How Are Yellow Diamonds Made and Are They The Same As Canary Diamonds?
Although similar to other colored diamonds, yellow diamonds are the most commonly found color of loose diamonds in nature. White diamonds, measured on a scale of D to Z, get yellower as the grade gets closer to Z. Because of this yellowish, dingy tint, the white diamond becomes undesirable. However, going past Z on the scale gives the diamond a purer yellow tone that becomes a color of beauty. When the diamond contains this strong yellow, the diamond begins to increase in value again and these are called canary diamonds.
Like other colored diamonds, these stones go through a specific process during formation in order to achieve their color. For yellow, in particular, the diamonds get this color from the presence of nitrogen molecules during the forming process. These nitrogen molecules absorb blue light which allows the diamond to reflect as yellow. Additionally, these nitrogen molecules are also responsible in giving orange diamonds their color.
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Where are yellow diamonds found?
Yellow diamonds, like many other colored diamonds, can be found in mines all over the world. Most commonly, yellow versions can be found in Australia, Central Africa, Angola, Borneo, Brazil, Congo, and Sierra Leone. The sheer number of locations can explain the yellow diamond’s commonality compared to other colored diamonds.
How valuable are yellow diamonds?
Natural colored diamonds, in general, are rare. Out of 10,000 carats, typically only one is a natural colored diamond. However, in terms of colored diamonds, yellow stones are the most commonly found. Gem experts estimate that they make up 60% of all of the colored diamonds in the world. Still, in terms of all of the diamonds (colored and colorless), these sunny stones are still considered rare. They are only found one thousandth of the time that a white diamond is found. Since it is common compared to its other color diamond counterparts, a yellow will garner a lower price for buyers, making this color perfect for a bride looking for a colored diamond that does not break the bank.
Yellow diamonds and their color intensity
While natural yellow diamonds are considered to be, for the most part, yellow, they can be made up of a mixture of different colors. Most popularly, yellow diamonds may contain hints of brown, green, or orange. However, if a stone does not contain any other colors, it is considered pure. Pure yellow diamonds, due to their color, are oftentimes called canary yellow diamonds. Another nickname some use for these sunny stones is Zimmy. This name comes from a specific type of yellow gemstones that are produced from the Zimmy diamond mine in the Sierra Leone. Zimmy diamonds have an extremely intense yellow with a deep hue. In comparison to Zimmy diamonds, other yellow stones look dingy.
Most important to consider for value of yellow diamonds is the color’s intensity. These diamonds can range from faint to fancy vivid; the closer one gets to fancy vivid, the higher the value. (More vivid tones are called canary diamonds.) This is because the more intense the color, the rarer the diamond is to find in nature. However pricing these special stones, and colored diamonds in general, requires an expert. For these fancy colored diamonds alone, there are hundreds of color combinations, and different secondary colors can affect the diamond in different ways. For example, adding green or orange to a yellow diamond will increase its value, whereas adding brown will decrease it.
Popularity of yellow and canary diamond engagement rings
As with any colored diamond, yellow stones are an extremely popular option for engagement rings. Today’s trends encourage a pop of color and uniqueness. With a yellow diamond engagement ring, the wearer will be able to show off her bright yellow stone while still remaining unique due to the rarity of her stone. Buyers should be wary about seeking out engagement rings with these diamonds because commonly, yellow gold diamond engagement rings or plain yellow gold diamond rings may show up in their searches. A yellow gold diamond engagement ring contains a regular diamond with a yellow gold band. Although still beautiful and elegant, this type of ring does not have the pop of color that the buyer wants at all. The same goes for most other types of jewelry. Yellow diamond earrings are yellow, whereas yellow gold diamond earrings contain the colorless diamonds.
Rings featuring these rare stones have quickly risen in demand. In the past decade, they have been able to make quite the impression on fashion. Although much of this can be contributed to the beauty of the stone, celebrities who sport their yellow diamond jewelry also help to increase the stone’s popularity. Celebrities such as Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Paris Hilton, and Adele all show of the elegance of their engagement rings with these glowing diamonds. Regardless of the help from celebrities, yellows offer the bride a fun and colorful way to customize her ring at a lower cost. Mixing yellow stones with different metals can develop interesting combinations. Paired with yellow gold, these golden stones look especially regal.
