The Rare and Beautiful Blue Diamond- What You Need to Know

Diamonds are one of the most sought after precious gemstone and it has long been valued for its purity and brilliance. But while the white, or clear diamond is still the most common, many people are surprised to find that diamonds can occur in a variety of colors. Diamond jewelry is often made from colored diamonds such as steel gray, white, blue, yellow, orange, red, green, pink to purple, brown, and black. Colored diamonds get their hues from impurities in the crystal and composition. Diamonds are graded into two basic categories based on their color, the light reflection, and their size.

Color of Diamonds
Most diamonds that are not crystal clear fall within a color range of pale yellow or brown – the normal color range. Diamonds of intense and dark yellow or brown, or any other color generally get the name fancy color diamonds. The amount of color that a diamond exhibits is one of the points that goes into determining its value.

The Blue Diamond
When a diamond has a color other than clear or pale yellow-brown, it is graded using separate systems than what a regular diamond is graded on. The specially designed grading system looks at the intensity, hue, and brilliance of the color, not just its mere presence in the gemstone. These color grading systems is very much like what is used on colored gemstones, such as ruby, sapphire, or emerald. One of the most popular of the rare diamond colors is the blue diamond. Over the years, blue diamond jewelry has become very popular because of its brilliant yet soft coloration and appearance when used in jewelry. Blue diamonds are much more valuable than regular diamonds because it is a much more unique and rare color. When the color is rare and the more intensely the diamond is colored, the more valuable it becomes. Blue diamond rings and necklaces started to become popular as celebrities and well known people began using them more.

Value of Fancy Diamonds
Fancy-colored diamonds such as the deep blue Hope Diamond are among the most valuable and sought-after diamonds in the world. In 2009 a 7-carat blue diamond was sold at the highest price ever gotten for a diamond at auction. It sold for 10.5 million Swiss francs (US$9.5 million at the time) which was more than US$1.3 million per carat. While the blue diamond is very valuable and is becoming quite a status symbol, you can still find beautiful and affordable luxury blue diamond jewelry quite easily!