Most diamond buying advice is about getting as close to colorless as possible. Fancy color diamonds flip that: color is the point, and the more saturated the hue, the more prized the stone. Here's what "fancy color" means, how the grades work, and how lab-grown fancy color diamonds get their color.
What is a fancy color diamond?
A fancy color diamond has a strong, distinct color, such as yellow, pink or blue, beyond the colorless-to-light-yellow D-to-Z range. Instead of D to Z, it is graded by hue, tone and saturation, from Faint up to Fancy Intense and Fancy Vivid, and more color is more valuable. Lab-grown fancy color diamonds cost a fraction of natural ones, which are among the rarest gems.
Fancy color diamond grades
The scale below is the one used by major labs such as GIA for fancy color diamonds, from least to most color.
| Grade | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| Faint, Very Light, Light | A hint of color; still close to a white diamond |
| Fancy Light | Clearly colored, but pale |
| Fancy | Moderate, evident color |
| Fancy Intense | Strong color |
| Fancy Vivid | Very strong, saturated color; the most prized grade |
| Fancy Deep | Saturated color with a darker tone |
| Fancy Dark | Dark tone with less brightness |
The grade name comes with the hue, for example "Fancy Intense Yellow" or "Fancy Light Pink". A secondary color can appear too, as in "Fancy Vivid Orangy Yellow".
Why are fancy color diamonds graded differently?
The D-to-Z scale measures how close a white diamond is to colorless, so more color means a lower grade. Once a diamond's color is strong enough to fall beyond Z, it is no longer judged by how little color it has but by the character and strength of its color. A Fancy Vivid yellow or pink is valued for how much color it shows, not despite it.
How do lab-grown diamonds get their color?
There are two routes, and a good grading report tells you which one applies:
- Color as grown. Trace elements added during growth create the color. Nitrogen produces yellow and orange-yellow, and boron produces blue. This is the same mechanism behind many natural fancy color diamonds.
- Color from post-growth treatment. Many lab-grown pinks, reds and greens get their color from treatment after growth, typically irradiation and heating (annealing). The color is permanent, but it is a treatment and must be disclosed.
IGI reports for lab-grown diamonds state whether a stone is "as grown" or has had post-growth treatment, so check the report for any fancy color stone.
Why are natural fancy color diamonds so expensive?
Rarity. Only a small fraction of mined diamonds show fancy color at all, and vivid, evenly saturated hues are rarer still. That is why natural pink, blue and red diamonds regularly set some of the highest per-carat prices of any gemstone at auction.
Why do lab-grown fancy color diamonds cost so much less?
Lab-grown fancy color diamonds share a natural diamond's chemistry, hardness and optical properties, without the extreme scarcity behind natural fancy color pricing. That puts a saturated yellow or pink diamond of meaningful size within reach at a small fraction of the cost of a natural stone.
Certification
Fancy color diamonds are independently graded like colorless ones, with the report giving the color grade (hue, tone and saturation) along with clarity, carat and cut details where applicable. For lab-grown stones, the report also confirms the laboratory-grown origin and notes any post-growth treatment. Learn more in IGI vs GIA.
Frequently asked questions
Is a fancy color diamond a different material from a regular diamond?
No. It's the same pure carbon crystal as any diamond. Trace elements, growth conditions or treatment produce the visible color.
Are lab-grown fancy color diamonds treated?
Some are and some aren't. Yellows and blues are often colored as grown, while many pinks, reds and greens are colored by irradiation and heating after growth. The color is permanent, and the grading report states whether the stone was treated.
What is the rarest diamond color?
Among natural diamonds, red is the rarest, followed by colors such as blue, green and pink. Yellow is the most common fancy color.
Which fancy color grade should I choose?
Choose by eye and budget. Fancy Intense and Fancy Vivid show the strongest color and cost the most; Fancy Light and Fancy grades give a softer tint for less.
Can a fancy color diamond be set in a custom ring?
Yes. Every stone in our fancy color collection can be paired with a custom setting, with the metal, style and design built around that specific stone.
See the collection
Browse our Fancy Color Lab-Grown Diamonds, from light and intense yellows to vivid pinks, or start a custom piece through our custom design service. For buying a loose stone, see our loose lab-grown diamond guide.
