Are Yellow Diamonds Valuable?

Although much rarer than white diamonds, yellow diamonds are quite common among fancy colored diamonds. There is a frequent false belief that anatural yellow diamond is less valuable than a clear diamonds. However, Intense and vivid fancy yellow diamonds can be really quite valuable although very light or slightly yellow diamonds are fairly standard and are worth much less.



The pure yellow stones are much more valuble than yellow diamonds with secondary brown hues, however, if the diamond has secondary colors of green-yellow or orange yellow, this could raise the price of the diamond quite substantially. The reason behind this is that these diamonds are much rarer than yellow diamonds.



Fancy color yellow diamonds are graded on the strength and intensity of color. The highest-quality grade is the Vivid Yellow, closely followed by the Intense Yellow diamond. The lowest quality of yellow diamond is the Light Yellow diamond, followed by the Fancy Yellow. Some tones of Vivid Yellow diamonds and the more rare Intense Yellow diamonds are called Canary Diamonds. Canary yellow diamonds are the most rare among yellow diamonds and consequently they are the most expensive and are desirable by both collectors and sophisticated clients. The canary diamond has a very unique tone of yellow, even if you have never observed a Canary Yellow, if you were to see one, you’ll “recognize” it immediately!



Yellow diamonds look remarkable when they are mixed with white stones and generally yellow diamonds are set in yellow gold. A 3-stone ring should include white diamonds and the yellow diamond should be set in the middle. White stones in trapeze, oval or triangle shapes will make a beautiful setting.



Just as with other natural fancy color diamonds the coloration remains the main thing that affects how much the diamond is worth, after this comes the size and clarity of the diamond. Clarity is also crucial in evaluation of yellow stones, though much less than in traditional white diamonds.



The ideal cut for fancy colored diamonds is the Radiant cut. This is the ideal shape to take full advantage of the color. Yellow diamonds, however, can also be found in Oval Cut an Cushion cut and in Heart and Pear shapes. The rarest are the Emerald, Square Emerald and the Brilliant cuts (round shape). Prices for these shapes are considerably higher and not just with regards to the yellow diamonds. This is true for all fancy color diamonds..



Colored diamonds are held to an entirely different standard in regards to cut quality. The objective when cutting a color diamond is to maximize the depth and saturation of the diamond's color while striking a balance between the carat weight and brilliance. It is vital that the diamond is sold with a grading report from a trustworthy diamond laboratory for example GIA, HRD, IGI or EGL. The report needs to state that the diamond color is "Natural". The report must also describe the intensity of color, in addition to the color distribution throughout the diamond.



The Octahedron is the largest naturally formed octahedral diamond in the world at 616 carats and is a Canary Diamond. This diamond was found in 1964 in the Dutoitspan mine, situated in the Kimberley region of South Africa. The Kimberley Octahedron is still uncut, so the color and distribution grades cannot be applied to this stone. The owners of the mine choose to preserve the stone in the condition that it was mined. This diamond is on display at the Kimberely Big Hole mine.