Fancy Coloured Diamonds

A fancy coloured diamond is a true diamond defined by what it has rather than what it lacks. Where a colourless stone is prized for the absence of tint, these diamonds carry a natural body colour written into the crystal itself. They form a smaller, rarer family of stones with their own grading language.

The colour spectrum

Yellow is the most familiar fancy colour and ranges from soft butter tones to a saturated golden hue. Brown and champagne diamonds sit alongside it, warm and understated, and are often the most accessible way in. Beyond these lie the genuine rarities.

• Yellow: the broadest and most recognised fancy colour.
• Brown and champagne: warm, earthy tones from light to deep cognac.
• Pink and blue: the scarcest and most sought after of all.
• Green, grey and black: unusual stones with a character of their own.

What gives a diamond its colour

Colour in a diamond comes from precise causes. Nitrogen trapped in the carbon lattice produces yellow tones. Boron gives the rare cool blues. Pink works differently again: rather than a chemical element, it arises from structural distortion in the crystal as it formed, which changes how the stone absorbs light. Each colour is, in effect, a record of the conditions deep within the earth that made the diamond.

The Fancy intensity scale

Coloured diamonds are graded on intensity rather than the colourless D to Z scale. The progression runs from Faint and Very Light through Fancy Light, Fancy and Fancy Intense, up to Fancy Vivid and Fancy Deep at the strongest end. Intensity, more than size, tends to drive value, since a small stone with vivid, even colour can outrank a larger but paler one.

Rarity, price and lab-grown options

Pink and blue diamonds are the rarest in nature and command the highest prices, while yellow, brown and champagne stones are more attainable. Laboratory-grown diamonds change this picture. They allow vivid fancy colour at a far gentler price, and because they are chemically and physically identical to mined diamonds, they share the same Mohs 10 hardness and full durability for everyday wear. Independent GIA or IGI certification is available on the diamonds we offer, natural or grown. Pricing depends on the piece and is quoted per commission after a consultation.

Setting and metal can do a great deal for a stone. Yellow gold deepens a yellow diamond, cool platinum and white gold flatter blues, pinks and greys, and a closed-back or coloured setting can concentrate the body colour the eye reads.

Good to know

Are fancy coloured diamonds real diamonds?

Yes. They are true diamonds with natural body colour rather than the near-absence of colour found in white stones. They share the same chemistry and the same Mohs 10 hardness.

We source fancy coloured diamonds to your brief, with GIA or IGI certification available, and share the full grading and details of each stone before you choose. To discuss a design, book a consultation at our private studio, or read more about our bespoke engagement rings.