The Rarest Diamond Colors You Can Buy
From deep green sparklers to cool blue hues, diamonds come in far more shades beyond what you can imagine. Spanning all the colors of the rainbow, these desired gems are envied for their gorgeous tones and natural rarity.
Have you ever wondered where do these colored precious gems come from?
Like clear diamonds, colored ones (fancy diamonds) naturally form within the Earth’s surface. However, unlike colorless ones, colored diamonds undergo rare changes to their chemical structure, which only happens to 0.1% of all diamonds. This results in a variety of shades and colors. But how are fancy diamonds priced? Like clear ones, colored diamonds are graded and priced based on the four Cs: carat, clarity, color, and cut, which follow the rules of pricing regular diamonds. And which among these fancy diamonds is the rarest? Read on to learn more.
1. Pink Diamonds
Pink diamonds come in various intensities and shapes. The more intense the saturation, hue, and tone, the rarer and more expensive the diamond. This contributes to higher resale value and significant price points.
Many pink diamonds are harvested from the Argyle mine in Australia. That’s why they’re called Argyle diamonds as well, and they’re becoming more and more popular among investors wanting high returns on investment (ROI), especially when the market is unstable.
Over the past decades, the value of pink diamonds has steadily and gradually increased. This makes them a safer option to diversify your portfolio. When buying Argyle diamonds, ensure they’re sourced from the Argyle mine in Western Australia.
The origin of pink diamonds is still unknown to experts. Scientists believe that pink diamonds consist of pure carbon, like colorless diamonds. Nonetheless, they’re unable to pinpoint what causes the crystal structure to change.
On average, Argyle diamonds will cost around USD$10,000 to USD$700,000 per carat. The most expensive and largest pink diamond in the world—The Pink Star—has 59.6 carats. It was sold for USD$72.2 million, or $USD1.3 million per carat.
2. Blue Diamonds
In terms of rarity, blue diamonds are believed to be no rarer than pink or Argyle diamonds. Diamonds of this color are sourced naturally in mines located in Australia, India, and South Africa.
Blue diamonds obtain their signature icy hue from an element called boron. This replaces carbon during the growth process, making them appear bluish. In addition, this icy stone may range in color from just a tint of hue to a captivating deep color.
Although blue diamonds are more common than other types, they still cost a fortune. On average, a 1-carat blue diamond has a value of around USD$200,000. The most expensive blue diamond has 14.2 carats and was valued at USD$3.9 million per carat.
Other expensive blue diamonds sold at auctions are the Wittelsbach Graff and the Flawless Blue Diamond. The Wittelsbach Graff was sold for a whopping USD$24.3 million in 2008, and the Flawless Blue Diamond was sold for USD$9 million in 2009.
3. Yellow Diamonds
Yellow diamonds make up half of all colored diamonds in the market. Despite that, they’re still considered rare, yet with a lower price point than other colors, reflecting their wide availability.
The reason why yellow diamonds are yellow is because of the element nitrogen. When nitrogen absorbs light, it reflects a captivating yellow color. Yellow diamonds may come in various secondary colors, but the most sought-after is the Canary Yellow Diamond. It’s a pure fancy yellow diamond that’s more expensive than other stones of the same color.
Surprisingly, yellow diamonds can be less expensive than colorless ones. They’re valued at USD$3,000 to USD$5,000 per carat. The most expensive yellow diamond was sold for USD$16.3 million and had 100.9 carats.
4. Red Diamonds
Red diamonds are the rarest colored diamonds. In fact, there are no more than 30 red diamonds in the world. They form when the stone undergoes a process that changes the crystal structure and allows light to enter.
Due to the gem’s rarity, red diamonds are the most expensive fancy diamond per carat. On average, these bloody stones will cost over USD$1 million per carat. The world’s most expensive red diamond has 5.11 carats and was sold for USD$8 million.
5. Orange Diamonds
Orange diamonds are scarce, especially if they don’t have a yellowish tint. That’s because it’s so difficult to perfect the proportion of red and yellow. To be classified as orange diamonds, they have to be an Ib type—diamonds under this classification are the rarest.
The most expensive orange diamond, The Orange, has 14.82 carats and was sold for an astonishing USD$35.5 million.
Final Words
These are the rarest of all colored diamonds you can buy. Auctions are typically the best place to hunt for such diamonds, but you can find them in shops that specialize in selling diamonds too. Of course, rare diamond colors aren’t cheap, yet they’re a good investment.
If you want to diversify your portfolio and secure your wealth, investing in these fancy diamonds may be a good idea.