Lucky girls born in April have diamonds as their birthstone. Believe it or not, Queen Elizabeth is one of those lucky girls. Now, while not everyone born in April has their own crowned jewels – every girl kind of feels like a queen when showered with diamonds. Elizabeth Taylor may not have been a royal nor was she born in the month of April, but that didn’t stop the men in her life from lavishing her with diamonds.
Take this cheerful number with the happiest flower – also April’s birth flower – the daisy. Elizabeth Taylor called it her lucky necklace. This daisy necklace with matching brooch and earrings was made with both white and colored diamonds. While this necklace might be a little out of most people’s price range, the inspiration it provides is priceless.
While most people envision diamonds as colorless, it’s important to remember that diamonds come in every shade imaginable. Everything from black to hot pink. Now the 4Cs tells us that when a diamond starts looking brown or yellow, it loses some value. When it comes to colored diamonds, the reverse is true. The more intense the color – the more valuable.
Colored diamonds range from faint (the bottom of the scale) to fancy deep (the highest rating). So when does a diamond with some yellow in it start to become fancy? When the color surpasses the Z grade for white diamonds.
Unlike white diamonds that are cut specifically for fire and brilliance, colored stones are cut to maximize the intensity of their color. The best cut in a colored diamond is the one that gives the best color on the face of the stone.
There are some very impressive colored diamonds around the world, including the 67.50 carat Black Orloff diamond named after a Russian princess and the 101.29 carat fancy yellow cushion cut called the Allnatt diamond. There are also colored stones that most everyone has heard of – such as the mesmerizing fancy vivid blue diamond called The Heart of Eternity (think Titanic) and the 45.52 carat Hope Diamond (think Marie Antoinette) that looks blue to the naked eye while shining red under ultraviolet light.
While these diamonds can cost millions, there are a handful of colored diamonds that are literally priceless. One such gem is the 55.23 carat pale yellow Sancy Diamond. This stone has a checkered past starting with its discovery around the sixteenth century. Lots of tales of cloak-and-dagger surround its history of mystery. It once disappeared with The Hope Diamond during the French Revolution only to surface and disappear a couple more times before being bought by an Astor in 1906. Today, it hangs out in the Louvre.
Then there’s the Chinese billionaire that set a record in late 2015 when he bought the flawless 12.03 carat fancy vivid Blue Moon diamond for $48.4 million for his seven year old daughter. You heard me – she’s seven.
The $48.4 million price tag is due to the fact that fancy vivid colored stones of that size that are also flawless are rare. Very rare. Because of this, colored stones are often treated to bring about that desired fancy vivid color. Why? Well, billionaires shouldn’t be the only ones that can afford beautiful colored diamond jewelry. Of course natural colored stones are available, they will just cost you more the more vivid their color.
A perfect gift for the birthday girl this April could be colored diamond earrings or a choker with different colored diamonds spread throughout. A beautiful right hand ring or a band with a pink, violet, or green colored center stone might tickle her fancy. Whatever you choose, colored diamonds will be a surprise that she won’t soon forget and will always treasure.
Are you ready to explore the world of colored diamonds for your birthday girl? Or maybe you just want to learn more about all the wonderful colors available. I would love to help you learn more or help you find the perfect gift. Please call me for a free consultation at 619.223.2151
