Colorless diamonds have a classic appeal to buyers of all sorts, but colored diamonds bring a certain “wow factor” that is unbridled. The holidays are the perfect time to give the gift of a colored diamond. Not only are colored diamonds a beautiful and timeless gift, they are also a treasure asset that offer a significant investment opportunity. If you’re looking for a gift idea for the person who has everything, a colored diamond is the perfect option this holiday season.
The Value in Fancy Colored Diamonds
Fancy colored diamonds are among the rarest stones on earth. More specifically for every 10,000 stones mined only 1 will be a colored diamond. Colored diamonds owe their beautiful hues to 1 of 3 distinct factors; lattice deformities (red, pink), exposure to radiation (green), and the existence of chemical impurities in their molecular structure (blue, yellow). In terms of rarity, the rarest color category is red, closely followed by purple, pink, blue, green, and orange. Yellow and brown diamonds are the most common of the fancy colored diamonds (but by no means any less breathtaking).
Colored diamonds have a grading system that is distinctly different than their colorless counterparts. Colorless diamonds are graded by their clarity in a decreasing fashion as their color becomes more pronounced, and their brilliance. However, fancy colored diamonds are valued by the purity and strength of their color. The GIA grades fancy colored diamonds based on their tone, saturation, and hue. Classifications are assigned as either fancy, fancy deep, or fancy vivid depending on the above factors.
The Popularity of Fancy Colored Diamonds
As is common with most major trends, A-list celebrities have driven the popularity in fancy colored diamonds. One of the first celebrities to bring attention to colored diamonds was Audrey Hepburn who wore The Tiffany Yellow Diamond for Breakfast at Tiffany’s promotional photos. Since then, celebrities including Halle Berry, Mariah Carey, and Beyoncé have been seen wearing fancy colored diamonds.
Are You Considering A Fancy Color Diamond?
Whether you are considering the purchase of a fancy colored diamond as a holiday gift or as an investment, it is important to understand the differences between valuations of colorless and colored diamonds. Make sure when purchasing a fancy colored diamond that you receive a GIA certificate with a grading report. Because of the high potential value of colored diamonds, there have been notable forgeries and lab-grown diamonds, both of which can make a colored diamond nearly worthless. Make sure you are purchasing your colored diamonds from a trusted source. For example, all of the diamonds we sell here at Arpege Diamonds include a GIA certificate ensuring authenticity.
For more reading on colored diamonds, see the links below and as always feel free to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
For more reading on colored diamonds, check out the link below:
- Should I Invest In Loose Or Set Colored Diamonds?
- The Pink Diamond Investment. Is It In Your Portfolio?
- Where Do Colored Diamonds Come From? - The Largest Contributors & Their Top Mines
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