The World of Fancy Color Diamonds
White diamonds may be the most famous, but colored diamonds are the rarest things on earth. A naturally colored diamond of fine quality is rarer than almost any other gemstone in existence.
What Makes a Diamond "Fancy"?
The standard diamond color scale grades stones from D (colorless) to Z (light yellow or brown). A diamond graded beyond Z — where the color becomes a feature rather than a flaw — is called a Fancy Color Diamond.
Fancy colored diamonds occur in virtually every hue: yellow, pink, blue, green, red, orange, violet, and black. Their color comes from trace elements, structural defects, or radiation exposure during formation deep in the earth — processes that take billions of years.
For every 10,000 carats of colorless diamonds mined, only one carat of fancy color material is recovered. A naturally red diamond — the rarest of all — may appear on the market only once a decade.
The Four Key Fancy Colors
Select a color to learn about it
Yellow & Canary
Yellow diamonds get their colour from nitrogen atoms trapped in the crystal structure during formation. The more nitrogen, the deeper and more saturated the yellow. Known as 'canary' diamonds at their most vivid, they are the most available of the fancy colours and offer exceptional value relative to their beauty.
The Fancy Color Intensity Scale
The GIA grades fancy colored diamonds on a scale of intensity. The more vivid and saturated the color, the higher the grade — and the more valuable the stone.
What Affects the Value of a Fancy Color Diamond?
Unlike colorless diamonds where the 4Cs apply equally, color is the dominant factor in a fancy color diamond. The other Cs play a supporting role.
Natural vs Lab-Grown Colored Diamonds
Formed over billions of years under extreme geological conditions. The color is entirely natural — the result of trace elements, radiation, or structural deformation that occurred deep in the earth. Their rarity is absolute and irreplaceable.
Produced using HPHT or CVD processes in weeks rather than billions of years. Chemically identical to natural diamonds. Lab-grown fancy colors are significantly more affordable but do not hold investment value — their market price continues to fall as production increases.