The World of Fancy Colour Diamonds — Rare Hues from Pink to Blue-Green

Of the world's total diamond production, less than one in ten thousand can be classified as "Fancy Color". They carry billions of years of the earth's chemical and physical chance, making them rare treasures and symbols of both investment and legacy.

How Fancy Colour Forms

Unlike colourless diamonds, which are prized for their purity, fancy colour diamonds owe their hue to trace elements or lattice structure changes introduced during formation. Yellow diamonds result from nitrogen atoms replacing carbon; blue diamonds contain boron; pink diamonds arise from lattice distortion scattering light. Behind each colour lies a unique trace of the earth's crustal movements.

The GIA Fancy Colour Grading System

Fancy colour intensity is graded across nine levels, from lightest to deepest: Faint, Very Light, Light, Fancy Light, Fancy, Fancy Intense, Fancy Vivid, Fancy Deep and Fancy Dark. Of these, Fancy Vivid and Fancy Intense are considered investment grade, with the highest market scarcity and appreciation potential.

Besides intensity, GIA also assesses the primary and secondary hues (e.g. Fancy Intense Pinkish Purple); pure colour diamonds typically command a higher market value than diamonds of the same grade with a secondary hue.

Pink Diamonds — CathyPaul's Signature

Pink diamonds are the most talked-about presence in the world of fancy colour diamonds. Australia's Argyle mine was once the world's leading source of pink diamonds, contributing around 90% of global supply. Following Argyle's permanent closure in 2020, the natural pink diamonds remaining on the market have become truly discontinued assets.

CathyPaul's in-house designed pink diamond collection spans engagement rings, wedding bands, pendants and earrings. Every pink diamond is carefully selected and set by our artisans in platinum or rose gold, allowing this rare colour to be perfectly showcased through fine craftsmanship.

A Tour of Other Fancy Colours

• Blue Diamonds — Mysterious and cool, regular stars of major auctions, with record-breaking prices year after year.
• Yellow Diamonds — Bright as sunshine, the preferred entry point into fancy colour diamonds, at a more accessible price.
• Green Diamonds — Extremely rare, their colour arising from natural radiation, each one a one-of-a-kind piece.
• Orange Diamonds — Warm and distinctive, accounting for less than 1% of fancy colour diamond production.
• Purple Diamonds — Highly scarce, often carrying a pink secondary hue, mysterious and noble.

Wearing and Caring for Fancy Colour Diamonds

The colour of fancy colour diamonds is stable and will not fade with normal wear. We recommend returning them to CathyPaul periodically for professional cleaning and prong inspection, to ensure the setting remains secure and the diamond's brilliance stays as good as new.