Light yellow diamond turns to pink - possible Chameleon?

[jerichosmom]

While browsing online for a gift for my daughter, I came across what looked like fancy light pink mine cut diamonds.

Uncerted but appraised by a local lab while still mounted. Appraisal says Fancy Light Yellow and the clarity rating was a turn-off. However, the photos show pinkish purple and the seller is suggesting that they may be Chameleon diamonds and has done his own "tests" using hot water, etc. Pictures were taken in natural light with no red nearby to reflect off. He thinks they turn pinkish when heated or exposed to sunlight after being in the dark. I haven't seen them in person yet but would like to be armed with some info as I've never come across Chameleons. Appraisal does not mention fluorescence which all Chameleons should exhibit and I don't think they tested for it. My questions for this community are:

1. Can Chameleons go yellow to pink? All of my research suggests they should have olive/yellow/brown tones. Pink has not been recorded as a option.
2. Can someone help me date the settings? They look modern to me (stamped 14k) which I think is post 1940. Definitely not late 1800's as the seller suggests.

Unfortunately, I don't have my tools on me like a loupe/black light, etc as I'm out of the country and this is a local find. I would only be interested in them if they look pink. FLY diamonds are a dime a dozen and mine cuts (particularly wonky cut and heavily included) are not what I'm after.

Thank you in advance.

Thanks

 

[Bron357]

How fascinating. sorry know nothing about chameleon diamonds but if it takes sticking them in hot water (!) or putting them in the dark and then exposing to sunlight, how long does the pink last? I mean, if it’s just a matter of minutes before they lose the pink or they have to be really hot (don’t fancy putting red hot earrings in my ears) I guess it’s interesting but sort of pointless. They are going to be yellow the majority of time.
can you buy them and then return them if you aren’t happy with them? If yes, I’d buy them just to check them out.
and if they are chameleon diamonds, you’d need a proper lab report.

 

[missy]

Hmm interesting. And if true they are special.
I wonder if the seller is editing the pics in any way? Brown diamonds can look pinkish in sunlight I think but these are fancy light yellow so I don't think they would look pink in sunlight...maybe one of our resident diamond experts can chime in and share their thoughts.

@denverappraiser @Rockdiamond @Karl_K

 

[Rockdiamond]

Hi all!!
Oh my- what a total load of hokey!!!
Chameleon diamonds are never ever pink. Or Fancy Light Yellow.
in general they are dark greenish colors.
To activate the color change the stone must be kept in the dark for a period of time. When it’s observed in this state, then immediately exposed to a lot of heat ( hot water would never be hot enough) there’s a temporary change of color.
The truth is that fluorescent diamonds have far more interesting and apparent color change.
Then the claims about settings from the 1800’s.
I think, in reality, these were actually owned by Wilma Flintsone. You can see them in the intro to the show- so we can date them back to the age of dinosaurs
Seriously- when someone is cooking up a story where FLY diamonds turning pink, anything is possible

 

[Sunstorm]

This is one of the most bizarre stories I have heard. No, chameleons are not ever pink. They can have yellow, brown but mostly they are a combo of one or both with green primary color. I find them fascinating and I have seen truly amazing ones being that I love green diamonds. But I have no idea what these are except that the photo is photoshopped to look pink. Sometimes you think you have seen them all but then you realize that there is yet a new scam under the sun.

 

[distracts]

Those pictures don’t look like two different pictures but like one pic that has been cropped and desaturated for the second iteration. That already has a me a bit skeptical.

 

[Karl_K]

I think its total bull.
but:
If vsb can make a yellow diamond greenish then red or orange fluorescence could possibly make one pinkish.
But if that was the case and its easy enough to check, then why the BS story?
The truth would be kewl enough to attract a lot of people.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

I have asked Branko to come and explain. He owns the lab and signed the cert.
He is one of the most qualified scientists in the industry and specialises also in coloured diamond certification being the first ever to work out how to identify Argyle diamonds.
BTW it is not uncommon for yellowish (I think 1Ab type diamonds?) to fluoresce pink.
We had one recently.
Will try to find the photo.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

 

[Sunstorm]

Wow, it will be very inreresting to hear from the appraiser. BTW, I do think it is possible for them to fluoresce pink. I just do not think that turns them into some sort of a pink chameleon as the seller is suggesting. I find that part bull.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Hi Garry, yes I graded but did not mention "Chameleon" on comments because they can NOT be pink. "Chameleon" goes olive (cassic chameleon) or light yellow to (orangey) yellow when heated or left in dark, I wrote article in this for Gems and Gemmology with Thomas Hancshwagen, Dusan Simic, Emmanuel Fritsch 15 years ago, could send you PDF if you want? Happy New Year to you and Vera! Regards, Branko

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

A Gemological Study of a Collection of Chameleon Diamonds | Gems & Gemology

Chameleon diamonds are among the rarest of gem diamonds.

www.gia.edu

 

[Karl_K]

Garry are you saying he said that they actualy do turn pink? and not uv triggered?

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Branko says there are no pink Cameleons

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

I remeber the stone as being maybe KLM color.
I took this photo at the time

 

[Rockdiamond]

Branko says there are no pink Cameleons

Based on my experience, I concur.
I've also never seen pink fluorescence- but having said that, the actual color of fluorescence is extremely difficult to correlate with actual colors that we see in nature. The blue of the sky or water is quite different than the blue of a florescent diamond held in the dark under a blacklight.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

i found the stone - we bought a stone to match a lost earring. This stone on the left is N and is actually about 1-2 grades less colored.

 

[brankogem]

I did test these earrings. Definitely NOT "classic" Chameleon diamonds, as they need to fluoresce med/str orangy yellow under LW UV light and these stones did fluoresce Weak (faint) blue (as per my worksheet). Some "Reverse Chameleon" (not Classic one) could "improve colour" from Fancy Light Yellow to fancy orangy yellow, but NOT to pink (see the article I co-authored in Gems and Gemmology attached). It would be very easy to verify if these "pink diamond earrings" are actually the same as those I tested by bringing me back the item to verify. These were Old mine cut in very bad shape and quality could be old earrings, but my appraiser did not elaborate on that. Hope this
helps.

While browsing online for a gift for my daughter, I came across what looked like fancy light pink mine cut diamonds.

Uncerted but appraised by a local lab while still mounted. Appraisal says Fancy Light Yellow and the clarity rating was a turn-off. However, the photos show pinkish purple and the seller is suggesting that they may be Chameleon diamonds and has done his own "tests" using hot water, etc. Pictures were taken in natural light with no red nearby to reflect off. He thinks they turn pinkish when heated or exposed to sunlight after being in the dark. I haven't seen them in person yet but would like to be armed with some info as I've never come across Chameleons. Appraisal does not mention fluorescence which all Chameleons should exhibit and I don't think they tested for it. My questions for this community are:

1. Can Chameleons go yellow to pink? All of my research suggests they should have
olive/yellow/brown tones. Pink has not been recorded as a option.
2. Can someone help me date the settings? They look modern to me (stamped 14k) which I think is post 1940. Definitely not late 1800's as the seller suggests.

Unfortunately, I don't have my tools on me like a loupe/black light, etc as I'm out of the country and this is a local find. I would only be interested in them if they look pink. FLY diamonds are a dime a dozen and mine cuts (particularly wonky cut and heavily included) are not what I'm after.

Thank you in advance.

Thanks