We can help! Leo Hamel Fine Jewelers can make your engagement ring shopping in San Diego effortless and highly enjoyable. With the help of our experienced and knowledgeable staff, you’ll find a ring that fits your loved one’s style perfectly in no time!      

How many colors can a diamond be? 

Natural colored diamonds can be found in a wide range of brilliant shades, from yellow, green, violet and blue to brown, orange, red, pink and black. Some of these colors, such as blue, green and red, are more expensive and sought after than others due to their rarity. 

Fancy colored diamonds can differ in tone, hue, and saturation. The GIA grading system recognizes nine intensity levels: faint, very light, light, fancy light, fancy, fancy dark, fancy deep, fancy intense, and fancy vivid. The more saturated a diamond is, the more valuable it will be. 

Brown fancy diamonds are the most popular option and are often marketed as champagne or cognac, depending on the intensity of the shade. Yellow diamonds, commonly referred to as canary diamonds, come second in popularity and are currently highly fashionable among glamorous celebrities. Fancy colored diamonds also include elegant black and deep gray stones and even fancy white diamonds that are often milky and opalescent in appearance.

Are all colored diamonds natural? 

Since fancy colored diamonds are unique products of nature, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they usually come at staggering prices. Because of this, buying a beautiful fancy colored diamond for your fiancé isn’t a decision you want to take lightly, especially when you consider that some of the diamonds on the market are color-treated. 

A technique called High Pressure High Temperature, or HPHT for short, is commonly used for enhancing the color of natural colored diamonds, making them more valuable and marketable than they were in their natural state. Although HPHT treated diamonds are still natural, not lab-grown, the technique is controversial because it can also be used to transform significantly cheaper colorless diamonds by turning them into a more desirable shade. 

Even seasoned jewelers may find it difficult to identify proof of HPHT treatment. So, if you’re looking to buy an untreated fancy colored diamond that is truly one of a kind, you need to choose a reputable jeweler and expect the stone to come at a whopping price.

What you need to know when buying a colored diamond 

If you’ve decided to make your significant other jump for joy by surprising them with a fancy colored diamond, here are some tips that can help ensure that both of you are happy with the choice: 

• The price is your best indicator: a fancy colored diamond that wasn’t treated will naturally cost significantly more than a treatment enhanced stone. 
• Buy only GIA certified diamonds: make sure to ask for a GIA certificate if you want to be absolutely sure of the origin and characteristics of your fancy colored diamond. 
• Buy from a trusted seller: the only way to be sure your colored diamond is genuine and fairly priced is to purchase it from an experienced, reputable jeweler. 

Leo Hamel Fine Jewelers: your #1 choice for engagement ring shopping in San Diego

Looking for reputable jewelers in San Diego County? You’re in luck! Our luxurious storeroom boasts a vast selection of brilliant diamond rings that feature stunning colored stones in a wide variety of shades and settings. 

No matter what kind of engagement ring you’re looking for, our seasoned in-house masters will help you find the one that truly speaks to your partner’s soul. Visit Leo Hamel Fine Jewelers today and let us help you find the perfect diamond ring your fiancé will simply adore!