Colored Diamonds

Written by Administrator
Saturday, 19 May 2007
You are not simply limited to the traditional clear, transparent white style of diamond. Whilst it is safe to say that the value of a diamond is partly based on how Colorless it is, (see the section on the 4 Cs), there does seem to be a growing trend towards the more brightly colored stones. A Colored Stone can either be as a result of treatment by the jeweler or gemologist or either they will be found in that natural color when they are mined as rough stones. If there is nitrogen within the diamond it may produce a yellow tint, however if there is a green hue to the stone it will mean that it has been affected by radiation. However, not all Diamonds are naturally colored. To allow customers with lesser budgets to afford colored stones, some will be treated to obtain the desired effect. A process called “irradiation” can also be used to alter the color of a colored diamond by utilising a system of high heat. Colored Diamonds are graded differently to their clear cousins. They are graded on the intensity of their color and which is the primary color. A more intensely and naturally colored stone will be rarer than a slightly colored stone and in most cases, that will in turn, be more valuable than a treated stone. The names of some colored diamonds can be a little confusing as you may come across diamonds that seem to be described as having two colors, for example reddish brown. When you see a stone described like this you should consider the color with the “ish” suffix as the secondary color. The other color, in this case, brown is the primary color.