The colored diamonds, or fancy, are the stars of international auctions. That’s why if you have a jewel with a big colored diamond you’re probably very rich ♦
Colored diamonds, or fancy, are the pièce de résistance of international auctions, reach very high estimates and often exceed them. Of course, these are remarkable material for hue, purity and weight, but all colored diamonds are quite unique, even when it comes to one carat stones: the inside impurities, during the process composition, color the stone in different ways (for the green is due to radiation, the blue is given by boron, yellow and orange from nitrogen molecules which absorb the blue light).
Certification is a valuable tool, as it lists all of those criteria, the 4 C, which determine the value. A kind of basic alphabet of which we have already spoken, which in the case of colored gemstones has different meanings generated by other factors. We must take into account that diamonds may have more colors together: some gems are pure, others have a secondary color, which gives them a shade. A fancy greenish yellow diamond will be a yellow stone with a green hue, while a light yellow-green diamond will have as a slight yellow tint. Can be confusing, but the secondary color comes before the primary.
1 The first factor R. Rarity: only 1 in 10 000 is a colored stone. For their part, fancy diamonds are divided into three groups: browns, grays and yellows are relatively more common. The second group includes those with a more vivid yellow and orange shades. In the third, however, are those that have as their primary color orange, green, purple, pink and blue: they are extremely rare. So, although the secondary color it lower the value, a pure brown diamond will always cheaper than a pink diamond with a light brown tone. Finally, there are the red diamonds, but is a separate category, that even many jewelers have never seen.
2 The fifth C. The fluorescence, ie the color reaction of the stone of ultraviolet radiation, is generally regarded as a defect, and therefore affects the price. There are, however, exceptions: on the colorless stones from the H up (the scale of whites goes from D to Z, almost yellow) fluorescence becomes an advantage because makes the stones whiter. In colored ones it is something irrelevant a part from yellow diamonds, which must be nil or slight.
3 Carat weight steps. In general, the price of a diamond 1 carat is 25% higher than the value adopted for a stone of 0.90 carats of the same category. The difference increases with the increase of the quality and even reaches 70% with a D Flawless stone. In colored gemstones it gets further complicated: for example, an intense pink diamond from 0.50 carat can cost six times more than an equivalent from 0:20 carat, because its price per carat is much higher and the carat weight is the same 2.5 times higher. While in the range of lower color, such as pale yellow, the difference does not exceed 30%. So, everything depends on the intensity of the color.
4 Inclusions. A word that discourages the choice of a stone, despite having a beautiful color. According to experts, the best value is in the classification of clarity VS2. But this applies to colorless stones. Instead, in the case of colored diamonds SI1 and SI2, the inclusions are often invisible to the naked eye. Then, why pay more when the overall aesthetic effect is not compromised?
5 Cut. In specimens colorless serves to achieve maximum brilliance. Instead, in the case of diamonds fancy cut serves to get the most of the color, to exalt. An example: princess and round cut, because of the way they reflect light, attenuate the color, while the cushion or oval cut enhances the tonality. That’ why, the first cost much more than the latter, because they are rarer. And then the most sought after.
6 Setting. Even a less vibrant color can enhance with the set. For example, a pale yellow diamond with the griffes in yellow gold, will become more intense. The same applies to the brown and pink diamonds with the rose gold.
