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Fancy Color Diamond

Dazzling brilliance. Captivating color. The planet’s most valued gems are fancy color diamonds.

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Figure 1. This 3.49 ct yellow diamond with a diameter of ~7 mm exhibits a unique shape due to a combination of growth and dissolution features. Photo by Cristiano Ferraris.

Unusual Yellow Diamond with a Complex Growth History

Isabella Pignatelli, Cristiano Ferraris, and Dominik Schaniel, November 17, 2025

A combination of growth and dissolution features contribute to a yellow diamond’s unique shape.

Figure 1. Viewed through the pavilion, trails of starburst-patterned clouds were observed in patches near the girdle in a 2.50 ct diamond; in the center of each cloud were more intensely colored particles appearing to form a cross pattern. Photomicrograph by Forozan Zandi; field of view 2.34 mm.

Starburst Cloud Inclusions in Diamond

Forozan Zandi, Mei Yan Lai, and Sally Eaton-Magaña, November 17, 2025

Clusters of micro-inclusions form starburst-patterned clouds in a 2.50 ct Faint yellow-green round brilliant diamond.

Figure 1. A 1.10 ct Fancy Deep brownish orangy pink diamond. Photo by Towfiq Ahmed.

Pink Diamond with Mottled Appearance

Dimitry Krugolets and Paul Johnson, November 17, 2025

Examination of a Fancy Deep brownish orangy pink diamond reveals evidence of treatment to enhance its color.

Figure 1. This 37.41 ct rough diamond has distinct pink and colorless zones. Photo by Tebogo Hambira.

Extraordinary Large Bicolor Natural Rough Diamond

Sally Eaton-Magaña, Kgotlaetsho Baatshwana, and Norma-Jean Osi, November 17, 2025

A 37.41 ct natural rough diamond with distinct pink and colorless zones is examined at GIA’s Botswana laboratory.

This diamond feather and its reflection resemble a UFO flying across the sun. Photomicrograph by Michaela Damba; field of view 3.57 mm.

“UFO” in Diamond

Michaela Damba, November 17, 2025

A diamond feather and its reflection resemble an unidentified flying object.

Figure 1. Yellow is the most common color in 480 nm band diamonds and can occur in different tones and saturations (top row, three on the left). The 480 nm band diamond family also includes those with brown and orange colors (top row, three on the right), as well as chameleon diamonds with a green color component (bottom row). Photos by GIA staff.

A Guide to Diamonds with the 480 nm Absorption Band

Mei Yan Lai, November 17, 2025

Summarizes the features of 480 nm band diamonds, including chameleon diamonds and those with unmodified orange hues, for rapid identification or advanced gemological testing.

Article

Extraordinary Large Bicolor Natural Rough Diamond

Sally Eaton-Magaña, Kgotlaetsho Baatshwana, and Norma-Jean Osi, October 15, 2025

A 37.41 ct natural rough diamond with distinct pink and colorless zones is examined at GIA’s Botswana laboratory.

Figure 1. This 3.07 ct HPHT-treated CVD-grown diamond received a color grade of brownish greenish yellow, with the causes of color including isolated nitrogen and SiV– centers. Photo by Diego Sanchez.

CVD-Grown Diamond with Unusual Cause of Greenish Color

Sally Eaton-Magaña, August 29, 2025

A previously unidentified cause of green color in CVD-grown diamonds is detected for the first time in a diamond submitted to the Carlsbad laboratory.

Second largest rough diamond Motswedi against black background

Article

GIA Tests the World’s Second Largest Diamond

Tom Moses and Wuyi Wang, August 15, 2025

The Motswedi diamond from Lucara’s Karowe Diamond Mine in Botswana—second largest ever discovered and the largest known single crystal in existence. Learn about this exceptional diamond here!

Fancy Vivid Yellow HPHT-Grown Diamonds

Suet Man Yau and Terry “Ping Yu” Poon, June 5, 2025

A report on a submission of 26 yellow HPHT-grown diamonds from the Hong Kong laboratory.

This Month's

Featured Gems

Peridot

Found in lava, meteorites, and deep in the earth’s mantle, yellow-green peridot is the extreme gem.

Fancy Color Diamond

Dazzling brilliance. Captivating color. These are the planet’s most valued gems.

Diamond

Diamonds are among nature’s most precious and beautiful creations.

Emerald

Emerald is the bluish green to green variety of beryl, a mineral species that includes aquamarine.

Citrine

Citrine is the transparent, pale yellow to brownish orange variety of quartz.

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Fancy Color Diamond

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Peridot

Fancy Color Diamond

Diamond

Emerald

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Fancy Color Diamond

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Featured Gems

Peridot

Fancy Color Diamond

Diamond

Emerald

Citrine

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