While colorless diamonds are the most common, green diamonds are one of the rarest and most valued varieties. In fact, after red it is the rarest natural color among diamonds. But unlike other colored diamonds that owe this property to impurities in their composition, green diamonds’ color is due to exposure to beta rays and neutrons during their natural growth process.
Without a doubt, these are elegant, rare and impressive gems that are excellent for jewelry, especially for use in engagement rings. Since they are durable, valuable and have a beautiful shine. If you are interested in knowing a little more, this is all you need to know about green diamonds.
How do green diamonds get their color?
As we have already mentioned, these diamonds acquire their color from a natural irradiation process during their growth, which is extremely rare. Well, the soil where the carbon deposits that create diamonds are found may contain highly radioactive material. So in its formation a genuine green diamond endures a long exposure of millions of years to atomic radioactivity.
This radiation, which usually comes from radioactive uranium, displaces carbon atoms from their positions and changes the diamond’s ability to absorb and refract light, allowing it to reflect the green color on its surface. Therefore, the longer it is exposed to radiation, the more vivid the green color becomes.
Considering this then, it is possible to ask: Is not the radiation in green diamonds dangerous? Radiation is dangerous, but green diamonds are harmless. The green color contains no harmful chemicals and is simply the green light reflecting off the glass. Since the formation of diamonds takes millions of years, the stone only retains the radioactive stains and not the radioactive properties.
How are green diamonds graded?
One aspect of grading a diamond is its color. When grading colorless diamonds, the value is based on the absence of color, as colorless diamonds are chemically pure. The more transparent they are, the more valuable they become.
However, an even rarer phenomenon occurs when a diamond that is usually made of carbon is affected by other chemicals such as boron in blue diamonds or nitrogen in yellow diamonds, or is exposed to geological radiation as in the case of green diamonds. This makes it difficult to classify colored diamonds using the same criteria for colorless diamonds.
The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has a special color grading system for fancy colored diamonds, taking into account the hue, hue, and saturation of the rocks.
- Hue refers to the primary color of the stone, the tint that appears on the surface (ie blue, red, green, yellow).
- The tone refers to how light or dark the color is, with the weakest degree approaching transparency while the darkest leans toward black.
- The saturation is refers to the intensity of the color in the stone. Deeper, more vivid colors rank higher on the chart.
How to measure the intensity of a green diamond?
Green diamonds can range from a faint green to a fancy deep green, with the most vivid colors being the rarest. Pure green diamonds are classified as follows: Faint Green, Very Light Green, Light Green, Elegant Light Green, Elegant Green, Elegant Intense, Elegant Vivid and Elegant Deep.
However, because green diamonds are less affected by impurities, it is often difficult to classify these diamonds based on color. Since, these diamonds produce a secondary color on their surface. Secondary colors can range from yellow, yellowish, blue, bluish, brown, brownish, gray, grayish, yellowish-gray, and yellowish-gray.
Advantages of green diamonds
they are very hard
First of all, diamonds are among the most durable stones in the world of precious gems. In fact, green diamonds rank 10th on the Mohs scale of hardness. This makes it perfect for everyday wear, such as in an engagement ring.
they are very bright
Their crystalline structure has the ability to refract light in a way that other gemstones cannot, allowing diamonds to exude a unique kind of brilliance. For this reason, other green stones such as emeralds, peridots and tourmalines tarnish more easily when they get dirty.
They are very rare
In terms of value, green diamonds are very rare. Diamond collectors may prefer pure green diamonds, which are rarer and command higher prices. Green diamonds that have a secondary color, while less sought after by true collectors, are much rarer and even more valuable than other green colored gems.
Treated Green Diamonds
Artificially irradiated green diamonds are easier to find and also less expensive. They are a great alternative to expensive natural green diamonds.
Please note that enhanced diamonds are not fake diamonds as many buyers mistakenly believe. They are created by exposing a real colorless diamond to certain treatments, which then cause the stone to take on shades of green.
Be sure to get a grading report from a reputable lab like GIA or IGS when purchasing a green treated diamond. This certificate will verify the origin of the stone.
As we have mentioned, enhanced green diamonds are much cheaper than natural green diamonds, so make sure you know the origin of the stone you are buying to avoid overpaying.
synthetic green diamonds
In the diamond family, green diamonds are among the rarest of the fancy colored diamonds. However, popularity influences price, and since the green diamond is less popular than blue and pink diamonds, they are cheaper on the list than other colored lab-grown diamonds. This makes green diamonds an excellent choice as they are rare but relatively cheaper.
Synthetic diamonds are grown in a laboratory under conditions that mimic the natural environment needed to create a green diamond. Diamonds produced in this way are identical to natural green diamonds and it can be difficult to tell the two apart.
The processes by which natural and synthetic colors are produced are so similar that most green diamonds are sent to the GIA to be tested for their «color origin» before they are sold on the market. Even among lab-grown green diamonds, an elegant green color is difficult to achieve, which makes each stone very special.
So how do you know if a diamond is synthetic?
One way to tell natural from synthetic diamonds is from the radiation spots on natural diamonds that appear as green or brown on the crystal surface. These spots cannot be copied in a simulated environment. Since they appear only on the surface, they are easily removed by carving and polishing; however, polishers often intentionally leave stains so that the stone easily appears natural.
famous green diamonds
Because green diamonds are so rare, only a handful of them are found.
One of the most famous green diamonds is called The Ocean Dream. The name comes from its unique Fancy deep blue-green hue that resembles the crystal clear image of a very, very deep ocean.
The most famous green diamond is the Dresden green diamond. Weighing approximately 41 carats, it is the largest natural green diamond ever discovered.
Another famous green diamond is The Chopard Chameleon. What makes the Chopard Chameleon and other chameleon diamonds unusual is their ability to change color to suit their surroundings.
Chameleon diamonds are a variety of green diamonds that are normally green in color but can change from brown to yellow depending on exposure to light and heat.
These types of diamonds, when heated or kept in the dark, can temporarily turn bright yellow. As they gradually cool or are exposed to light, they return to their original green hue. There is no exact explanation for why this happens, which shows that green diamonds are not only beautiful, they are also mysterious and intriguing.