Natural color diamonds, or “fancies,” are very rare. The color results from imperfections in the diamond’s structure or from trace elements within the stone. Nitrogen, for example, turns diamonds yellow, while boron makes them blue. Because of their scarcity, color diamonds are more expensive. Colors like red, green, and dark blue are incredibly hard to find, followed by pink, lavender, and lighter blues and greens. However, yellow and brown are more common.
7 natural color Grades
Ascending order is faint, very light, light, fancy light, fancy deep, fancy, fancy intense, and fancy vivid. Fancy intense and fancy vivid are the most desired hues.
color names for fancy natural color diamonds
The primary hue is always expressed as a noun, such as “yellow.” Any secondary colors will lead the primary hue, such as “brownish yellow.”
a glossary of Shapes
The classic diamond shape, a round stone with fifty-eight facets, has the most sparkle. The heart, oval, and pear resemble their names (a pear diamond worn with the point facing away from the body makes the finger look long and slender).
The marquise is an oval with pointed ends. The princess is a brilliant square stone. An emerald cut (originally developed for the gem of the same name) is rectangular with cropped corners and long, stair step-like facets; Assher is similar, but square, so it looks octagonal (the radiant is a popular variation of these but with facets that give it even greater sparkle. The cushion cut is a cross between a rectangle and oval; it has a pillow shape.
The 4 C’s
1 cut This is the term jeweler’s frequently use to refer to a diamond’s shape. The cut also affects a stone’s brilliance, which is determined by the arrangement of its facets. A poorly cut diamond will lack sparkle; however, a good cut can compensate for small size, or imperfect color or clarity.
2 clarity The number of microscopic internal flaws (called inclusions) and external imperfections (called blemishes) signifies a diamond’s clarity. Inclusions may be light or dark spots, or tiny cracks; blemishes include pits, scratches, or nicks. Usually, these are not visible to the naked eye. The fewer the flaws, the rarer and more valuable the stone is considered to be.
3 carat The carat is the measure of weight, not size. Carats are further divided into points. There are 100 points in a carat. Because large diamonds are rare, they generally have a greater value per carat.
4 color A white diamond’s color is rated on a scale from D (virtually colorless), which is most valuable, to Z (traces of yellow or brown) by the Gemological Institute of America. Naturally color diamonds, known as “fancies,” occur in such hues as yellow, pink, and blue; they are extremely rare and are not rated on the D-to-Z scale. Depending on its color, the more saturated the shade, the more expensive the stone.
