Go Beyond The Traditional
The rarest, most vivid fancy colored diamonds can sell for millions of dollars per carat. For every 10,000 diamonds mined, only 1 will show a fancy color. Match, contrast, select one color, or use multiple colors for one-of-a-kind treasures for jewelry or investment.
12
Different
Colors
90
Secondary
Hues
9
Intensity
Levels
230
Color
Combinations
Diamond Cutters International (DCI) can source the finest quality natural fancy colored diamonds globally.
Whether as a gift for a special occasion or a private collection, our experienced gemologists will guide you through every step.
The most valuable per carat weight of fancy colors, extremely rare red diamonds are caused by plastic deformation, which occurs under tremendous heat and pressure that changes the molecular structure of the diamond and causes all wavelengths of light other than red to be trapped in the lattice structure of a diamond. The most sought after red stones are Australian Argyle stones, and there are only a handful in the world.
Pink diamonds are incredibly desirable and valuable diamonds. Their pink color is also caused by plastic deformation. Argyle pink diamonds are subdivided into three color categories — PP - purplish pink, P - pure pink, and PR- pink rose. Saturation is indicated by a scale from 1-10 (white).
Orange diamonds are due to a higher concentration of nitrogen in the carbon lattice structure of a diamond. The difference between a yellow and orange diamond, which are both colored by the presence of nitrogen, is how the nitrogen atoms are grouped at an atomic level. The hyperspecific arrangement of nitrogen atoms absorbs blue and yellow light, causes the orange hues.
Yellow diamonds are caused by nitrogen in the lattice structure. Also known as Canary Diamonds, yellow diamonds are the most common of the fancy colored hues. Typical secondary hues are orange, brown or green.
Natural green diamonds are caused by exposure to radioactive uranium near the surface of the earth during the growth cycle of a diamond.
Blue diamonds occur when boron becomes trapped in the lattice structure of a diamond. This causes an unused electron on a carbon atom, which absorbs the red wavelength of light, to reflect blue tones back to the eye of the beholder. Only 1 in every 200,000 diamonds will show even a small amount of blue.
Violet diamonds are caused by the presence of hydrogen in the lattice structure of a diamond. Violet diamonds are so rare that until recently, they were speculation on the part of gemologists and geologists! A few violet diamonds have been featured as Argyle stones, including the largest BL3+ (the highest grade violet color) diamond in the world, which was sold by Diamond Cutters International in 2021.
Purple diamonds are also caused by plastic deformation, just as pink and reds are. They are extremely rare.
Brown diamonds come in many tones, with some of the rich cognac and champagne colors being quite beautiful. Many collections of fancy colored diamonds will include lustrous brown diamonds in fancy vivid tones.
Sometimes called salt and pepper diamonds, grey diamonds are due to traces of boron (but not enough to cause an intense blue color). They are typically heavily included.
Also known as carbonado diamonds, black diamonds are diamonds with extremely high levels of inclusions. They are highly opaque, and sometimes have a metallic appearance. They can be used as accent stones in some jewelry designs.
Fancy White Diamonds should not be confused with the trade name “white diamonds”, which is often used to refer to colorless diamonds and Vivid WhiteTM Diamonds, which is a term used to refer to diamonds above a certain clarity and color grade. Fancy White Diamonds are not transparent, but are instead opaque and cloudy, showing strong white face-up color. The white color is caused by a high concentration of submicroscopic inclusions that scatter light, yielding a distinctive frosty white color.
Fancy Colored Diamonds can be set into jewelry. Still, many collectors instead opt to build collections as a long-term investment, leaving stones, particularly pedigreed tender stones, in their cases in vaults.
Whether you intend to wear or store your fancy colored diamonds, Diamond Cutters International (DCI) has connections worldwide to buy or sell your fancy colored diamonds and diamond collections.
Argyle Trifecta
