Fancy-color diamonds are among the most highly valued of gemstones due to their beauty and rarity. Interestingly, the rarest of diamond colors correlate with the three most popular choices for favorite color, in general—green, blue, and pink to red. The unique set of conditions in nature that produce the structural imperfections (defects in the lattice of carbon atoms) responsible for the most vibrant hues of green, blue, and pink/red diamonds are so uncommon that many people are not even aware these stones exist. Over the last ten years, diamonds with these natural color components comprised less than 0.4% of all diamonds submitted to GIA’s laboratories worldwide.
Pure hues of green, blue, or red are even rarer, accounting for less than 0.07%
Among fancy-color diamonds, natural-color green stones with saturated hues are some of the rarest and most sought after. These diamonds are colored either by simple structural defects produced by radiation exposure or by more complex defects involving nitrogen, hydrogen, or nickel impurities. Most of the world’s current production of fine natural green diamonds comes from South America or Africa.
Green color in gem diamonds can span a wide range of color descriptions..
Depending on the amount of vacancies and the other impurities and defects present, green diamonds colored by General Radiation typically have pure green or blue-green hues. irradiation of a light yellow diamond produces a greener color, while irradiation of a colorless diamond causes a bluer color.
The largest and most famous green diamond is the 41 ct Dresden Green, sourced from the Golconda mines in India. Several other famous green diamonds have been sold in recent years, including the 5.51 ct blue-green Ocean Dream (mined in the Central African Republic), the 25 ct Gruosi Green (South Africa and never graded by GIA), and the 5.03 ct Aurora Green (Brazil), which sold at auction in 2016 for more than US $3.3 million per carat .
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