What are fancy coloured diamonds?

September 18, 2023 • 3 min read

Known as ‘fancy diamonds’, coloured diamonds are popular among those looking for a unique engagement ring or jewellery design. Diamonds with colour can range in hues, tones and saturations.

Fancy diamonds are still natural and they are rarer than white diamonds. The term ‘fancy’ is given to any diamond colour that isn’t in the normal D-Z colour scale. The D-Z scale starts from colourless all the way to stones with light yellow or brown. Once it falls outside of this scale, it becomes a fancy diamond.

Are you interested in a fancy-coloured diamond? Here is what you need to know.

How are coloured diamonds made?

Just like the classic white diamond engagement rings, coloured diamonds are formed the same way. Grown in the Earth, coloured diamonds are formed under unique conditions and combinations of elements, resulting in their different colouring.

However, not all colours you see are the stone’s original colour. When a fancy diamond is too yellow or brown, gem scientists will treat it to achieve a more attractive colour.

Like their white counterparts, fancy diamonds can also be lab-grown. Only one in every 10,000 natural diamonds is fancy, making them incredibly rare. Because of the low source of coloured diamonds created naturally, lab-grown coloured diamonds are in demand as they can be formed and accessed sooner.

What diamond colours are available?

When it comes to fancy-coloured diamonds, you have a long list of options. Depending on your preference, you could find a coloured stone in your favourite colour.

Coloured diamonds come in:

• Blue
• Green
• Olive
• Yellow
• Orange
• Brown
• Red
• Pink
• Purple
• Black
• Grey

In addition to these colours, the tones can change. This results in many different shades available.

Visit one of our three boutiques to explore our range of designs or book an appointment with our master jeweller to create a bespoke engagement ring using a coloured diamond.