So What Makes a Fancy Colored Diamond so Fancy Anyways?

It is a gorgeous day here in Atlanta and it makes me so happy! Spring is in the air, daffodils are starting to flower. And it really puts me in the mood for some color. Colored diamonds that is.  As most of you know, Diamonds can come in a variety of colors from yellow to blue to even black. Basically if there is a color in the rainbow, odds are good that you can find it in diamond. The only trouble is whether or not you will be able to afford it. For example, if you wanted a red diamond, be prepared to pay amounts that could potentially be over a million dollars per carat! However other colors such as yellow are far more common and thus much less expensive. 

So what causes the color? Well, it’s actually quite simple. A diamond is composed of only one element, carbon. Diamonds that are made purely of carbon will be perfectly transparent and colorless. When it comes to purity, diamonds are divided into several subtypes based on the nature of impurities and how they affect light absorption in the stone. 

Type I diamonds have nitrogen atoms as their main impurity. Nitrogen causes the color yellow in diamonds. If the nitrogen atoms occur in pairs then they have no effect on the color of the stone. These diamonds are called Type IaA. If the nitrogen atoms are in large, even-numbered groups then they add a dose of yellow or brown tint to the diamond. These stones are called Type IaB. About 98% of gems fall into the Ia category. Now, if the nitrogen atoms are dispersed throughout the crystal without being in pairs or in groups, the stone becomes intensely yellow or brown and are classified as Type Ib. Check out this intensely yellow diamond that we have in our showroom today. Isn’t it gorgeous?

Type II diamonds contain no measureable nitrogen impurities. Type IIa can be colored pink, red or brown and are very rare. Only 1.8% of gem quality diamonds can be classified as Type IIa. Now, if a diamond contains boron impurities the diamond will be blue in color and classified as Type IIb.  There are, however, some blue-grey diamonds that are type Ia and are unrelated to boron, nature is funny that way. Another diamond color that is unrelated to impurities is green. Green diamonds are derived from exposure to natural radiation deep within the earth, which is pretty cool if you ask me. 

We just love fancy colored diamonds, especially if they’re as luxurious as these black diamonds. Black and white diamonds are such an elegant contrast with a timeless appeal. But don’t take my word for it; just take a peek at these beauties.