10 FACTS ABOUT FANCY YELLOW COLOUR DIAMONDS YOU DIDN’T KNOW

Bold and vivid, Natural Fancy Yellow diamonds make exquisite designer diamond jewellery creations. Of all the natural Fancy colour diamonds mined in the world, Fancy Yellow diamonds are the most highly sought after; and, due to their unique nature, they are becoming increasingly popular every year. Here are 10 fascinating facts about this mesmerising diamond;

We invite you to visit one of the Shimansky showrooms and browse our eye-catching Fancy Yellow Diamond Collection.

1. “FANCY” ISN’T SIMPLY AN OVERUSED ADJECTIVE

When referring to natural coloured diamonds, “Fancy” isn’t simply an adjective to emphasise the diamond’s extravagant nature. It is the technical term for naturally occurring diamonds of colour, as outlined by the Gemological Institute of America, or GIA. Where white diamonds are graded on a colour scale from D (the closest to colourless) to Z (heavily tinted yellow), yellow diamonds (or any other natural coloured diamonds that fall outside the D-to-Z range) are graded as “Fancy” according to the intensity of their colour. The GIA Coloured Diamond Grading System assigns yellow diamonds one of six colour grades: Fancy Light, Fancy, Fancy Dark, Fancy Deep, Fancy Intense, and Fancy Vivid – the deepest and most desirable hue. Therefore, a white diamond with a yellow tint or a Z colour grading is completely different to a natural fancy yellow diamond.

2. YELLOW DIAMONDS MAKE UP 60% OF COLOURED DIAMONDS

For every 10,000 nearly colourless diamonds mined, only one natural fancy colour diamond will be discovered. Of all the different natural coloured diamonds mined, including blue diamonds, orange diamonds, pink diamonds and red diamonds, to name a few, yellows are the most common, making up around 60% of fancy colour diamonds. Red and pink diamonds are the rarest of them all. Only 20 to 30 truly red diamonds have ever been discovered. This being said natural Fancy Yellow diamonds are still extremely rare when compared to white diamonds.

3. FANCY YELLOW DIAMONDS HAVE UNIQUE COLOUR COMBINATIONS

Fancy yellow diamonds are sometimes called Canary Yellow Diamonds due to their bright, vivid yellow colour. However, not every natural yellow diamond has that deep yellow hue. There are many facets to a fancy yellow diamond and each diamond is unique in every way, including its colour. The hue of a yellow diamond can have different colour appearances depending on its tone and saturation, ranging from brownish yellow to orangey-yellow to greenish yellow and more. The term “Fancy Yellow” is only given to the vivid and most intense yellow diamonds. Of all natural yellow diamonds, the ones graded as Fancy Yellow are the most valuable and highly sought after. 

4. THE LARGEST NATURAL DIAMOND IS A FANCY YELLOW DIAMOND

Many famous large-coloured diamonds have made history for their size, price and sheer beauty. These exceptional diamonds include the 27.64-carat Heart of Eternity Blue Diamond and the 545.67-carat brown cushion-cut Golden Jubilee Diamond, both discovered in the Premier Diamond Mine in South Africa. Another remarkable find is the 5.05-carat Kazanjian Red Diamond discovered in Lichtenberg, South Africa in 1927. The largest of all, however, is a fancy yellow diamond weighing a massive 616 carats: The Kimberley Octahedron. This spellbinding diamond, discovered in 1972, is displayed at the Diamond Vault at the Big Hole in Kimberley, South Africa. It is the largest natural diamond in the world.

5. YELLOW DIAMONDS ARE THE MOST AFFORDABLE OF COLOURED DIAMONDS

We often get asked, “Are fancy yellow diamonds expensive?” As a rule of thumb, the rarer a diamond, the higher its value. Since there is only one natural fancy colour diamond found for every 10 000 colourless diamond, fancy yellow diamonds are generally more expensive than colourless diamonds. Fancy yellow diamonds are mostly found as small diamonds, less than a carat in weight. This means that the larger ones, which are much rarer, are often more valuable than their colourless counterparts. Despite this, yellow diamonds are the most affordable and popular of the fancy coloured diamond family. This is due to the fact that yellow diamonds are not as rare as other fancy colours such as blue, red and green diamonds.

6. COLOUR IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN CLARITY

White or colourless diamonds are prized for their bright sparkle whereas fancy yellow diamonds are loved for their rich, intense colour. While each type of diamond has specific characteristics that make it unique, it’s worth noting that the four C’s (cut, colour, clarity and carat) are not equally important in determining the value of a white diamond versus a fancy yellow diamond.

Where white diamonds are valued based on the absence of colour and a high clarity grade, fancy-coloured diamonds are valued based on the intensity of their colour. Colour is the most important factor to consider when purchasing a fancy yellow diamond: The deeper and more vivid the hue, the more valuable the diamond. Even those that have a slightly lower clarity grade because of inclusions will be highly valued for their attractive colour.

7. THE MOST INTENSE YELLOW DIAMONDS ORIGINATE FROM SOUTH AFRICA

Although yellow diamonds are found all over the world, most of the intense yellow diamonds originate from South Africa. Yellow diamonds were rarely seen until the late 1860s when they were discovered in the country. Shimansky natural fancy yellow diamonds, which are all GIA certified, are expertly hand-selected directly from Kimberley and the West Coast regions of South Africa before being transformed into remarkable jewellery creations.

8. FANCY YELLOW DIAMONDS GET THEIR COLOUR FROM THE PRESENCE OF NITROGEN

Different mines around the world produce different coloured diamonds simply because of the makeup of the rocks and soil. Natural fancy colour diamonds are formed when there is a presence of trace elements that interact with carbon atoms during the creation of the diamond. When this happens, the typical diamond crystal is distorted and the diamond’s colour can change. In the case of fancy yellow diamonds, the presence of nitrogen is the cause of the yellow colour. The nitrogen absorbs colour, giving them their yellow hue. The intensity of the yellow is dependent upon varying amounts of nitrogen.

9. OVAL IS THE MOST POPULAR SHAPE FOR FANCY YELLOW DIAMONDS

While the round brilliant cut is most popular with white diamonds, you will rarely see this cut with fancy yellow diamonds. This is because the round shape reflects a lot of light, which reduces the effect of the yellow colour. The oval shape oval shape is a popular choice for yellow diamonds. Generally polished with 56 to 58 facets, the oval shape has a larger surface area than a round brilliant diamond of the same carat weight, which maximises the potential to present its colour. Oval fancy colour diamond rings, like the Shimansky Fancy Yellow Oval Diamond Ring, are simply exquisite as they display the unique beauty of the diamond’s colour most magnificently. 

10. YELLOW DIAMONDS MAKE GREAT INVESTMENTS

Certain yellow diamonds make great investments as their prices have increased significantly over the years. Due to their soaring popularity, the demand is higher than the supply, which, of course, increases their value. Additionally, due to their popularity, it is easy to liquidate yellow diamonds. As pioneers in the diamond and jewellery trade, Shimansky has a license to buy diamonds directly from South African mines, which allows us to cater to investors in search of unique, investment-quality diamonds in rough or polished form.

FIND A FANCY YELLOW DIAMOND CREATION FROM OUR WIDE RANGE OF DESIGNER DIAMOND JEWELLERY

Are you in search of an iconic fancy colour diamond ring, bracelet, pendant or perhaps a striking pair of earrings? Let us help you find the perfect creation from our Fancy Yellow Diamond Collection. We invite you to visit a Shimansky showroom near you.