WHAT ARE FANCY DIAMONDS​

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Naturally colored diamonds are considered to be very rare and expensive - these diamonds are classified as Fancy diamonds.
The more intense the color the more rare and the more expensive the diamond. It is believed that only one in ten thousand diamonds can be classified as a fancy diamond. Some colors are also more common than others but the fact remains that if you have an engagement ring or diamond ring with a fancy diamond, you are very privileged.

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COLOURS

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When considering a fancy diamond, colour plays the most important role. When purchasing a clear diamond, the cut, dimensions and various other factors play a very important role. In fancy diamond terms, the deepness and richness of the colour is the most important factor to consider. Stones are often cut slightly different to enhance their colour. The deeper and more intense the colour, the more exclusive and more expensive the diamond.

Fancy colour diamonds are graded in order of increasing intensity from Faint, Very Light, Light, Fancy Light, Fancy, Fancy Intense, Fancy Vivid, Fancy Dark, and Fancy Deep.

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YELLOW.

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Yellow and brown fancy diamonds are considered to be the most common of the fancy range diamonds. That being said, an engagement ring or diamond ring with an intense yellow diamond can cost up to 5 times more than a clear diamond ring.
Like with clear diamonds, the ring setting can aid the intensity of the color and setting a yellow diamond in yellow gold can often create an illusion of a deeper more radiant yellow colour.

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BROWN / COGNAC DIAMONDS

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Brown diamonds, Cognac diamonds or Chocolate diamonds are also quite common when considering fancy diamonds. There is however a fine line between "dirty" diamonds and fancy brown diamonds. South Africa is one of the biggest producers of Cognac diamonds in the world which makes the availability in South Africa a lot easier than with some other fancy coloured diamonds. An engagement ring or diamond ring made with white gold or platinum will work well when setting a deep brown or Cognac diamond due to the contrasting colours.

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PINK

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Naturally pink diamonds are considered as one of the rarest and sought after diamonds available today. Due to its rarity, the cost is extremely high and out of reach of most people. Only a few pink diamond are mined each year and although they are gaining in popularity, they are also gaining in cost.
Pink diamonds are often set in a rose gold ring to enhance the colour of the stones. An engagement ring or diamond ring with a fancy pink diamond can easily cost up to 20 times what a ring would cost with a white diamond.

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BLUE

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Naturally blue diamonds are so rare that most jewelers will probably never get the opportunity to work with a naturally blue diamond. Pretoria in South Africa is well known for it's role in producing some of the world's top blue diamonds. Naturally blue diamonds are considered to be investments and locked away safely. You won't often find an engagement ring or diamond ring set with a naturally blue diamond as it's simply too rare and expensive. As for the cost, if you have to ask, you probably can't afford it.
Only a few carats exist in the world today and if you are lucky enough to own a blue diamond, you are quite literally "one in a million".

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NATURAL FANCY DIAMONDS VS TREATED OR ENHANCED DIAMONDS.

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Naturally fancy diamonds are rare and expensive - they are sought after as the most precious diamonds one can own.
Modern technology has allowed for treated or enhanced diamonds to find it's way into the market.
Enhanced diamonds are not Fancy diamonds and is just not the real thing. Great care must be taken when considering an engagement ring or diamond ring with "enhanced" or "treated" diamonds.
Beware of jewelers charging a premium for enhanced colored diamonds or simply stating that the diamonds are coloured and charging a higher price.
These practices are considered to be unethical, especially towards clients with little knowledge of diamonds.

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HOW CAN YOU BENEFIT AT A LOWER COST?

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If your budget simply doesn't allow you to purchase an engagement ring with a big fancy diamond, consider the smaller diamonds in the ring. We can enhance the look of a standard engagement ring or diamond ring by using smaller but less expensive naturally fancy diamonds. Whilst the larger fancy diamonds like a pink diamond is out of reach of most, the smaller stones are less expensive.
This will allow you to create a ring for a loved one that's as special as your love for one another.