From bright red hues to deep green sparklers, diamonds are available in far more shades than the commonly seen clear variety. Spanning all of the tones of the rainbow, these highly coveted gems are sought after for their fabulous colors and rarity in nature. However, some fancy colored diamonds are rarer than others.
In this article, we’ll explore which colors are the rarest and discover how that rarity affects pricing and availability to help you decide if a colored stone is a good fit for you and your lab diamond engagement ring or piece of lab diamond jewelry. This article will also explore if it is possible to have a colored lab grown diamond.
Where Do Colored Diamonds Come From?
Just like colorless mined diamonds, colored diamonds (also referred to as fancy diamonds) are formed from carbon naturally within the earth. Unlike colorless diamonds, a fancy diamond undergoes incredibly rare changes(happening at 0.1% of all diamonds) to their chemical structure as they form, resulting in a wide variety of gorgeous shades.
How Are Colored Diamonds Priced?
Similar to colorless diamonds, fancy diamonds are priced and graded according to the 4Cs of diamond quality – cut, color, clarity, and carat. The grading of a colored diamond’s cut, clarity, and carat follow the pricing rules of the typical diamond. However, the color grading of these stones is quite different.
![A wedding band with colorful gemstones](https://assets.1215diamonds.com/1215_diamonds/blog/2021/july/28/1.jpg)
Unlike colorless diamonds, clarity isn’t as important when it comes to fancy gemstones because the color is the main value factor. A fancy colored diamond can have several inclusions resulting in a low clarity grade and still be highly valued if it displays attractive face-up color. However, if inclusions affect a gem’s overall durability, the value of the stone can be reduced significantly. A stone’s cut will also impact its color. Over time, diamond cutters have found that specific styles such as the radiant cut, can boost the yellow color in diamonds that fall near the lower section of the diamond color scale. Yellow radiant cut diamonds sometimes referred to as ‘cape’, can be classified as fancy yellows when observed face-up, thus increasing their price per carat.
Speaking of carat weight, large, fancy color diamonds are more valuable than their smaller counterparts.
What Are the Rarest Diamond Colors?
The value of diamonds in the normal range is determined based on the absence of color because colorless stones are the rarest. Alternatively, the value of colored diamonds outside of the normal color range is determined based on the most valuable colors, such as blues, greens, and highly saturated pinks.
![An engagement ring with colorful gemstones](https://assets.1215diamonds.com/1215_diamonds/blog/2021/july/28/7.jpg)
Red Diamonds
The rarest of all colored diamonds, only 20 to 30 natural red diamonds exist in the entire world. Red diamonds are created when a gem undergoes a rare process during its formation that changes the crystal structure and allows light to pass through it differently than colorless stones.
![A red center stone](https://assets.1215diamonds.com/1215_diamonds/blog/2021/july/28/4.jpg)
Blue Diamonds
Also incredibly rare are blue diamonds, which have only been found naturally in mines in South Africa, India, and Australia. These icy stones get their signature hue from the element boron, which replaces carbon in the diamond crystal structure during the growth process. Blue diamonds can range in color from just a tint of color to a captivating deep blue.
![A blue center stone](https://assets.1215diamonds.com/1215_diamonds/blog/2021/july/28/6.jpg)
Pink Diamonds
Also referred to as Argyle diamonds, the only known mine in the world with pink diamonds is Australia’s Argyle mine. While no rarer than the beautiful blue diamond, pink diamonds are often more expensive due to their romantic nature. Pink is a color long associated with love and romance, making the pink diamond a hot contender for a diamond engagement ring or wedding band.
![A pink center stone](https://assets.1215diamonds.com/1215_diamonds/blog/2021/july/28/2.jpg)
The average Argyle diamond will cost you anywhere from $10,000 to $700,000+ per carat. The world’s largest pink diamond is the Pink Star which totals 59.6 carats and was sold for $72.2 million.
Yellow Diamonds
Yellow and brown diamonds make up over half of the market of colored diamonds. That being said, these colorful stones are still rare, but they are priced lower to reflect their wide availability. Yellow diamonds occur due to the element nitrogen, which absorbs blue light and reflects a beautiful yellow color. Diamonds in this style come in a range of secondary colors. However, the most desired are Canary Yellow Diamonds, pure yellow fancy diamonds that are more costly than other yellow stones.
![A yellow center stone](https://assets.1215diamonds.com/1215_diamonds/blog/2021/july/28/5.jpg)
Are There Lab Grown Colored Diamonds?
Colorful natural diamonds are rare and quite costly. Luckily, lab grown diamonds are an affordable alternative for those who love the look of a colored diamond but aren’t too crazy about the price tag or ethical implications associated with diamond mining. Lab grown diamonds are real diamonds as they consist of the exact same chemical makeup as natural diamonds. Available in shades of blue, pink, red, green, yellow, and more, work with your jeweler to make your colorful engagement ring or piece of jewelry a reality.
Sources
https://www.gemsociety.org/article/most-expensive-diamond-colors-with-prices/
https://www.gia.edu/fancy-color-diamond-quality-factor