Coloured Diamonds

[Glitz]

This past weekend I saw my first blue diamond in real life ... until then I didn't know these existed. I'm wondering if they give off the same type of sparkle and scintillation as a colourless diamond would? Are there more colours of diamonds out there that I don't know about (besides colourless/yellow/browns, blue & black)?

Also on a side note, do black diamonds sparkle?

 

[kenny]

Diamonds naturally come in all the colors of the rainbow.
They are usually cut to make the color stronger (which dramatically increases the value) not for light performance so they usually will not have as much fire as a colorless diamond that was cut for fire.
Also body color (especially if strong) can absorb some fire colors.

In a blue stone I believe the dispersion colors of the rainbow that are opposite blue (such as orange) will be less intense since they are somewhat absorbed by the blue body color.
Whether your eyes can detect it will probably depend on how intense the blue body color is.

I have a tiny natural deep blue diamond (below) and I do notice orangish dispersion to be relatively less strong than it seems it would be in a colorless - though it may be psychological, since that's what I'm expecting to see.
In a green one the reds will be more absorbed than any other color.
The violet region of dispersion from a yellow diamond will be somewhat relatively attenuated.

Black diamonds are not translucent so you only see light reflected off their surface.

 

[kenny]

If you want to see more colors here is the website that I've bought naturally colored diamonds from:

http://www.fancydiamonds.net/

I was very happy with their goods, price and service, though I could only afford very small diamonds in the colors I preferred.
Some colors are more expensive than others.

The only not-natural colors are the blacks with in-house grading.
Those were treated to make them black.
Their blacks with GIA reports are naturally colored.

 

[Glitz]

Thanks so much, I'm soooooo intrigued! Hopefully in the near future I'll have something coloured to post in the SMTB thread.

 

[Rockdiamond]

Hi G&G,
There are many different shades available in Natural Fancy Colored Diamonds.
Pink, Orange, Green, Blue, Grey, Yellow, Brown, Black- and many combinations of colors as well.

In terms of sparkle and scintillation, the different colors provide different amounts of sparkle, scintillation, and color dispersion. Of course the cut will make a difference as well.
Many ( most) black diamonds are treated- if they have a GIA report , that will show they are natural. Black diamonds are opaque- so there's no sparkle.

 

[kenny]

Oh I can't wait to see what you buy.
Be careful, those little things are addictive.
Do your homework and an do in-depth search here on any vendor you consider.

BTW, the Museum of Natural History in San Diego, California currently has the Aurora Diamond Collection on display (below).
If you can make it I hear it is the holy grail of naturally-colored diamond collections.
I can't wait to see it.

http://www.sdnhm.org/exhibits/allthatglitters/splendor.php

 

[Glitz]

Oh I can't wait to see what you buy.
Careful.
Those little things are addictive.
And do your homework and do in depth searches here on any vendor you consider.

They Museum of Natural History in San Diego California currently has the Aurora Diamond Collection on display (below).
If you can make it I hear it is the holy grail of collections of naturally colored diamonds.
I plan to see it.

http://www.sdnhm.org/exhibits/allthatglitters/splendor.php

That is beautiful! I'm already addicted to diamonds and gems ... come to think of it I own a ring with colourless and pink diamonds, it was passed on to me from my grandma, I don't know how that one slipped my mind. Unfortunately I live in Canada (close to Toronto) and don't think I'll be making it to this holy grail ... atleast not this year . Last week I was actually trying to find a local jewellery exhibit to visit and bring my grandmother (I believe my gem addiction is genetic and passed on from her!), but I had no such luck. If anyone knows a good place in Canada to go and drool over stones for hours let me know!

Actually how long is this exhibit on for? I'll be in San Diego for work in June.

 

[kenny]

Actually how long is this exhibit on for? I'll be in San Diego for work in June.

I just called to check.
The Aurora Collection is just part of a larger exhibit of Gems and Minerals called, "All that Glitters" (see screen capture below).

The exhibit runs through May 15 2012, but the gentleman I just spoke too on the phone said security agreements make him unable to confirm the Aurora Collection will be there the entire time. (It must be worth zillions of dollars.)
He did assure me it will be here through October 2010.

So I suggest you check when you get to San Diego next June.

 

[dkodner]

Hi G&G,

Welcome to the fascinating and addictive world of colored diamonds. You are getting great advice from both Kenny and RD, but a quick point of clarification.

Although very rare, there are indeed natural black diamonds that are not completely opaque, and do get a brilliance. Not enough that you will probably see on on the market, but they do exist. There are I think fewer than a handful of diamonds that were graded by the GIA as natural fancy black, and instead of millions of microscopic carbon impurities, they are millions of microscopic hydrogen impurities. This leaves the diamonds semi-translucent and allowing brilliance to come from the stone. Again- you will probably not see one, but in the interest of having complete answers, I thought i should throw that out there.

Kenny- congrats on your stones. I have not been on PS in a while, but I see you now understand my warning that it is hard to have just one.. , and I see from your threads that you have a good appreciation now for how no picture really captures what a colored diamond looks like. I hope you enjoy them and add many more to your collection. PS- you took some great photos of your stones, better than most I have seen.

 

[kenny]

Thanks David K. and thanks for the correction on the black diamonds.

So GIA does not use all 9 intensity grades for natural black diamonds?
I've never heard of a Very Light Black or Faint Black - kind of like Red.

 

[dkodner]

It's very much like Red. I have only seen a black diamond graded as fancy black. The relationship between lightness/darkness, saturation and intensity of color is complicated. IMHO it is confused quite often, even by the graders at the GIA. Since the majority of natural blacks are going to be mostly opaque, there is really no need for the different categories. It's pretty much completely saturated and completely dark, so I cannot imagine what could qualify as a difference between say a fancy black, and an intense black. There is however room in my opinion for something like a violetish black for the hydrogen rich blacks, since when you look into those stones, you do see subtle violet flashes, and putting a strong light behind it, you really see the violet come through, but I have never seen the grade. Maybe if a few more show up in the lab you will see that one day.

G&G- keep in mind like RD said, there are all kinds of variations in colored diamonds, some very rare and expensive, and some are very inexpensive and easy to find. In my opinion they all have unique qualities and interesting hues that make them beautiful to wear. Don't feel like you have to have an intense pink, or blue etc to own a fancy colored diamond. Anything in the Auburn family can be relatively inexpensive and just stunning. No matter the budget, anyone can own a natural colored diamond, and I think you will find the warmth of color, and the brilliance of a diamond, no matter the combination of colors, will be captivating. I know both RD and Kenny understand the emotion a colored diamond conjures over it's white counterparts is almost unexplainable, but wonderful. I hope you explore colored diamonds in more depth, and enjoy the experience...