Joseph Schubach Jewelers Blog

Fancy Colored Diamonds – A Quick Lesson

May 6, 2009

Ever since J Lo’s engagement ring, there has been a movement toward fancy colored diamonds. What is it about these magical, richly hued gemstones that capture the hearts of the buyer? And how are they created?

For quite some time, any color found in a diamond was considered undesirable. Diamonds were meant to be clean and clear – devoid of any color or even the slightest hue.

But now that fancy colored diamonds have become popular, gemologists are purposefully creating diamonds in a wide array of colors.

Naturally, diamonds can have color due to the following factors:

Trace elements in the diamonds can produce color such as nitrogen which creates a yellow diamond.
Color can result when radiation is present during a diamond’s creation. For instance, green diamond hues are the result of radiation.
Inclusions are undesirable in a colorless stone, but can contribute unique tones and flashes of color in a fancy color diamond.

More commonly, fancy color diamonds are treated in one form or the other. Synthetic colored diamonds are affordable and often very vibrant in hue. They are created in a laboratory but are still the “real deal.” With that said, you’ll want to do your research and find a company that creates a solid, authentic product (like Gemesis, for instance.)