How Rare is a Natural Fancy Colored Diamond?

The creation of a natural color diamond is nothing short of a miracle. In addition to the extreme conditions that must be present for a diamond to form inside the Earth, minute amounts of trace elements must also interact with the carbon atoms to permanently alter the color. It is estimated that a diamond has only a 1 in 10,000 chance of possessing any natural color, regardless of the spectral hue, which makes any fancy colored diamond a true natural wonder.

Diamonds in the colorless (D-Z) range usually decrease in value as the color becomes more apparent. The opposite is true with fancy-colored diamonds. In fact, the single most important value factor that affects the rarity of a fancy colored diamond is color. Fancy-colored diamonds are found in nearly every color of the rainbow. Red, green, purple, and orange are the rarest colors, followed by pink and blue. Yellow and brown are the most common fancy colors; therefore, they are the most affordable. Aside from the spectral hue, the purity and strength of the color also affect rarity.