Jewelry makers utilize diamonds for their pieces all over the world. Consistently of the most expensive stones in the world, natural-colored diamonds rule the jewelry space. But natural-colored diamonds or white diamonds are not the only kinds that exist. Colored diamonds are naturally formed and used in many jewelry pieces. We wanted to tell you more about the different colors of diamonds and how the earth creates them.
How are colored diamonds formed?
Diamonds formed in the earth between 900 million and 3.2 billion years ago, far under the surface after enduring immense heat and pressure. The difference between a white diamond and a natural-colored diamond is the simple introduction of foreign bodies or structure defects creating a different color. Made up of millions of carbon atoms, it only takes a low level of foreign atoms to alter the color, thus creating the different shades of diamonds.
Yellow Diamonds
In the case of yellow diamonds, their naturally formed yellow color comes from the introduction of nitrogen atoms in their carbon structure. The nitrogen atoms absorb more blue light on the UV spectrum, causing the diamond to have a yellow color present in the diamond. Yellow diamonds are one of the most common kinds of colored diamonds.
Blue Diamonds
Blue diamonds are given their color by the presence of boron within the carbon structure of the diamond. Diamonds only require trace amounts of born to create this blue-like color, but it is infrequent. And as there is a spectrum of blue color, the darker the blue is, the rarer it becomes.
Green Diamonds
The color of green diamonds is caused by the presence of alpha particles which causes natural irradiation. Absorbing red and yellow light causes this green color to occur. This process takes place over many years as the diamond makes it way closer to the surface of the earth, so more often than not, the surface of the diamond is green and not throughout.
Pink Diamonds
There is no proven theory as to what causes pink diamonds to form. We know that the diamond’s hue is not created by any impurities introduced into the diamond. The pink diamond is one of the rarest colored fancy diamonds that exist.
Brown Diamonds
Brown diamonds are formed the same way yellow diamonds are with the introduction of nitrogen into their structure. The most common type of colored diamonds you will likely come across are brown diamonds in a jewelry store.
Black Diamonds
Black diamonds are not known for their beauty but for being the toughest type of colored diamond. This color of diamonds is not truly black but is formed by dark inclusion in the carbon structure, such as graphite or pyrite. The elements block the light from passing through them like other diamond colors, giving it that dark color.
Red Diamonds
Red diamonds are the rarest of all the Different Colors of diamonds. Much like pink diamonds, it is unknown why they gain their color. Only 20 to 30 red diamonds are known to have been found worldwide, making them the most expensive diamond.
Interested in more about Gemstones? Check out: The history of birthstones.