There’s no doubt that diamonds are very much a girl’s best friend and have been since diamond dealer De Beer’s successful 1940s advertising campaign and many people wonder what it is that makes diamonds various colours. The list of colours found in these natural creations include shades of yellow, champagne, brown, pink, blue and even black and in this article, we take a look at what causes the colours.
Natural Fancy Coloured Diamonds
A fancy coloured diamond is very rare and, of course, very expensive to buy. There are lab created diamonds that are coloured, which are less expensive than naturally coloured diamonds. If you are planning to propose to your fiancee this year and would like a unique coloured diamond engagement ring, talk to a leading custom jeweller and commissioning a diamond ring is no more expensive than choosing a ring at a jewellery store.
Trace Elements
If there are trace elements in a diamond, this can cause the stone to have a colour. Trace elements such as nitrogen cause a diamond to have a yellow hue, like the yellow diamond rings from The Diamond Jewellery Studio; exposure to radiation during the creation can cause a diamond to be green. Sulphur and boron are other trace elements that cause diamonds to take on colour, giving the diamond a bluey, yellowish hue.
Pink Diamonds
Pink diamonds do not contain trace elements, rather the pink colour is caused by a distortion of the crystal lattice within the stone. This is created by intense pressure and heat that occurred over a long period deep under the ground and one of the best mines for pink diamonds is the famous Argyle Mine in Western Australia. Even though this mine ceased production a few years ago, there are still many stunning pink diamonds that are available to buy in loose form and you can commission a custom jeweller to create the perfect pink diamond engagement ring.
Inclusions
There are inclusions in diamonds, flaws that can cause light to be diffused, giving the stone a unique hue or colour. If a diamond has no inclusions, it is clear and that is very rare indeed; a natural colourless diamond is extremely rare, as the majority of diamonds have some colour.
The Importance Of Diamond Certification
When looking to purchase diamonds, it is important that the stones have genuine certification, which would be issued by a regulatory body such as the Gem Institute of America. Diamonds are graded using the 4C system, which involves the following:
- Colour
- Clarity
- Cut
- Carat
One must take the utmost care when buying diamonds. Do some research about diamonds before making your purchase.
It is very popular today for a couple to have the engagement ring custom-made by a leading jeweller and if you would like to discuss diamond ring designs with a custom jeweller, all it takes to locate such an artist is a Google search.