Brown diamonds are generally the least expensive of natural fancy colors. As with colored stones in general, color is paramount for fancy colored diamond pricing. Other quality factors like clarity and cut do not affect prices as much as with colorless diamonds.
Near colorless diamonds, (G-H-I-J grades) offer the best value if you want to make the most of your budget. You can save money in color and spend more on an excellent cut which in turn gives more brilliance. G and H color grades come just after the colorless range, so they still appear colorless when viewed face up.
Rule of thumb: A 1-carat diamond can cost as low as $2,000 and as high as $25,000. That means a middle-of-the-range diamond should be $11,000 - $12,000. Sounds simple, but that is overpaying. A good value, good quality 1 carat diamond should cost you around $4,500 - $6,000.
Blue diamonds are rarer and more expensive than every other fancy color diamond—except for red diamonds. Blue diamonds are incredibly rare and can only be found in three areas of the world: Australia, South Africa, and India. The more intense the color of the blue diamond is, the more rare and expensive it is.
Certified natural Fancy Vivid pink diamonds are the most expensive diamonds on the market ranging in price from 30,000 to 100,000 per carat, 20 times the price of a white diamond. The majority of all pink diamonds mined come from one source in Australia, the Argyle Mine.
Color also has a big impact on the sparkle produced by a diamond. Because diamonds reflect white light, colorless diamonds produce the best sparkle and fire. In fact, the more color a diamond has, the less likely it is to reflect white light. And as a result, will produce less sparkle.
Red diamonds are the rarest and some of the most expensive in the world. Also known as Fancy Reds, they come in a variety of shades ranging from orange-red to brownish red. Majority of the world's red diamonds come from the Argyle Diamond Mine in Australia.
The price ranges between $1,500-$3,000 per carat for black diamonds weighing between 1.00 to 3.00 carats. On the other hand, colorless diamonds may range between $2,500 to $153,000 per carat for clear diamonds weighing between 1.00 – 3.00 carats.
Simulated diamonds are also known as diamond simulants and include things like cubic zirconia (CZ), moissanite, and YAG. They can also include some natural clear gemstones like white sapphire, white zircon or even clear quartz.
The cushion cut is one of the best diamond shapes from a value for money perspective. Since such a small percentage of the original rough diamond is discarded in the cutting and polishing process, cushion cut diamonds are very affordable.
According to that GIA standard, the "best" diamond color is D. (Read more about D color diamonds here.) D color diamonds are the equivalent of IF or FL grade diamonds on the clarity scale — they're very rare, and their price definitely reflects that.
Diamond color is important: Most diamonds used in engagement rings are near-colorless with hints of yellow or brown. All things being equal, the more colorless a diamond is, the rarer it is, and this rarity will be reflected in its price.
The F color grade is a great choice. This is the lowest of the three colorless diamond grades, which makes it the most economical way to enjoy that sparkly, icy look. F-grade stones account for 20 percent of diamonds sold at Blue Nile.
THE KOH-I-NOOR
He named it Koh-I-Noor meaning 'Mountain of Light'. The diamond was given to Queen Victoria in 1850 and weighed 186ct. In 1852 it was cut into a Round Brilliant weighing 108.93ct. The diamond has been used in the crowns of various Kings and Queens, and is currently on display in the Tower of London.
According to the statistics, light blue diamonds cost on average $15,700 per 0.25 ct, deep blue and vivid blue stones cost more – around $75,000 per 0.25 ct. The higher and purer the color intensity and carat weight, the higher the price.
Usually the dirt and grease that accumulated under the diamond causing it to refract less of the light through it and hence it appears darker than what it looked originally like . Another reason is the metal underneath the diamond loses the rhodium polish . The darker metal causes the diamond to appear dark .
Rarity of Purple Diamonds
For instance, you will not find blue-purple diamonds. The fancy color diamonds are extremely rare. Usually just one out of 10,000 carats of mined diamonds come out as a gem-quality colored diamond. Purple diamonds are one of the rarest of all colored diamonds, after the red diamonds.
Notice that a 0.60 carat round diamond is approximately 5.35mm in diameter, while a 1 carat diamond is 6.4mm in diameter.
Did you know that natural (also called “fancy”) diamonds can come in nearly every color of the rainbow? While the odds of a diamond having color are estimated at 1 in 10,000, rare brown, yellow, red, blue and purple diamonds exist, as well as diamonds of all sorts of colors in between.
Red diamonds are the most expensive colored diamonds. Currently, only about 20 to 30 exist in the world. These diamonds derive their red shade during the mining formation. The process is uncommon, explaining why red diamonds are rare and extremely small in size.