The vast majority of polished diamonds are clear and sparkly, but some come in unexpected colors like blue, green and even pink. So why are some diamonds different colors? Discover the natural science behind colored diamonds, from vivid blues to fiery oranges, and what makes these rare gems so uniquely valuable. Diamonds occur in a variety of colors-steel gray, white, blue, yellow, orange, red, green, pink to purple, brown, and black.
[2][3] Colored diamonds contain interstitial impurities or structural defects that cause the coloration; pure diamonds are perfectly transparent and colorless. Pink diamonds, however, are a different story. Trace elements have never been found in pink diamonds.
Instead, the colour is caused by a distortion in the diamond's crystal lattice, created by intense heat and great pressure from all directions (non-isotropic stress) after the stone's formation in the earth. This distortion displaces many carbon atoms from their normal positions and alters the. Many people know that diamonds typically come in a range of colors from D to Z on the GIA color-grading scale.
However, most people don't know how the naked eye sees color in a diamond. When visible white light enters a diamond, the gem absorbs some of the wavelengths, while transmitting wavelengths to the viewer's eye. This process is called selective absorption, and it determines the.
How Do Diamonds Get Their Fancy Colors? From brilliant blues to fiery reds, discover how nature crafts diamonds in every color, and why some shades are rarer than the rest. These diamonds owe their color to a combination of intense pressure and heat. While still buried deep within the earth, these factors cause distortions in the crystal lattice that absorb green light, thus reflecting a pink hue.
Ultra-rare red diamonds, which are essentially just deeply colored pink diamonds, have the same cause of color. Colored Diamonds: Diamonds can occur in a variety of beautiful colors. Images in the wonderful collection of colored diamonds shown above are used with permission of IBD Fancy Colors LLC.
They include from top left, going clockwise: a heart-shaped diamond with a Fancy Vivid pink color weighing 0.70 carats; a Fancy Vivid yellowish-orange pear-shaped diamond weighing 0.85 carats; a Fancy Vivid. The source of color in diamonds was the topic of Rapaport's latest GEMTalks episode, which featured two experts from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). Dr.
Ulrika D'Haenens-Johansson, senior manager of diamond research at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), and Dr. Sally Eaton. But what exactly causes these colors, and how rare are these gems? Let's explore the fascinating world of colored diamonds.
Unlike traditional white diamonds, which are prized for their lack of color, colored diamonds derive their hues from specific trace elements and natural atomic distortions. Here's what gives these gems their vibrant.