Unlike the classic clear diamond with the time honoured 58 panel cut, the coloured diamond is not constrained by tradition or convention. Coloured diamonds behave in a far less orthodox manner than the colourless stone which liberates the craftsman’s imagination to explore the beautiful possibilities that colour brings. That means new cuts, angles, shapes and forms, all of them designed to amplify the colour emanating from the glistening gem. 

Clear diamonds utilising the “brilliant” (round) cut technique will usually see the resultant stone worth more than if the same clear stone had a “fancy” cut. The reason for this is that more carat weight is lost when you indulge in a “fancy” cut and a “fancy” isn’t the optimum shape to accentuate the “dancing” light in a clear stone. Conversely when considering coloured diamonds, “maximum sparkle” is paramount whilst carat weight and size have a lesser impact on value.

Today coloured diamonds are presented in a stunning array of “fancy" forms, every stone a unique individual that has been genuinely custom cut to showcase the unique properties of “that” diamond. The natural coloured diamond has ushered in a new era of excitement in the world of gemmology, pushing accepted boundaries, generating vibrant new styles and methods and showering the market in an “explosion” of colour.

The following pictures illustrate the most familiar shapes that are typical to natural colour diamonds. There are 8 standard cuts encompassing round, heart, square, square cushion, pear, oval, marquise and rectangle cushion. Each of these shapes can be “cut”
into multiple forms within their shape.

The reason these variations are possible is because unlike clear, colourless stones which have a consistent optimum cut, no two coloured diamonds are alike. This unique quality in colouring means that even a slight alteration to the “facet” cut will change the tone, hues, shades and intensity of the colours revealed. The aim of the craftsman when cutting a coloured stone is to achieve “harmony” with the cut.

Quite simply, the coloured diamond conceals a myriad of colours that are just waiting to be released. Boundless possibilities and the promise of infinite beauty await.

The natural coloured diamond is universally graded on the basis of three accepted criteria all pertaining to colour but coloured stones are also evaluated with regard to the uniformity and consistency of colour displayed and the “sparkle” emanating from the gem. All coloured diamonds are judged by viewing the stone from the “face up” position. (Looking into the diamond from directly above)

The “hue” of a diamond is the dominant colour of the stone but there can also be tints or modifiers (other colours) which will see the stone classified as having more than one hue. A stone with no tints or modifiers will be classified as being of pure primary colour. For example a yellowish-green stone would be a predominantly green diamond with yellow tints.

The tone of a diamond relates to the degree of darkness or light the stone appears to retain, even when exposed to light. Predictably the scale runs from very light to very dark.

The saturation of a diamond refers to the potency & intensity of
its main colour. (hue) Darker   diamonds will be scaled from dark to deep and lightly toned diamonds will be classified from pale / pastel to vivid / intense.

Coloured diamonds are always cut to accentuate colour, so carat loss is only of secondary concern. Weight will always be sacrificed in the quest for more colour and the ferocity of the colour can indeed be exaggerated by additional cutting.

Colour may be the driving force when considering coloured diamonds but impurities are still an ever present evil. Clarity in terms of stone purity and perfection is always desirable but the major benefit of coloured stones is that the intensity of colour drowns out most imperfections. As long as the sparkle and colour play of the stone isn’t compromised any imperfections are rendered impotent.