In general, the relative lack of color in a diamond will make it more valuable. However, on the extreme end of the diamond color spectrum lies the world of fancy colored diamonds. Fancy colored diamonds are the rarest and most prized gemstones in the world. These extraordinary gemstones come in a variety of colors ranging from yellow, to orange, red, blue, and green. By far, the most common fancy diamond color is yellow, and amongst the rarest varieties of fancy colored diamonds are red, blue and green diamonds. On extremely rare occasions, a fancy colored diamond will be found which will actually change color depending upon light and temperature conditions. These diamonds are known as chameleon diamonds.
Colored diamonds are graded along a color saturation scale which has nine categories as follows:
Faint
Very Light
Light
Fancy Light
Fancy
Fancy Dark
Fancy Intense
Fancy Deep
Vancy Vivid
These natural beauties are similar to white diamonds in virtually all aspects. Fancy colored diamonds, like white diamonds, are the hardest natural substance on the planet, measuring 10 on the Mohs hardness scale. This fact makes fancy colored diamonds as ideal for daily wear as their white counterparts. One area in which fancy colored diamonds differ from white diamonds is clarity. Whereas in white diamonds, natural inclusions can detract from the stone’s natural beauty, inclusions in colored diamonds can often enhance their color. Because of this fact, clarity is not usually a major issue when considering colored diamonds.
Fancy colored diamonds are particularly desirable for bridal jewelry such as engagement rings and wedding bands. Recently, there have been a number of high profile fancy colored diamond purchases, the most notable being Ben Affleck’s purchase of a 6.1 carat fancy intense pink diamond engagement ring for his then fiancé Jennifer Lopez. More recently, yellow diamonds have been all the rage with high profile purchases being made by celebrities such as Seal, Johnny Damon, and Dennis Quaid.
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