Fancy coloured diamond engagement rings in London
18/01/2017Fancy coloured diamond engagement rings in London
When viewing engagement rings in London, the vast majority of pieces that you see in Hatton Garden jewellers will incorporate beautiful white diamonds. The 4C’s which assesses the quality of a diamond focuses on colour as an important factor. Colour is assessed on a sliding scale between a D colour (the very whitest stone) to a Z (the least white stone). But did you know that diamonds can also be naturally formed in a range of colours?
There are very specific elements that can influence the colour of a diamond during its formation. Natural coloured diamonds are graded by their tone and saturation – the more intense the colour, the higher the value. As with white diamonds, value is also dictated by the carat weight of the stone which significantly drives price. Here’s a list of fancy coloured diamonds, with an explanation behind their colour.
• Red diamonds are extremely rare - their colour is induced by a rare deformation in atomic structure. Any jeweller would love a collection of red diamond engagement rings in their London showroom!
• Purple diamonds are the second rarest of all fancy coloured diamonds. They are created by the deformation that occurs when travelling from the earth’s mantle to the surface via magma.
• Blue diamonds generally have a hint of grey to them. They are blue due to the boron impurities that exist within them – the more boron, the darker the blue.
• Green diamonds often possess hints of grey or brown within them, usually they are light in tone and low in saturation. Radiation displaces carbon atoms from their normal positions in the crystal structure, which gives the surface a green colour. This is why the cutter has such an important job, to utilise the colour to its full effect. It is important to bear in mind that naturally irradiated diamonds are extremely rare and so it’s always best to send them to a lab to make sure they are a natural green.
• Pink diamonds are very beautiful stones - the cause of their colour remains a mystery.
• Brown diamonds are relatively common, their colour generally shows a hint of green, orange, yellow or red. The colour is produced by the structural defects in the diamond lattice and can also occur when there is the presence of nitrogen. These diamonds tend to been marketed as “chocolate coloured diamonds”, “champagne coloured diamonds” and “cognac coloured diamonds” depending on their hue.
• Yellow diamonds’ colour is created by nitrogen impurities. The more nitrogen it possesses, the more yellow the stone will be. If you have seen natural yellow diamond engagement rings in London, ask yourself how intense the colour was?
• Black diamonds are fully included with graphite and iron, which creates its colour. This makes them look opaque.
• Grey diamonds are commonly either low saturated black diamonds or have a high level of hydrogen impurities.
Natural coloured diamonds are beautiful stones that can be used in a range of engagement ring styles. Rennie & Co (Hatton Garden jewellers) have a small but exclusive collection of beautiful yellow, olive and chocolate coloured diamond rings. To view these engagement rings in our London showroom, pop into our store at your earliest convenience (Monday to Saturday 10am-5.30pm, Sunday 11am-3pm).
