Seen on the fingers of celebrities set in stunning engagement rings, colored diamonds have become incredibly popular over the last 5 years. Just as rare and desirable as their colorless cousins, only 1 in 10,000 mined diamonds has a natural color to it and the industry name for this kind of gem is a fancy colored diamond.

Why fancy colored diamonds are so popular

Intensity and distribution of color is unique to every stone which is released to the market and this makes them very sought after by collectors and those wanting to set them into exquisite pieces of jewelry. Whilst cut and clarity are also areas of consideration when choosing a white diamond, the color factor can often be the key characteristic to the purchase.

Their popularity is certainly shown when dazzling examples go under the hammer in auction. The yellow Cora Sun Drop diamond sold for $12.3 million in 2011 at Sotheby’s, Geneva after it was exhibited at the Natural History Museum in London. A colossal 110 carats, this pear-shaped diamond really is a rare item and follows a number of other equally record-priced fancy colored diamonds in the last decade. Sold to an anonymous buyer, it will now more than likely sit in pride of place in a personal collection.

What aspects of color matter

The deepness of color matters when it comes to fancy diamonds as does the richness of the shade. The more intensity the stone has, the greater the rarity and in turn financial value it will have. It is important when buying one to choose a gem which has been certified to be completely natural and that it has not been exposed to any kind of artificial coloring processes.

The cut of a colored diamond

The way a colored diamond is cut will make all the difference to the way the color sparkles through. Rather than sparkle, color is the element which is focused on to produce the greatest emphasis, although brilliance is still of great importance.  As cut is relevant to the dimensions and finish of the diamond; shape is the description of the outline of the stone when seen from above. Shape names can include marquis or princess and the choice of shape can particularly enhance specific parts of a diamond. Colored diamonds – to be displayed to the maximum of their natural color –  are often cushion and radiant shaped. These aren’t as traditional as some – round for example – but are excellent options to show intensity of hue.

Matching colored diamonds to settings and metals

Choosing a setting is always an important part of creating a piece of jewelry. The decision can make a huge difference to the brilliance of the gem as well as how it complements the surrounding metal; gold, or platinum for example. Whilst there are no rules surrounding which setting and metal should be used, if you’re looking for a few ideas,  pink diamonds look stunning when set in rose gold and yellow diamonds really do show to their best in platinum or white gold.