Cut of Fancy Color Diamonds

Fancy color diamonds are some of the rarest and most beautiful gemstones in the world. Many people, when the word diamond is mentioned, will picture a colorless diamond - where the less color they contain the more valuable they are perceived to be. However the same cannot be said for fancy color diamonds. The extraordinary yellow, red, pink, purple, blue and green fancy color diamonds are more highly prized the more intense the color of the gemstone - a natural color which can be enhanced by their cut.

Cutting of Fancy Color Diamonds Differs from Colorless Diamonds

The cutting of a fancy color diamond differs greatly from that of colorless diamonds. The master diamond cutter is not simply creating a balanced outline and pleasing balanced arrangement of facets, but is striving to enhance the intensity and beauty of the diamond's color. The angles, proportions and arrangement of the facets are designed to lengthen the path of light as it passes through the stone. The further the passage of a light ray through a fancy color diamond, then the more it is able to pick up - and deepen - the color of the stone. And, when it comes to fancy color diamonds - color is everything.

In contrast, with colorless or near-colorless diamonds, the aim is to bring out the shine and brilliance of the diamond and to minimize the appearance of trace colors caused by light. When cutting these diamonds, the cutter will attempt to shorten the path light takes - light which is reflected in the stone.

What are often termed 'ideal cuts' for colorless diamonds are often not the best cut for fancy color diamonds. White round brilliants are by far the most popular cut for colorless diamonds, whereas radiants and ovals tend to be among the most prevalent cuts for fancy color diamonds. Radiant cuts are square or rectangular, with angle corners. The cut was patented in the 1970s, as an alternative to the emerald cut. The nature of the cut aids the concentration of the color, and can push a fancy colored diamond into a higher fancy category of color.

Polishing Fancy Color Diamonds

Great care has to be taken when polishing fancy cut diamonds, since the color of some pink diamonds can change quite considerably during the polishing process. It is important to wait for at least 24 hours after a stone has been polished before sealing the purchase, in order to ensure the diamond has kept its color.

Color of Fancy Color Diamonds

The creation of a fancy color diamond is nothing short of a miracle - extreme environmental conditions must be present, and tiny amounts of trace elements have to interact with the carbon atoms - an interaction which will permanently affect the color. It has been estimated that there is only a one in 10,000 chance of a diamond possessing any natural color - and far less chance of the very rarest of fancy colored diamonds coming into existence.

Grading of Fancy Color Diamond Color

The most important factor when evaluating a fancy color diamond is the richness and beauty of its color. There are a number of grading systems in existence for fancy color diamonds, but the most influential is the 9 tier scale developed by the Gemological Institute of America. The GIA scale rates fancy color diamonds from 'Faint' and 'Very Light', which are not considered true fancy color grades - while at the other end of the scale are 'Fancy Deep' and 'Fancy Vivid' diamonds, which are fancy colored diamonds which feature a highly saturated and intense color.

Fancy Color Diamonds come in Many Colors

Fancy color diamonds can be found in just about any color imaginable from red, green and purple to orange, pink and blue. Yellow and brown fancy color diamonds are the most common, and therefore tend to be the most affordable. The hue of a fancy color diamond refers to the dominant color of the stone - for example pink, blue or yellow. Modifiers or tints may also be present which will affect the color, for instance a diamond termed purplish-pink indicates a gemstone which has a principal hue of pink, with a purple tint. Pure fancy color diamonds are those which do not possess these secondary tints.

Tone and Hue of Fancy Color Diamonds

The tone of the fancy color diamond refers to the amount of darkness or light the stone appears to retain, and the tonal range goes from light to dark, while the saturation describes how intense or strong the hue is. Saturation of diamonds on the light end of the scale can vary from pastel - like to vivid while dark diamonds can vary from dark to deep saturation.