Prices of color diamonds have continuously increased for the past 20 years or more, proving their value as an investment vehicle. The value of pink diamonds has risen enormously during the past 25 years. If a 1.6-carat fancy intense purplish pink diamond cost $10,000 per carat in 1995, the price has soared to more than $100,000 per carat.
Christie’s in Hong Kong sold a five-carat vivid pink diamond for $10.7 million in December 2009 - the highest price ever for a pink diamond at an auction. At $2.1 million per carat, it was also the highest price per carat for any gemstone. Meanwhile, in October 2011, Sotheby’s International sold a 6.01-carat vivid blue diamond for a record $10.1 million.
Blue Diamonds
Blue Diamonds have long been associated with kings and royalty, and have a vast history of importance as historical diamonds. They can contain one or a combination of shades of gray, green, and violet.
Pink Diamonds
Pink diamonds are both rare and highly sought after – factors which provide a constant boost to prices. Indeed, prices have increased by a factor of 100 over the past 25 years. As a result, pink diamonds have become of increasing interest for mid- and long-term investors.
Pink diamonds come from the Argyle mine in Australia, as well as from Brazil, Angola and other countries with each country's production providing different shades of pink. Most pink diamonds from the Argyle mine are smalle
Yellow Diamonds
Yellow diamonds are among the most widespread of natural color diamonds. They usually have a good level of clarity. It is important to ensure that they have no large black inclusions, since these are easily spotted in yellow stones.
There have been many famous yellow diamonds, such as the 110-carat Sun Drop diamond, and the 128-carat Tiffany Yellow Diamond.
Orange Diamonds
Orange diamonds are extraordinarily rare, and experts believe the color is due to a combination of nitrogen and deformities in their structure.
An orange diamond with a trace of another color, such as yellow, will command a lower price. Even an orange diamond with a small dash of yellow will appear orange to the human eye, while providing a more affordable price point prices.
Green Diamonds
Natural green diamonds are the rarest of stones after red diamonds. That has an obvious consequence for prices. Nonetheless, mixed green colors, such as mint, lime and olive have more moderate prices.
Champagne Diamonds
Champagne diamonds range from light champagne to deep, rich cognac and brown. They have become increasingly popular with celebrities in recent years. Rio Tinto, which mines Champagne diamonds at its Argyle mine in Australia, says there is growing demand in the United States, the world's largest diamond jewelry market, for champagne color diamonds, while it has also set up programs to promote these stones in the growing Indian market. Marketresearch shows that consumers finds natural colour champagne and cognac diamonds an appealing alternative to more traditional white diamonds.