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Figure V.1 illustrates the four general categories of colour: pale, bright, dull and deep. This is determined by how light or dark the
color of the stone is and how weak or strong the color saturation is. Note the light and faint colour grades will
be plotted into the pale quadrant while the brighter stones with stronger
colour saturation are classified as the intense and vivid stones. The colored diamonds plotted in the bright
and deep categories (Fancy Intense, Fancy Deep, Fancy Dark, Fancy Vivid) represent the smallest percentage of coloured diamond supply and are
considered the rarest and most sought-after coloured diamonds. According to Stephen Hofer, a polished
coloured diamond exhibits a unique impression of coloured reflections that
appear deceptive and mysterious as the stone is turned in the light.
Figure V.1 General categories of coloured diamonds
It is important to understand that coloured diamonds often appear in nature with a
dominant colour and a colour modifier, or secondary colour. On a certificate, colour modifiers will
appear with the suffix (-ish). For
example, a coloured diamond with a dominant colour of orange and traces of
yellow may be certified as follows:
Fancy Vivid yellowish Orange.
The term Fancy Vivid indicates a very strong amount of colour saturation and a bright colour tone. In this example, the dominant colour orange
appears last and is capitalized while the secondary trace colour of yellow
appears first and is in lower case.
If the secondary colour appears stronger in the stone, ie approximately one-third to one-half yellow and two-thirds to
one-half quarters purple, the grading will be as follows:
Fancy Vivid Yellow Orange
In this case, the yellow colour still appears
first but is capitalized because it appears in stronger amounts while the
dominant colour remains the same.
Over the years specialists in the
coloured diamond market have developed the use of common colour names to help
collectors and investors understand and visualize the colour. These common colour names use terms like
strawberry red and pumpkin orange to help illustrate the colour to potential
buyers.
Stephen Hofer, author of
Collecting & Classifying Coloured Diamonds has been using common colour
names in his reports since the 1980s as a way to convey the subtle differences
between similar shades of colours so that the connoisseur can better appreciate
and distinguish the beauty and the rarity of the coloured diamond in his
possession.
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