How Many Colors of Diamonds Are There?

November 21, 2023

Diamonds, often celebrated for their brilliance and clarity, also come in a captivating array of colors that extend beyond the traditional colorless stones. While many consumers are familiar with popular choices like pink and yellow diamonds, there's an entire rainbow-colored world of fancy diamonds that sparkle, glow, and glitter just as much as their colorless counterparts.

Natural diamonds are categorized into 12 main diamond hues: pink, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, violet, brown, gray, white, and black. But the story doesn't end there because many fancy diamonds include secondary colors, known as overtones. When all the combinations of base hues and secondary colors are added up, there are over 230 possible color combinations!

 How Many Colors of Diamonds Are There: entire rainbow-colored world of fancy diamonds

 

As a side note, some experts recognize chameleon as a base color; however, they are essentially yellowish or greenish diamonds with multiple overtones. Chameleon diamonds are fascinating in their own right because they change color when exposed to heat or light after being in darkness.

There are many factors to consider when choosing a fancy colored diamond. Diamonds with a single, pure hue, such as those graded as fancy yellow or fancy pink, are particularly prized and often come with a higher price tag because they are exceptionally rare compared to diamonds with two or more colors.

Color intensity is another crucial aspect that can affect price and is considered during the diamond grading process. Each diamond is assigned an intensity rating of faint, very light, light, fancy light, fancy, fancy intense, fancy vivid, fancy dark, or fancy deep.

The true beauty of fancy colored diamonds lies in their diversity, and personal preferences play a pivotal role. Some may be drawn to the mesmerizing color of a fancy purplish-pink diamond, while others may find the bold nature of a fancy intense green-yellow diamond more attractive than a fancy yellow one. With countless possibilities, choosing a diamond becomes a deeply personal journey that allows you to express your unique style through mesmerizing colors.

 

Fancy Color Diamond Grade

Fancy color diamonds have a unique charm. They sparkle in yellow, brown, and blue. These colors add a special touch to precious stones. It's important to understand color grades. This helps in valuing a perfect diamond.

Fancy color diamond grading is unique. It's different from white diamonds. It focuses on the depth of color. The main color is key. The color scale looks at color intensity and spread. For example, a fancy vivid yellow diamond has a deep yellow. This makes it very desirable.

Diamonds get graded by hue, tone, and saturation. Hue is the diamond's visible color, like pink or blue. Tone is how light or dark it is. Saturation tells us about the color's strength. This method gives a clear picture of each diamond's color.

Yellow and brown diamonds are more common. But blue and pink are rarer. Red diamonds are the rarest. They are highly valuable due to their scarcity and beauty.

Each fancy color diamond is unique. A perfect diamond has a rich, consistent color. Its main color is intense and pure. This grabs attention.

Collectors love diamonds with clear, strong colors. A fancy vivid yellow diamond is loved for its bright yellow. A deep blue diamond is valued for its depth. How many colors of diamonds are there? Each one has its own allure.

 

How Many Colors of Diamonds Are There:The 12 Pure Diamond Hues

We'll delve into the 12 pure diamond colors. We'll see every color and its secondary hues. We'll examine each primary color's associated tones. We'll also uncover what different colored diamonds mean. This includes looking at the color of a diamond. We'll focus on the intensity of the color in each gem.

Colored Pink Diamonds

Secondary Color Variations: Purple, Brown, Gray, Orange

How the Color Is Formed: Although the reason is a bit of a mystery, many geologists believe that a distortion in the crystal structure causes the pink color instead of trace elements, which are responsible for other colored diamonds.

Meaning: Pink diamonds represent love, romance, femininity, and creativity.

This is a 0.74 carat fancy purplish pink diamond

0.74 carat fancy purplish pink diamond

Red Color Diamond

Secondary Color Variations: Purple, Brown, Orange

How the Color Is Formed: A rare deformation in the crystal lattice structure causes some atoms to be misplaced, and the intense pressure of the movement of the atoms causes the stone to absorb green light and reflect red hues.

Meaning: Red diamonds symbolize intense passion and love, as well as luck, self-awareness, and power.

Here’s what a super rare red diamond looks like

Red diamonds symbolize intense passion and love

Orange Diamonds

Secondary Color Variations: Brown, Yellow, Pink

How the Color Is Formed: Structural deformities and the presence of nitrogen in the stone combine to create the brilliant orange hues.

Meaning: Orange diamonds represent boldness, creativity, energy, successful relationships, and success.

Fall in love with this 1.51 carat fancy vivid yellow orange diamond

1.51 carat fancy vivid yellow orange diamond

Yellow Diamonds

Secondary Color Variations: Brown, Green, Orange, Gray

How the Color Is Formed: Yellow diamonds derive their color from nitrogen impurities found in the carbon crystal structures. The nitrogen absorbs the blue part of the spectrum and modifies the light, creating the yellow hue.  

