When heard about diamonds, the first image that may pop into your mind will be of a colorless sparkling rock. However, there are colored diamonds as well and they are not as popular as its colorless counterparts because of its rarity. Note that only one in every 10000 diamonds mined possess natural color and are referred to as colored diamonds. Needless to mention, colored diamonds are admired for their color distribution as well as intensity.

In other words, the quantifying criteria that are considered for colorless diamonds such as cut and clarity are less mentioned when it comes to colored diamonds. Below are some of the important details regarding colored diamonds. You may refer to these points to figure out whether or not a colored diamond is ideal for you.

Color

As mentioned earlier, the color intensity or the richness of the diamond color is mainly considered when choosing colored diamonds. On a related note, the more intense or vivid the color is, the rarer and expensive the diamond will be. Even though colored diamonds are rare and natural vivid colored diamonds are even rarer. Additionally, the color distribution or the presence of secondary colors matters.

Some secondary hues such as purple, green, pink, etc., add to the overall appeal of diamonds making them more elite. On the other hand, some secondary shades such as gray, black, brown, orange, etc., are common and does not always enhance the appeal of diamonds. Hence, stones with such undertones will be usually less expensive.

Carat weight

The next attribute that affects the price of colored diamonds after the color intensity is its carat weight. Of course, large diamonds will be more expensive when compared to the smaller ones whether or not it is colored. It is to be noted that it is very rare to get a large piece of a colored diamond when mining. So, the price of a colored diamond tends to increase exponentially with even a slight increase in its carat weight.

This price hike will not be as drastic when it comes to colorless stones. So, it is better to go with colorless diamonds if you are looking for natural affordable diamonds. Usually, colored inexpensive loose diamonds will be either of low quality or color enhanced.

Clarity

Clarity refers to the presence of flaws or inclusions in a diamond. Since colored diamonds will not be able to show off these imperfections, the clarity of colored diamonds is less valued when compared to their colorless counterparts. Even though you can compromise when it comes to the clarity of colored diamonds, make sure to avoid diamonds with inclusions such as laser drill hole cluster, crystal, chips, etc., that tend to make diamonds less durable irrespective of its color.