Is a Yellow Diamond Valuable?

Although rarer than traditional white diamonds, the yellow diamond is relatively common among fancy colored diamonds. There is a common false belief that ayellow diamond is less valuable than a colorless diamonds. However, Intense and vivid fancy yellow diamonds can be worth a great deal although very light or slightly yellow stones are fairly standard and are worth much less.



Natural yellow diamonds with secondary brown tones are worth considerably less than pure yellow stones. However, secondary colors of green-yellow or orange-yellow can considerably raise the value of the stone due to the fact that these diamond colors are even rarer than yellow diamonds.



Natural fancy yellow diamonds are graded by their 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. A number of tones of Vivid Yellow diamonds as well as the more rare Intense Yellow diamonds are called Canary Diamonds. Canary yellow diamonds are the rarest amongst yellow diamonds and for that reason they cost much more and are desirable by both investors and classy customers. The canary diamond has a very unique shade of yellow, and even if you have never seen a Canary Yellow, if you were to see one, you will realize that it is a Canary Diamond.



Yellow diamonds are generally set in yellow gold. When it comes to the diamond setting, yellow diamonds look wonderful if they are combined with white ones, as the white ones create a strong color contrast. If you happen to choose a yellow diamond to be the center stone for your three stone ring, then it is advisable to have white side stones and trapeze, triangle or oval shapes can be a excellent match.



Just as with other fancy color diamonds the color remains the main thing that affects the value of the diamond, then comes size and of course clarity. Clarity is also important in the evaluation of yellow stones, though this is 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 can be also in the Cushion cut, Oval cut, and Pear and Heart shapes. The rarest are the Emerald, Square Emerald and the Brilliant cuts (round shape). The price of these shapes are considerably higher and not only when it comes to the yellow diamonds. This is true for all fancy color diamonds..



The cut quality of a colored diamond is very different to the traditional diamond. The goal when cutting a fancy color diamond is to make the best us of the depth and saturation of the diamond's color while managing to strike a balance between the carat weight and brilliance. When purchasing a natural yellow diamond or any other natural fancy color diamond, it is imperative to examine that the stone is accompanied by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) grading report, or other trustworthy laboratories like HRD, IGI, EGL, stating that the color is natural. The report must also state the intensity of color, plus how the color is distributed throughout the diamond.



The biggest naturally formed octahedral diamond in the world is the Kimberley Octahedron and this is a Canary Diamond weighing 616 carats. This natural stone was found in 1964 in the Dutoitspan mine, located in the Kimberley region of South Africa. The Kimberley Octahedron continues to be uncut, so the color and distribution grades cannot be given to this diamond. The owners of the mine, Da Beers Consolidated Mines Ltd., chose to conserve the diamond in the state is as mined. The Kimberley Octahedron is on display at the Kimberely Big Hole mine.