A WORLD OF COLOUR - COLOURED DIAMONDS
- Kimjoux
- Mar 26
- 6 min read
Life is full of colour, full of wondrous experiences and beautiful moments, we believe your jewellery box should reflect your life in, colour.
We love natural gemstones and their unique beauties, especially diamonds.
So let's talk about coloured diamonds, some of the rarest gemstones you can buy. We want to share with you some information and tips on how to choose the best one for your budget, and to navigate purchasing special stones like these.
"Jewellery has power to be the one little things that make you feel unique"
- Elizabeth Taylor
what are coloured diamonds
Thought these stones only came in white? Think again.
Here's the lowdown on fancy colours and what makes them a good investment.
Coloured diamonds are diamonds that have a noticeable body colour when viewed in the face-up position. Not many people know that diamonds can come in all colours of the rainbow with colours.
Ranging from brown (chocolate), champagne, yellow, red, orange, green, blue, violet, pink and grey.
Brown (chocolate), champagne and yellow tend to be the most common colours while red diamonds are the rarest.
To highlight just how rare coloured diamonds are for every 10,000 colourless stones mined, only one will display a rare fancy colour. What an amazing gift for someone special and yourself!
what causes colour when imperfections create beauty?
Now for some science!! We will try to keep it as simple as possible but it is worth nothing here that if anyone of our radiant readers are at all interested in the study of gemmology this is an area you can really delve into and get technical.
Each naturally occurring hue has a slightly different origin, but. they all result from either chemical impurities or structural defects, pure diamonds are perfectly transparent and colourless. Over billions of years, coloured diamonds were formed through exposure to heat, natural radiation or the saturation of natural elements. The natural process creates these stunning stones and it is their imperfections that make them so desirable. You can see why we love them so much and why we champion their idiosyncrasies; their rarity and beauty can create truly unique pieces of jewellery.
Get ready for some (hopefully) interesting geology and what natural elements and phenomena create these gorgeous colours and what makes them so rare and valuable.
red & Pink
These diamonds owe their colour to a combination of intense pressure and heat. While still buried deep within the earth, these factors cause distortions in the crystal lattice that absorb green light, thus reflecting a pink hue. Deeply coloured pink diamonds, have the same cause of colour. Except for red diamonds, which are essentially just deeply coloured pink diamonds, have the same cause of colour. Except for red diamonds, high-quality pinks are the most expensive natural diamonds colour in the market today.
blue
Blue diamonds are especially rare. Boron is the active ingredient in blue coloured diamonds, bonding with carbon to absorb red, yellow and green light.
yellow
When a diamond is saturated with nitrogen it becomes yellow, ranging from pale lemon hues to vibrant canary shades.
green
It's not until the last leg of their journey to the earth's surface that diamonds get their green colour. just as they are uppermost layer of the crust, these stones absorb naturally occurring radiation, which causes them to reflect a green hue by absorbing red and yellow light.
The key when it comes to colour is the higher the intensity of colour the rarer it is and the intensities are graded as light, fancy, intense or vivid.
location, location, location!
where can these beautiful stones be found?
Australia has the world's most famous diamond mine - the argyle diamond mine. The mine is responsible for approximately 90% of the world's supply of pink diamonds moreover the quality and strong hue that some of the pink mined from argyle is world renowned. However, while the fame of the mine comes form the rarest colour.
Borneo has mainly brown and yellow diamonds but in rare occasions pink, blue or green diamonds can also be found there.
Brazil is quite interesting. Most of the coloured diamonds that are found there are yellow and brown. These diamonds are also known to have strong fluorescence which gives them a greenish appeal. Interestingly, Brazil is also known to produce ultra-rare red diamonds, blue, green and intense pink.
South Africa has some of the most famous diamond mines and is of the utmost importance especially where coloured diamonds are concerned. The Cullinan mine in South Africa is known as the world's most important source of blue and oversized white.
clarity in coloured diamonds
As diamonds are formed naturally in the Earth, almost all diamonds will contain an inclusion in one form or another. An inclusion is a 'birthmark' within the diamond. Anything on the surface of the diamond is referred to as a 'blemish'.
Although some see them as flaws, inclusions make each diamond unique. Each inclusion has a different cause and subsequently a different effect on the appearance of the diamond.
A common misconception is that a diamond needs to be entirely clean to be valuable. This is not the case at all. Many coloured diamonds contain inclusion but if they display an even, impressive hue or colour, the clarity level comes second to this and many people overlook this aspect to obtain the colour they desire.
why are coloured diamonds so valuable?
Yes, it's time to talk money. It's a combination of rarity, beauty, and buyers's interest that drives the price of coloured diamonds. The rarest coloured diamonds often sell for millions of dollars per carat. they have more value for their size than almost any other material. At the same time, some coloured diamonds sell for prices that many people can afford.
Many people consider yellow diamonds to be the most beautiful yellow gem because of their brightness, fire, and exceptional luster. Beautiful diamonds with a fancy yellow colour can often be purchased for $2000 (yes, only $2000) to $10,000 per carat in sizes under two carats. nay people do not realize that yellow diamonds are an option in this price range, so it is the perfect opportunity to get a coloured diamond at a surprising price.
Blue, green, and pink diamonds are much more rare than yellow diamonds. Another step up in rarity are orange, violet, and red diamonds. These colours often sell for over $100,000 per carat, and those of finest colour and quality will sell for over $1,000,000 per carat.
It is important to remember the price of a coloured diamond depends on more of its hue. Colour saturation and the uniformity of colour across the face of the gem are also important. Those with a pure hue are generally more desirable than those with modifying colours. As with all diamonds, the size of the gem and the quality of the cut are also very important.
live in the moment and invest in the future.
how to choose a coloured diamond for investment
For those who want something a little out of the ordinary, coloured diamonds are a solid investment with a touch of mystique. The key is getting the balance right between affordability.
Though these stones are decidedly more expensive than traditional diamonds, some colours are more accessible than others - particularly yellow, brown (chocolate), champagne and some varieties of pink and blue. Whichever shade you choose the most important thing is to buy your stone form a trustworthy retailer.
At Kimjoux, we pride ourselves on working with the most well respected and notable gemstone suppliers who adhere to the Kimberly process and/ or are registered fair trade gemstone suppliers.
"If I chose diamonds, it is because they represent, with their density, the highest value for the smallest volume."
- Coco Chanel
Where applicable we 3will always provide our clients with diamond grading reports from a reputable laboratory such as the gemological institute of America (GIA), a worldwide authority in both fancy - and colourless - diamond grading.
We guarantee all our diamonds are natural, ethically sourced and free from treatments, however, one of our top tips for our clients is to always ask questions no matter how silly they may seem and to check for any treatments that may have been used to enhance the colours for example dyeing, coating, irradiation or HPHT (high pressure, high temperature treatment).
It is our mission to help all our customers find the perfect stone for every occasion. If you would like to learn more about coloured diamonds or would like us to source a coloured diamond for you, we would be delighted to help so please get in touch with us.
Are you as excited about coloured diamonds as we are?
Take a look at some of our Bespoke rings or
Contact Us to for any Bespoke enquiry
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