Fancy coloured diamonds can occur in a whole spectrum of shades; from yellow, orange, brown, blue, green, pink and red. Natural fancy coloured diamonds are highly sought after and incredibly beautiful. A fancy coloured diamond is a brilliant choice for a vibrant and unique engagement ring, the most popular colours being canary yellow diamonds and pink diamonds. Learn more about fancy coloured diamonds with our guide, and let us help you find the perfect diamond for you.
The majority of gem quality diamonds are assessed on a scale from colourless to tinted yellow. However, if a diamond possesses a noticeable and attractive colour, it is termed a fancy coloured diamond. Fancy coloured diamonds are incredibly rare, and can occur in a whole spectrum of shades from yellow, orange, brown, blue, green, pink and red.
The colour in fancy coloured diamonds is dictated either by trace elements within the crystal structure, breaks within the crystal lattice or the environment in which the crystal formed. These anomolies in diamond growth result in visually stunning gemstones.
Fancy coloured diamonds are treated differently to colourless diamonds. They are priced differently, and graded for colour differently. Fancy coloured diamonds also differ to colourless diamonds in that they are assessed for their colour with the table face up. Despite this, they are clarity graded in exactly the same way as colourless diamonds are.
Fancy coloured diamonds are prized for their depth and rarity of colour. Generally, diamonds with a more intense, saturated colour are prized, as well as harder to find colours such as blues, reds and greens, all other factors being equal.
They are described in terms of hue, tone and saturation. Hue is described in the terms of the predominant colour, the predominant colour can be modified by a secondary colour. For example a yellow diamond with a brown tone is described as brownish-yellow. Tone describes the lightness or darkness of the colour. Finally, saturation describes how strong the colour is, from pale to vivid. Combining the hue with the saturation and tone would be a ‘fancy light brownish-yellow.’
Fancy coloured diamonds are incredibly beautiful but also incredibly rare. Over the last decade there have been many imitation fancy coloured diamonds and many treatments used to imitate the appearance of a fancy coloured diamond.
Contact our team of coloured diamond experts and fine jewellery specialists for further information on sourcing natural fancy coloured diamonds, call us on 01335 453 453 or email sales@britishdiamondcompany.com.