Colored Diamonds

Colored diamonds allow you to have a beautiful diamond engagement ring without sacrificing color. There are many gorgeous, colored diamonds to choose from, and if you do choose a colored stone, you don't have to give up quality and elegance to do so.

Diamonds come in a rainbow of colors.

Natural Colored Diamonds

Many colored diamonds obtained their rainbow hues during the crystallization process that occurred as the diamond was forming. The formation of a diamond takes place under the earth's surface, and the amount of heat and pressure that a diamond experiences will be the determining factors on that diamond's appearance.

Yellow, Orange, or Brown Diamonds

These diamonds absorbed blue light through nitrogen atoms as they were forming. The amount of nitrogen atom and the area of the diamond in which it is concentrated will determine just how yellow, orange, or brown the stone will appear.

Blue, Red, or Pink Diamonds

As the diamond formed and moved towards the center of the earth, its carbons may have become twisted. When this occurs, the diamond will absorb light, transforming an otherwise colorless stone into a colored diamond. This can create a pink or red diamond. Blue diamonds are typically formed when a diamond contains boron but not nitrogen.

Green Colored Diamonds

The formation of green diamonds is a little different. Their color does not depend on the amount of nitrogen atoms found. Instead, the green color is derived by nuclear rays as the diamond is forming. These green diamonds are very rare, however.

Color Treatments

Gemologists can influence the color of a diamond through various processes. These processes can often increase the value of diamond that may not be as desirable in its original state.

HPHT Treatment

HPHT stands for high pressure, high temperature treatment. This process is often used to enhance the appearance of a diamond, many times changing its color or making it colorless. This type of treatment is considered permanent, and this type of diamond should be less expensive. If a diamond has received a HPHT treatment, the jeweler should disclose this.

Irradiation/High Heat Treatment

Diamonds of Different Colors

This process involves first exposing the diamond to radiation and then to high heat. Follow-up high heat treatments can continue to alter the coloring somewhat.

Color Grading

Determining the grading of colored diamonds will differ from one lab to another. With almost 1500 colors to choose from, it can be virtually impossible to find an exact match, especially if labs are attempting to match the color of a stone to the color on a piece of paper. It is possible to have a master set of stones to refer to, but here again, keeping enough stones for a perfect match is going to be hard to do. Different descriptions are also given to various colored stones from one lab to another, making the identification process more confusing. Until you see the stone, you will not be able to understand its exact color.

Certification

Certification of colored diamonds is actually based on a couple of important points: hue and intensity.

Hue

When certifying a specific color of a diamond, often more than one word for the hue is used. For example, yellowish-brown may be the color given. When this happens, however, the second color is determined to be the predominant one.

Intensity

Intensity refers to how strong the color is within the stone, and whether the stone is light or dark in color. The intensity is given a description, such as light, dark, faint, normal, and this description is typically placed in front of the color or hue that has also been chosen to describe the diamond. Exceptional colored diamonds are sometimes referred to as fancy.

Colored diamonds make beautiful alternatives to colorless stones without sacrificing the tradition of a diamond engagement ring. For a unique yet still classic ring, consider colored diamonds either as accent stones or center stones for an unusual and gorgeous ring.

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