Lab-grown diamonds have made vibrant, fancy colors more accessible than ever before. In nature, colored diamonds are rare phenomenons, where traces of certain elements captured during the diamond's formation process influence its hue. Lab diamonds replicate this natural artistry by introducing specific trace elements during the growth phase.
The presence of nitrogen can lead to stunning yellow diamonds, a common hue in both natural and lab-grown varieties. For diamonds to exhibit blue tones, boron is introduced. Pink and red shades, among the rarest in nature, can be engineered by adjusting the diamond’s lattice structure during creation, often through the incorporation of pressure akin to natural geological processes.
As with all diamonds, colored lab-grown diamonds are evaluated using a color grading system. For colorless diamonds, the scale ranges from D (colorless) to Z (light yellow or brown tint). However, for fancy colored diamonds, the grading assesses the intensity and saturation of color. Graded from Faint to Fancy Deep, the richer and more vivid the color, the more valuable the diamond.
|
Color |
Influencing Element(s) |
Color Grade |
|
Yellow |
Nitrogen |
Light, Fancy, Intense, Vivid, Deep |
|
Blue |
Boron |
Faint, Very Light, Light, Fancy Light, Fancy, Fancy Intense, Fancy Vivid, Fancy Deep |
|
Pink/Red |
Structural anomalies in the lattice |
Faint, Very Light, Light, Fancy Light, Fancy, Fancy Intense, Fancy Vivid, Fancy Deep |