Some of the world’s most exquisite jewelry is made of rare diamonds, and I am not talking about engagement rings. Rare diamonds have been used in some of the most well-known royal crown jewels and ornaments. Rare diamonds are incredibly unique and, therefore, command a hefty price tag. Many people consider these rare gemstones invaluable, considering their rich history.
One example of such a rare diamond is the Cullinan Diamond. Discovered in South Africa in 1905, later it was offered as a gift to King Edward VII for his coronation. It weighed 3106 carats and was cut into nine separate gems. These gems were then set into royal crown jewels.
Diamonds are one of the most valuable finds in human history. In the early days, diamonds were considered to have therapeutic properties that cured illnesses when digested. They were first discovered in India in the 4th century BC. Early Hindus believed that diamonds were formed when lightning struck rocks, while Ancient Greeks believed they were fragments of stars that had fallen on earth. Roman philosophers thought diamonds were tears of the gods; Plato even said that diamonds were living beings that had embodied celestial spirits.
The name diamond is taken from the Greek word “adamas,” which means unconquerable, and the only other thing that was considered unconquerable at the time was love. Therefore, diamonds became a popular choice for engagement rings. The very first instance of diamonds being used on an engagement ring was recorded in 1477.
Now that we have taken a brief tour of the history of diamonds, let’s look at what makes a diamond rare and how you can assess its rarity.
What Makes A Diamond Rare and Unique?
Rare diamonds are scarce and offer extraordinary features, which makes them highly sought after. These diamonds are also referred to as “investment diamonds” due to their high price and scarcity. You can identify these diamonds by their clarity and unique color. These diamonds are often graded as Flawless due to the absence of visible inclusions and blemishes. You can assess the rarity of diamonds by looking at the following characteristics.
Color: The rarity of diamonds can be assessed by their color grading. The more vivid and deep a diamond’s color offers, the more valuable it becomes.
Carat: As you already know, carat is the unit of measurement for diamonds. A high carat means larger and rarer diamonds.
Cut: As I told you in the previous post, Cut affects all the other Cs of a diamond. Rare diamonds feature more intricate cuts than standard diamonds.
Rarest Colored Diamonds
Colored diamonds have become increasingly popular; this adds to the value of the diamond due to being scarce. The highest-graded colored diamonds are termed “fancy” diamonds. The most valuable and rarest type of fancy diamonds are called “vivid” diamonds. Vivid diamonds come in various colors, including red, pink, blue, yellow, green, and orange. Orange diamonds are also called “fire diamonds.” Colored diamonds comprise only 0.01% of total diamonds mined worldwide.
Red Colored Diamonds
These are the most rare diamonds, and their color comes from trace amounts of boron found in the earth’s crust. Red diamonds are the scarcest type of colored diamond, which makes them the most valuable as well. Most of these diamonds come from Argyle Diamond mines in Australia. Moussaieff Red is the largest red diamond in the world.
Blue Colored Diamonds
Blue diamonds are considered the second rarest diamonds in the world. They comprise only 1% of the total diamonds mined worldwide. These diamonds get their color due to trace amounts of boron and nitrogen. They are color-graded from faint blue to fancy vivid blue. The Hope Diamond, stored in the Smithsonian Museum, is one of the most blue and well-known blue diamonds.
Pink Colored Diamonds
Pink diamonds are scarce and are mainly originated from Argyle Diamond mines in Australia. The Argyle Diamond mines bring 90% of pink diamonds to the market. Pink Star, formerly Steinmetz Pink, is among the most famous pink diamonds in the world. These diamonds are considered romantic and feminine.
Yellow Colored Diamonds
Yellow-colored diamonds are also rare; the Golden Jubilee Diamond is the most famous example of a yellow diamond. It weighs 755.5 carats and is considered the world’s largest faceted and cut diamond. These diamonds get their color from tiny amounts of Nitrogen.
Green Colored Diamonds
Green diamonds are also considered rare. Although artificially enhanced green diamonds are also available in the market, ascertaining their natural color adds to their value. The reason for their green color is radiation from trace amounts of uranium. The Green Dresden, graded vivid, is the most well-known green diamond in the world. It was discovered in 1741 in Germany.
Orange Colored Diamonds
Orange-colored diamonds come in various shades and are considered quite rare. Their color grades range from dim-yellowish orange all the way to vivid orange. These are also called “fire diamonds” because of their color. The Pumpkin is one of the most famous orange diamonds.
Most of these rare diamonds have been attached to an influential personality at some point in time, which adds to their value. Although 78% of engagement rings bought today contain a diamond, the rare diamonds mentioned above are considered invaluable. It is doubtful that we will ever see these used in an engagement ring.
Summary
Diamonds have always been considered “The King” of the gemstones. There were various myths surrounding these elegant gems in the olden times. Their clarity and unique color is what makes them rare. Rare diamonds come in various colors: red, blue, pink, green, yellow, and orange. Their rarity can be assessed by looking at their characteristics, like color, cut, and carat. You can read about some of the most rare and unique diamonds in the sections above.
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