Meaning: Yellow diamonds symbolize happiness, prosperity, and hope for a bright future

This drop of sunshine is a 1.42 carat fancy yellow diamond

1.42 carat fancy yellow diamond

Green Diamonds

Secondary Color Variations: Yellow, Blue, Brown, Gray

How the Color Is Formed: Green hues are caused by either the diamond being exposed to naturally occurring radiation for millions of years or due to the hydrogen being present in the stone.

Meaning: Green diamonds are often associated with the essence of life, so they represent vitality, youth, balance, and healthy relationships.

Here’s a 1 carat fancy light bluish green diamond

1 carat fancy light bluish green diamond

Blue Diamonds

Secondary Color Variations: Gray, Green, Violet

How the Color Is Formed: When boron atoms are present in a diamond, they create a blue hue. Blue diamonds are some of the rarest, and those with deeper colors are extremely rare. 

Meaning: These symbolize truth, serenity, calmness, purpose, and respect.

Here’s an extraordinary 0.11 carat fancy light blue diamond

0.11 carat fancy light blue diamond

Purple Diamonds

Secondary Color Variations: Pink, Gray

How the Color Is Formed: Often, a stone's internal grain formation causes the purple color, but it can also be due to the presence of hydrogen.

Meaning: Although purple is associated with royalty and luxury, a purple diamond is believed to bring wisdom, guidance, inner strength, and inspiration.

Take a look at this rare purple diamond

purple is associated with royalty and luxury

Violet Diamonds

Secondary Color Variations: Gray, Blue

How the Color Is Formed: Violet diamonds get their unique color from hydrogen atoms in the diamond's lattice, with higher concentrations of hydrogen causing deeper purple tints.

Meaning: Violet diamonds symbolize passion, royalty, magic, spirituality, and integrity.

This is what a violet diamond looks like

Violet diamonds symbolize passion, royalty, magic, spirituality, and integrity

Brown Diamonds

Secondary Color Variations: Yellow, Pink, Orange, Green, Purple, Red

How the Color Is Formed: Brown diamonds get their color from inner parallel brown grain lines that appear because of a distortion of the crystal lattice. This is known as "graining" and affects the way the diamond reflects light, causing the brown hue.

Meaning: Brown diamonds are reminiscent of nature and the earth and often represent harmony.

Here’s a richly colored 1.51 carat fancy dark orangy brown diamond

1.51 carat fancy dark orangy brown diamond

Gray Diamonds

Secondary Color Variations: Violet, Blue, Green, Yellow

How the Color Is Formed: The gray color in diamonds is created when the stone comes into contact with higher levels of boron or hydrogen; when higher levels of these elements are integrated into the diamond, the color becomes more intense.

Meaning: These stones symbolize the ability to think outside of the box and represent individuality or discovery.

A mysterious 1.30 carat fancy dark bluish gray diamond

1.30 carat fancy dark bluish gray diamond

White Diamonds

Secondary Color Variations: No color variations

How the Color Is Formed: White diamonds are colorless diamonds with minute inclusions too small to be seen by the naked eye. These inclusions, thought to be caused by traces of nitrogen or other elements within the diamond's crystal structure, scatter light as it passes through the diamond, giving it a translucent "milky" white appearance.

Meaning: White diamonds symbolize many things, including purity, innocence, true love, devotion, eternity, cleanliness, and holiness.

This is what a white diamond looks like

te diamonds symbolize many things, including purity, innocence

Black Diamonds

Secondary Color Variations: No color variations

How the Color Is Formed: Black diamonds get their color from the presence of numerous graphite inclusions; some also show traces of hydrogen and nitrogen, which can cause a dark hue.

Meaning: Black diamonds can symbolize many things, including inner power, strength, or sorrow. Some also believe they represent the ability of a relationship to overcome challenges, and some people just love the rock n' roll vibe.

A cool, edgy black diamond

Black diamonds can symbolize many things, including inner power, strength, or sorrow



Diamonds come in many colors. Each color adds a unique touch. Red diamonds show passion. Blue diamonds bring calmness. Purple diamonds have regal allure. Every hue tells a story. How many colors of diamonds are there? There's a wide range.

When gifting a diamond, think of the color's meaning. For a diamond engagement ring, choose wisely. Picking a diamond for yourself? Go for the color you love. Forget the symbolism.

The primary color of the diamond matters. It's how diamonds are graded. For example, a pink diamond engagement ring is special. It's all about the color of the diamond. Choose what resonates with you.


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