coloured diamonds. Prior to the 1980s, brown diamonds were used solely for industrial purposes, however fashion has changed the attitude to these warm, sparkling gemstones and they are widely used in fine jewellery.

The brown colour in diamonds is caused by lattice defects in the diamond crystal due to shear stresses whilst forming deep underground. This process is known as ‘plastic deformation’ and is also thought to be responsible for the pink colour in diamonds. Plastic deformation causes cavities within the crystal lattice that absorb the light that enters the diamond and presents a brown colour to the viewer.

Fancy brown diamonds have a different price structure than other fancy coloured diamonds. In other fancy coloured diamonds, the greater the depth of colour, the higher the value. However in brown diamonds, the darker toned stones are worth less than lighter stones as they are seen as more desirable to set into jewellery. Pinkish tones are preferable to orangish tones, all other factors being equal, but the beauty of the spectrum of this colour is that there is a brown diamond to suit all skin tones and jewellery settings.

Contact our team of diamond experts and fine jewellery specialists for further information on fancy coloured diamonds, call us on 01335 453 453 or email sales@britishdiamondcompany.com.