FANCY BLUE DIAMOND, Untreated

Due to very limited mining production, these diamonds
are mostly kept as heirlooms and recirculated through auctions.
Though very rare, there are diamonds that are pink, orange, yellow ("canary" color), green, blue, and purple. Each color has its own pricing structure, separate from that of the more commonly seen diamonds that range from colorless to light yellow, brown, and gray. Blue and pink diamonds, especially, are extremely expensive because of their rarity. When a diamond's color exceeds a certain tone level, the term "fancy" is applied, resulting in names such as "fancy blue." The pear-shaped diamond as shown in the photograph on the next page is fairly light in tone, but it is a gorgeous fancy blue.

For centuries, India was virtually the only source of diamonds. Most of the diamonds mined in India were highly transparent and colorless, but on rare occasions fancy blues and fancy pinks were found. The blue Hope Diamond in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C., is believed to be of Indian origin. Diamond production began in Brazil in 1725; besides blue and pink diamonds, green diamonds were also mined there. Currently, fancy blue diamonds are apparently being mined in limited quantities from the Premier mine in South Africa.

The key to the beauty of a fancy blue diamond is a blue color that, even if light, has very little grayish coloration. The fancy blue diamond in the ring shown below is a rare stone that shows very little grayish color. In darker blue colors, the grayish tint becomes stronger, causing a loss of brightness in the blue flashes seen in the stone's mosaic pattern. Because production is extremely limited, however, finding the ideal fancy blue diamond is very difficult. This is a classic example of how the rarity of a gemstone determines its value. These diamonds should be pursued as collectors' pieces rather than as gemstones to be used in jewelry. Most of them are from several decades to several centuries old, kept as heirlooms and recirculated through auction sales.

Ring, Platinum
Fancy Blue Diamond 1 pc
3.36 ct
Untreated
US $600,000

Name of Mineral : Diamond
Mohs Hardness : 10
Refractive Index : 2.417
Specific Gravity : 3.52

TYPES OF FANCY-COLORED DIAMONDS
Though usually somewhat light in tone, diamonds occur naturally in shades of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, and purple. In yellows, which are mined in relatively large quantities, tones of 3 or darker are classified as fancy colors. In more rare colors such as blue, pink, or green, a tone level of 2+ or darker is referred to as a "fancy" color.

The colors in the photographs below start with orange at the top, continuing clockwise with yellow, green, blue, purple, and pink. Though light in tone, they are all of a quality that shows a distinct color when viewed face-up (from above).
Fancy-Colored Diamonds
A predominantly red round diamond, weighing 0.95 carat was sold at auction at Christie's in New York on April 28, 1987 for a hammer price of US $880,000. Per carat, it is the highest recorded price ever paid for a gemstone ($926,315 per carat). This attests to the extreme rarity of red fancy-colored diamonds. In the case of fancy blue diamonds, a 4.37-carat diamond was sold at a Christie's auction in Geneva on November 13, 1995 for a record price of US $569,000 per carat.

As can be seen in the photographs to the right, there are also diamonds that are milky, brown, or gray.

Fancy-Colored Diamonds

Pink
Weight : 0.08 ct
Size (mm): Dia. 2.8 x
D 1.62
Untreated

Purple
weight: 0.18 ct
Size (mm): Dia. 3.5 x
D 2.35
Untreated

Orange

Weight : 0.09 ct
Size (mm) : Dia. 2.9 x D 1.71 Untreated

Blue

Weight : 0.09 ct
Size (mm): L 3.9 x W 2.3 x D 1.74
Untreated

Yellow

Weight : 0.18 ct
Size (mm): L 5.2 x W 3.0 x D 1.95
Untreated

Green

Weight : 0.15 ct
Size (mm): Dia. 3.4 x 
D 2.13
Untreate

Tone of Diamonds

Milky (Dark)
Weight : 0.16 ct
Size (mm): Dia. 3.4 x D 2.13
Untreated

Milky
(Light)
Weight : 0.11 ct
Size (mm): Dia.2.9 x D 2.00
Untreated

Brown
(Dark)
Weight : 0.09 ct
Size (mm): Dia.3.0 x D 1.70
Untreated

Brown
(Light)
Weight : 0.14 ct
Size (mm): Dia. 3.4 x D 2.00
Untreated

Gray
(Dark)
Weight : 0.76 ct
Size (mm):Dia. 6.1-5.8 x
D 3.31
Untreated

Gray
(Light)
Weight : 0.79 ct
Size (mm): Dia. 5.9 x D 3.61
Untreated

QUALITY SCALE
FANCY BLUE DIAMOND
Untreated

JUDGING QUALITY AND
HOW TO CHOOSE

The beauty of fancy-colored diamonds is judged face-up. A darker blue color will inevitably show more gray influence.
It is best to choose a stone that has little grayish coloration, even if this means choosing a somewhat lighter color.

Low-quality colorless diamonds may be irradiation-treated to produce a blue color. Since these are sometimes used
in jewelry, it is important not to confuse them with naturally colored stones.

The value of a one-carat-size fancy blue diamond of jewelry quality is approximately US $50,000 for the stone alone.
(2001)
A GEM OF VALUE

Weight:0.61ct
Size(mm):L6.5x W5.0 x D2.55
Untreated
Jewelry Quality
US $30,000

The 3 quality zones as they appear in the quality scale

Quantity distribution of gems that are polished to 3-carat size