Diamond jewellery colour

The majority of diamond jewellery sold by the jewellery industry range in colour from near colourless to very light yellow or brown, however, diamond jewellery comes in all colours - pale yellow, canary, pink, red, green, blue and brown and these diamonds are known as "fancies".

Gemologists have developed new ways to create affordable diamonds from fancies by treating these less desirable diamonds. Less desirable diamonds can be treated with irradiation and intense heat. Brown and yellowish diamonds change to beautifully coloured diamonds that are lowe in price than natural diamonds. The treatment produces stunning greens, blues, yellows, reds, purples and other colours. These colours are considered permanent, but the colors may change if subjected to high heat.

Treatments like irradiation make it possible for more people to own these vividly coloured diamonds. Naturally coloured diamonds are rare and extremely expensive. When viewing coloured diamonds one must assume that affordable fancy colour diamonds hav been treated. Ask for the origin of the gems and also view the lab certificate to verify authenticity.

If you wish to buy coloured diamonds but cannot afford, there are also Synthetic coloured diamonds. Synthetic diamonds are real diamonds, but were created in a laboratory.

Natural fancy colour diamonds get their colouring from the different trace elements in the stones. A trace of nitrogen produces a yellow diamond. Diamonds may be coloured by exposure to radiation during their creation. A Green diamond is an example of a diamond affected by radiation.

The more colour, the less the sparkle of the stone in diamond jewellery, because the colour in the stone prevents some light from passing through the stone.

Colourless diamonds allow the most light to pass through, which creates the maximum amount of brilliance (or fire). Truely colourless diamonds are rare and extremely valuable.

Cut stones are graded for for colour against a white background (be wary of anyone who shows you diamonds against a black background). The Gemological Institute of America's professional colour scale begins with the highest rating of D for colourless, and ends with a rating of Z for stones with very faint traces of a yellow or brown colour.