Also known as canary yellow diamonds, yellow diamonds are more common and more affordable than other colored diamonds. The more vivid the yellow color, the more expensive the diamond. This is especially true if it has an eye-clean type of clarity. Note that a yellow diamond can have the same price as a colorless diamond. Make sure you ask a diamond expert before you fulfill a yellow diamond purchase.
The Origin of Yellow Diamonds
Yellow diamonds get their color through the presence of nitrogen in their structure. Molecules of nitrogen molecules absorb blue light, giving the stone a yellow hue. The lightness or darkness of the yellow color depends on the nitrogen content in the diamond. These diamonds may also reflect a secondary color such as brown or orange. Pure naturally yellow diamonds are often called canary yellow diamonds or canary diamonds.
Natural yellow diamonds are created through an amazing process that happens in the center of the Earth. Exposure to great depths of 150 to 200 kilometers combined with 1,000 to 2,000 degrees C underneath the Earth’s mantle, that took billions of years, creates yellow diamonds. This process results in the formation of the diamond’s qualities like shine and durability.
When the pure carbon crystal is stained by molecules of nitrogen, the yellow diamond is created. A yellow tint comes out as a result of the molecular binding of nitrogen molecules and carbon crystals.
Levels of Intensity
A fancy vivid yellow diamond goes past the color scale of Z in white diamonds. This is so because there are no traces of whiteness left in yellow diamonds. GIA’s color grading scale for a fancy yellow diamond is:
- Fancy Dark, Fancy Vivid, or Fancy Deep
- Fancy Intense
- Fancy
- Fancy Light
- Light
- Very Light
- Faint
It is challenging to assess the color of any fancy color diamonds. The grade of this type is not just a point along a horizontal line. Every grade has its own range. Some diamond vendors provide high-quality imagery to make it easy to ascertain which diamond is more valuable or beautiful.
The Setting
When the setting is right, the yellow diamond becomes more intense. Usually, a yellow gold setting makes this possible. If a white gold setting is used, the diamond’s color may appear lighter. You may want to consider a yellow diamond that has a lower grade and then have it set in yellow gold. This way, you save more while maximizing the color of your chosen yellow diamond.
Pavé
Side stones in this type of setting give the yellow diamond more sparkle. The side stones could be white diamonds or yellow diamonds as well.
Side Stones
You can opt to choose the design of the side stones in this setting. This can highlight the yellow diamond centerpiece. The stones you choose as side stones can be triangle-shaped or round brilliant ones. It all depends on your style.
Halo
This type of setting can enhance the size of the yellow diamond. You can make your yellow diamond look even bigger. If you have two layers of stones surrounding the diamond, this is possible.
The Definition of Yellow Diamonds
Three main criteria indicate a yellow diamond’s color:
Tone
This criterion indicates the darkness or brightness of the diamond’s shade. Tone often starts with faint levels and then slowly rises to reach darker shades. It eventually joins with the scale of the color’s intensity.
Saturation
The saturation of the yellow diamond is seen through its strength, intensity, and presence. Its scale of color intensity starts with bright pastels and then climbs up to vibrant, deep, and dark colors.
Hue
Yellow is the primary color of this diamond. It also has 27 other colors composed of color combinations like yellow-orange. Remember that the previous colors are secondary hues and the last color is the primary hue. An example is a greenish-yellow diamond, which has 25% green and 75% yellow. Green-yellow means that there is a balance in hues, with 40% green and 60% yellow.
Rarity
Remember that in every carat of a fancy-colored diamond, there are about 10,000 carats of white diamonds. It is absolutely undeniable that fancy colored diamonds are rare. The level of their charisma overpowers their number. Weak tinted yellow diamonds are less expensive fancy colored diamonds.
Zimmy diamonds are yellow diamonds obtained from the Zimmy diamond mine in Sierra Leone. These are vivid yellow diamonds, famous for their unique, and deep yellow shade.
Many people choose yellow diamonds because they often represent freshness, spring, positivity, sunlight, and happiness. That is why there is an increasing demand for these colored diamonds. It seems to be a color that never fails to make you smile. Perhaps it’s time to wear a yellow diamond today.