It’s Good to be Yellow

I’m not talking about a lack of courage. I’m talking diamonds here. Colored diamonds are in big demand, at least in my world. The coveted canary diamond is by far the most popular in my shop; they are all shades of yellow. Some ladies go for a faint yellow, but most go for the vivid yellow, and that means the brighter the better.

For those of you who are not aware, Mother Nature creates diamonds in a variety of colors. What causes different colors in natural diamonds is a complicated mixture of natural ingredients. In a nutshell, a bunch of minerals get mixed during intense heat pressure then bake for a few million years - that is the making of a colored diamond. I won’t get into too much detail but it’s all about atoms and molecules that will bore you to death. Besides white diamonds, Mom Nat can create blue diamonds (the Hope diamond is a good example). Then there is green, grey, chocolate, black, champagne, yellow and the rarest color, pink. I have had the pleasure of procuring and providing to my clients all of the colored diamonds I just mentioned at one time or another. I have acquired both natural and not-so-natural. What? I can explain.

Did you know that not all colored diamonds are created by Mother Nature? While not brand new, it’s a process called “irradiating.” Once again, it has to do with yet another complex system that involves bombarding an off-colored white or brown diamond with nuclear radiation and adding some minerals and laboratory know-how and… PRESTO! You can have the diamond color of your choice. Why, you ask, would anyone want a radioactive colored diamond? First of all, the radiation process used is a form of neutron bombardment, infrared gamma rays in low doses that are not harmful to the wearer. It’s very technical; the bottom line is in the good ole U. S. of A., they are tested for toxicity due to radioactivity. This is the same safe process used on white topaz to create every shade of blue topaz (Mother Nature does not create blue topaz, mankind does). I remember reading in a trade magazine years ago that some Russian gemstone company made blue topaz that was confiscated by U.S. customs for being highly radioactive - the reactor’s rays used to color the topaz was toxic to the wearer. Some gift, huh? Gotta love the Russians; if their cheap vodka won’t kill you, their blue topaz jewelry will.

Back to the reasons why. The thing that is always first and foremost…affordability!                     

Natural fancy-colored diamonds are rare (Except for the black, gray and chocolate or champagne varieties). Rare pinks can fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars per carat, and bright yellow canary diamonds follow a close second at thousands per carat. So as you can surmise, they are not feasible for the average bear. That is where the Irradiated colored diamond is the most popular choice. The cost is significantly less - I’m talking thousands less - and what guy does not like less when it comes to presenting his honey bunny with diamonds? Another high point is most folks (Including many jewelers) find it impossible to tell the difference between the two - your bank account will certainly know the difference! A good note about an irradiated diamond is that it is a natural diamond; it was just not too pretty to look at before the process. Let’s call it an ugly duckling to a swan kinda thing.

Recently fancy colors are now available in lab-created colored diamonds(lab-made). These are even less expensive, and it is next to impossible to tell them apart without special equipment. They cost even less than the natural irradiated. 

Colored diamonds are not for the masses and that is another thing that makes them so special. They are as unusual as the person who desires one. Fine jewelry that utilizes fancy colors and white diamonds makes the pieces that much more spectacular. I have been using two shades of blue diamonds in several pieces I have designed, including my famous “Marco Bracelet” and my wave in motion pendants. Besides being my favorite color, it is an unusual color to see in jewelry, in my opinion, and it beats the dull look of brown or black diamonds. 

Nothing can say “this is different” better than a three-stone colored diamond ring, consisting of a stunning bright yellow emerald cut canary center flanked by two triangle cut white diamonds. If unique is what you seek, go for the bold look of colored diamonds.

Always ask if the colored diamond you are purchasing is certified by a reputable company such as the Gemological Institute of America where all the important details are stated, especially if it is natural or not. I have experiences with people who were under the impression they purchased a natural when in fact, it was not.