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Fancy Colour Diamonds
Fancy Colour Diamonds Guide
Fancy colour diamonds show a distinct hue, such as yellow, pink or blue, rather than the near-colourless look most people picture. These guides explain how they're graded, what each colour involves and what to check before you buy.
In colourless diamonds, less colour is the goal. Fancy colour diamonds reverse that logic: the hue itself is the point, and its strength, purity and evenness shape both beauty and value. Start with how fancy colour diamonds are graded, then learn the intensity scale from Faint to Vivid and how modifiers and overtones change a stone's description.
From there, explore each colour on its own terms. Yellow and champagne tones are relatively accessible, while blue, red and purple are among the rarest gems on earth. Australians have a particular connection to pink diamonds, many of which came from the Argyle mine in Western Australia before it closed in 2020.
Finally, practical guides cover treated colour, what really drives price, and how to choose settings and metals that flatter a coloured stone. The guides are reviewed with input from GemTrove founder Raj Sood, a GIA Graduate Gemologist working with diamonds since 2008.
Start here
A simple path through the basics
- How Fancy Colour Diamonds Are GradedUnderstand how labs describe a coloured diamond by hue, tone and saturation.
- Fancy Colour Intensity Scale: Faint to VividLearn the grades from Faint to Fancy Vivid and what separates each step.
- Fancy Colour Modifiers and OvertonesSee how secondary colours like 'brownish' or 'purplish' change appearance and value.
- Treated Colour Diamonds (HPHT and Irradiation)Find out how colour can be created or enhanced in a lab and how to confirm natural origin.
- What Drives Fancy Colour Diamond PricesBring it together by weighing rarity, intensity, size and origin when comparing prices.
Fancy Colour Diamonds
How fancy colour is graded
Fancy Colour Diamonds
The most popular colours
Fancy Colour Diamonds
Rare and collector colours
Fancy Colour Diamonds
Dark and earthy diamonds
Fancy Colour Diamonds
Value and treatments
Fancy Colour Diamonds
Rings and settings
Every guide
All 18 fancy colour diamonds guides
Show all 18 guides
- How Fancy Colour Diamonds Are Graded
- Fancy Colour Intensity Scale: Faint to Vivid
- Fancy Colour Modifiers and Overtones
- What Is a Fancy Vivid Diamond?
- Pink Diamonds
- Yellow and Canary Diamonds
- Brown, Champagne and Cognac Diamonds
- Blue Diamonds
- Green Diamonds
- Orange Diamonds
- Purple Diamonds
- Red Diamonds
- Black Diamonds
- Grey and Salt-and-Pepper Diamonds
- What Drives Fancy Colour Diamond Prices
- Treated Colour Diamonds (HPHT and Irradiation)
- Fancy Coloured Diamond Engagement Rings
- Best Settings and Metals for Coloured Diamonds
Ask a gemologist
Talk it through with a gemologist
Raj Sood is a Graduate Gemologist (GIA) and master jeweller. Bring the stones you are considering, or send the reports, and he will explain the differences in plain language.
FAQ
Fancy Colour Diamonds questions
What makes a diamond a 'fancy colour' diamond?
A diamond is called fancy colour when its hue is stronger than the Z end of the D-to-Z scale, or when it shows a colour other than yellow or brown at any visible strength. Labs then grade it on a separate fancy colour scale.
Which fancy colour diamond is the rarest?
Pure red diamonds are generally considered the rarest, with very few known stones above one carat. Natural blue, green and purple diamonds are also exceptionally scarce.
Are Argyle pink diamonds still available?
The Argyle mine in Western Australia stopped mining in 2020, so no new Argyle pinks are being produced. Existing stones still trade, and documented Argyle origin often adds to their value.
Is a Fancy Vivid diamond always better than a Fancy Light one?
Vivid stones usually command higher prices because strong, saturated colour is rarer, but 'better' depends on your taste and budget. Some people prefer the softer look of lighter grades.
How can I tell if a coloured diamond's colour is natural?
Ask for a report from an independent gem lab that states the colour origin. Treatments such as HPHT and irradiation can only be reliably identified with laboratory testing.
Which metal suits a coloured diamond best?
Many jewellers pair yellow diamonds with yellow gold and pink diamonds with rose gold, as the metal can reflect and reinforce the hue. White metals give a cleaner contrast, so it's worth comparing both.