By Benji, Content ManagerThe wonderful thing about Fancy Color Diamonds is that they are found in a rainbow of colors. Though many people are now aware of these remarkable stones, many are less aware of all the secondary colors available. There are only twelve main diamond colors, but there are actually over 230 possible secondary color combinations (otherwise known as overtone colors) from which to choose!
An assortment of natural fancy color diamonds
Since not every secondary color is found combined with the twelve main colors, here is a short article reviewing the various color possibilities.
Diamond Color in Fancy Color Diamonds
Color diamonds can be found in twelve pure hues: yellow, blue, pink, orange, green, brown, gray, purple, violet, red, white, and black. Chameleon diamonds exist as well and are often categorized on their own, but those are essentially greenish or yellowish diamonds that temporarily change colors once exposed to light or heat.
The 12 primary colors, diamonds are found with. From left to right, yellow, pink, blue, green. orange, champagne, violet, gray, purple, red, fancy black, fancy white
Diamonds with one pure hue are the most desirable and are often more expensive. Only, because colored diamonds are actually combined elements, stones exuding two or more colors are seen more often and can also be exceptionally beautiful and the ideal diamond for many.
If the primary color of a diamond is yellow (meaning over 50%), and it also depicts a relatively strong orange hue (say 35%), once assessed it would be determined to be an orange yellow diamond. If the overtone color in the same stone was quite weak (say only 15%), it would be called an orangy yellow diamond.
Secondary Diamond Color Combinations
A color diamond possessing any one of the twelve main colors can also boast one or more secondary colors. Each main color has a number of possible color combinations. For instance, yellow diamonds can either a pure color or can be found containing secondary colors like brown, brownish, brown greenish, brownish greenish, green, greenish, orange, orangy, gray greenish, and brownish orangy. A yellow diamond with one of these secondary colors would therefore read for example as a “brownish yellow diamond,” “orangy yellow diamond,” and so forth.
| Main Color - YELLOW | |
|---|---|
| Pure | Yellow |
| Brown | Yellow |
| Brownish | Yellow |
| Brown Greenish | Yellow |
| Brownish Greenish | Yellow |
| Green | Yellow |
| Greenish | Yellow |
| Orange | Yellow |
| Orangy | Yellow |
| Gray Greenish | Yellow |
| Brownish Orangy | Yellow |
Blue diamonds include secondary colors of gray, grayish, green, greenish, violetish, gray greenish, and grayish greenish.
| Main Color - BLUE | |
|---|---|
| Pure | Blue |
| Gray | Blue |
| Grayish | Blue |
| Green | Blue |
| Greenish | Blue |
| Violetish | Blue |
| Gray Greenish | Blue |
| Grayish Greenish | Blue |
Pink diamonds have eight possible secondary colors besides its pure state. These can be purple, purplish, brown, brownish, grayish, orangy, brownish orangy, and brownish purple.
| Main Color - PINK | |
|---|---|
| Pure | Pink |
| Purple | Pink |
| Purplish | Pink |
| Brown | Pink |
| Brownish | Pink |
| Grayish | Pink |
| Orangy | Pink |
| Brownish Orangy | Pink |
| Brownish Purple | Pink |
There are six secondary colors for orange diamonds: brown, brownish, yellow, yellowish, brownish yellowish, and pinkish.
| Main Color - ORANGE | |
|---|---|
| Pure | Orange |
| Brown | Orange |
| Brownish | Orange |
| Yellow | Orange |
| Yellowish | Orange |
| Brownish Yellowish | Orange |
| Pinkish | Orange |
Aside from yellow, green diamonds are the only color that has ten possible secondary colors, which are yellow, yellowish, blue, bluish, brown, brownish, gray, grayish, gray yellowish, and grayish yellowish.
| Main Color - GREEN | |
|---|---|
| Pure | Green |
| Yellow | Green |
| Yellowish | Green |
| Blue | Green |
| Bluish | Green |
| Brown | Green |
| Brownish | Green |
| Gray | Green |
| Grayish | Green |
| Gray Yellowish | Green |
| Grayish Yellowish | Green |
Brown, or otherwise known as champagne diamonds, as well as gray diamonds both have nine possible secondary colors. The brown options are yellow, yellowish, pink, pinkish, orange, orangy, greenish, purple, and reddish.
| Main Color - BROWN | |
|---|---|
| Pure | Brown |
| Yellow | Brown |
| Yellowish | Brown |
| Pink | Brown |
| Pinkish | Brown |
| Orange | Brown |
| Orangy | Brown |
| Greenish | Brown |
| Purple | Brown |
| Reddish | Brown |
The gray diamond options are violet, violetish, blue, bluish, green, greenish, greenish yellow, greenish yellowish, and yellowish green.
| Main Color - GRAY | |
|---|---|
| Pure | Gray |
| Violet | Gray |
| Violetish | Gray |
| Blue | Gray |
| Bluish | Gray |
| Green | Gray |
| Greenish | Gray |
| Greenish Yellow | Gray |
| Greenish Yellowish | Gray |
| Yellowish Green | Gray |
Purple diamonds, violet, and red diamonds all have three secondary color possibilities. Purple diamonds may include pink, pinkish, and grayish pinkish.
| Main Color - PURPLE | |
|---|---|
| Pure | Purple |
| Pink | Purple |
| Pinkish | Purple |
| Grayish Pinkish | Purple |
Violet diamonds are rarely found in a pure color, and often contain the secondary colors of gray, grayish, and bluish.
| Main Color - VIOLET | |
|---|---|
| Pure | Violet |
| Gray | Violet |
| Grayish | Violet |
| Bluish | Violet |
Red diamonds, which are among the rarest diamonds on earth, can be found with purplish, brownish, and orangy.
| Main Color - RED | |
|---|---|
| Pure | Red |
| Purplish | Red |
| Brownish | Red |
| Orangy | Red |
White and black diamonds not only come in just one color intensity level, Fancy, but they also do not have secondary colors, just a single pure hue.
| Main Color - WHITE | |
|---|---|
| Pure | Fancy White |
| Main Color - BLACK | |
|---|---|
| Pure | Fancy Black |
Chameleon diamonds on the other hand can be green or yellow and can have a gray yellowish, grayish yellowish, gray, or grayish secondary color if green or a gray greenish, brownish greenish, or green yellow if yellow.
| Main Color - CHAMELEON | |
|---|---|
| Gray Yellowish | Green |
| Grayish Yellowish | Green |
| Gray | Green |
| Grayish | Green |
| Gray Greenish | Yellow |
| Brownish Greenish | Yellow |
| Green Yellow | Yellow |
The color possibilities for color diamonds are plentiful and can seem daunting to some. Once you understand the main colors as well as the possible secondary colors for each color diamond, it is a bit more understandable and less intimidating. Still, diamonds can have more than just one secondary color, leading the fairly understandable combinations to add up to more than 230 possibilities. Nevertheless, once you get the hang of it, it is quite easy to follow. Furthermore, many of these color combinations appear similar and are also not necessarily available at every selling point. Once you know the general color direction you would like to go in, and understand the make-up of a stone's color, you will be able to choose a diamond based on its color among other aspects, without the slightest hesitation.
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