Fancy Color Diamonds

Fancy color diamonds are a very rare and expensive type of stone. A fancy diamond can range in color, from various shades of yellow to red, pink, blue, or green. Fancy diamonds are valuable because of their rarity, and are the only diamonds that are made more valuable because their color exceeds the GIA color scale.

Fancy color diamonds are graded based on two factors. The first is their basic hue, such as pink, yellow, blue, green, etc. The second is their intensity. Both color characteristics form the basis for determining a fancy colored diamond's worth. Usually, the more intense the color, the rarer and more expensive the diamond will be.

When grading fancy diamonds, the GIA uses nine grade categories:

1. Faint
2. Very Light
3. Light
4. Fancy Light
5. Fancy
6. Fancy Dark
7. Fancy Intense
8. Fancy Deep
9. Fancy Vivid

It is interesting to note that a secondary undertone that enhances the color of a diamond is considered a plus, while a secondary undertone that detracts from the color is considered a negative.

Fancy color diamonds have been found in Australia, Brazil, Venezuela and parts of Africa, where conditions are right for the development of their natural color.

Find your fancy color diamonds at Leibish & Co.