Hobbies And Interests
Brown Diamonds
Brown is the most common color seen in diamonds. Until recently, brown diamonds were relegated to industrial purposes, being shunned by most jewelers. This changed in the 1990s, when the a mine in Western Australia began producing high quality brown diamonds. An assertive marketing campaign by the mine's owners put brown diamonds on the map. Now you can find brown diamonds in a range of shades, from light brown champagnes to deep chocolate and cognac diamonds.
Yellow Diamonds
Yellow diamonds are widely available. Many diamonds have a faint tint of yellow. These faintly yellow diamonds are often rated as less valuable than clear diamonds. Yellow diamonds with a stronger hue are more valuable. They get their color from hydrogen and nitrogen impurities.
Blue and Green Diamonds
The color of blue diamonds comes from minute amounts of boron in the stone. Boron absorbs red and yellow light, resulting in a diamond with a blue hue. Green diamonds, on the other hand, are colored by the action of natural radiation on the stone as it forms. Some radiation only penetrates the outer surface of the stone, giving it a green "skin." Solid green diamonds are very rare.
Red and Pink Diamonds
Pink diamonds often come from the same western Australian mine that popularized brown ones. Colors range from delicate pinks to strong, vivid tones. True red diamonds are very rare. Only 20 or 30 specimens are known to exist, most of them under one carat in weight.
Black, White and Gray Diamonds
Clear, colorless diamonds are often referred to as white, but you can find true white diamonds. These have inclusions (small particles) trapped in them that scatter light and give them a milky, opalescent look. Black diamonds have many dark inclusions, often graphite. Gray diamonds are colored by a mixture of these effects.
Fluorescence in Diamonds
Some diamonds have a property called fluorescence, meaning that they glow under ultraviolet light (black light). This glow is usually weak, but can be strong and intense. The commonest color of fluorescence is bright blue-white, but other colors include pink, orange and deep red. Sometimes the same diamond can exhibit two or more colors of fluorescence. Convention has it that fluorescence can change the apparent color of a diamond, though this is debated.
Some Famous Colored Diamonds
Large colored diamonds are rare, so when one is discovered it naturally attracts interest. Some colored diamonds have long and fascinating histories. Examples include the forest-green Dresden Diamond, the steel-blue Hope Diamond and the purplish-red Hancock Red Diamond.