Fancy this, Fancy that...
Aren't all Diamonds Fancy?
NO!
But, probably 50% of them are.
You have to understand what Fancy means.
Fancy can mean many different things. A look in the dictionary says that Fancy can mean:
- Like, Love or Fantasy
- Whim, Notion or Idea
- Ornamental, Showy or Posh
For Diamonds, Fancy takes on a whole new meaning.
Actually... 2 of them!
Fancy Diamonds can mean: Fancy Color or Fancy Cut!
Let's take a closer look at them...
Fancy Color
The Diamond Color Chart as devised by GIA shows the Color Scale starting at D and ending with Z.
Most Color that you find on the market usually falls in between the D and J Colors. These are generally referred to as, White, Off-White or Faint Yellow Colors.
The interesting thing about Diamond Color is this: Diamonds can come in just about any Color of the Rainbow.
These Colors are produced by irregularities in the atomic structure caused by the presence of elements like: Boron, Nitrogen, Hydrogen, Fluorescence and Radiation. These elements can create Colors like: Blues, Purples, Blacks, Greens, Reds, Yellows, Oranges, Browns and even Pinks.
These Natural Fancy Colors do show up on the Color Chart, but they show up past Z. They are called Z+, or Fancy Colors. They begin, when the Alphabet ends.
For a Diamond to be classified as a Fancy Colored Diamond, the stone must exhibit Deep Color. The more Vivid or Intense the Hue, the more valuable and rare the Diamond becomes.
Color can be broken down into 3 parts:
Hue: The Color of the Diamond
Tone: The Lightness or Darkness of the Diamond
Saturation: The Intensity of the Color
Do note that not ALL Yellow Diamonds are Fancy Diamonds. Yellow Color like K-Z Color are NOT Fancy Colors.
Diamonds with a Faint Yellow, Very Light Yellow or Light Yellow Color are considered Low Color, Low Quality Diamonds. They often appear Dark, Dirty, Stained, or NOT very appealing.
But... If the Intensity of this Yellow Color is magnified you end up with a Fancy Yellow Color like the famous Canary Yellow Diamonds. These stones are very Bright, Colorful and Spectacular to look at. If a Diamond is a Fancy Colored Diamond it will say so right on the Diamond Certificate!
Moving on from Fancy Color, we get Fancy Cut...
Fancy Cut
Fancy Cuts are not the normal Cut. A Fancy Cut of Diamond is every single Cut of Diamond there is except for one Cut: The Standard Round Brilliant Cut Diamond.
The Brilliant Cut is the only Cut without the Fancy label.
Granted, there are some "Round" Diamonds out there that ARE Fancy Cuts, like the Leo Cut, King Cut and Ariella Cut Diamond, but that's because they are not Cut in the Brilliant Cutting Style.
Read more about Fancy Shaped Diamonds!
Fancy Cuts are often thought about as Fancy Shapes, which is the outline of the stone. Great Cuts like the Marquise, Princess, Trilliant, Emerald, Pear, Radiant, Oval, Heart and Baguette Cut.
If a Diamond isn't Cut with the Brilliant Cut, it's Fancy!
Fancy Fancy Diamonds
As you can see, it's quite possible to have a Diamond that's both a Fancy Color AND a Fancy Cut. All it takes is a Green Colored Marquise Shaped Diamond and you have a very Fancy Diamond!
Another great example that we all know and love is the Hope Diamond. The Hope Diamond is one of the most famous Diamonds in the World. And for good reason. It's stunning! Being on display in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C., the Hope Diamond is a large Vivid Blue Diamond with an Antique Cushion Cut. It takes your breath away.
It's Fancy Fancy! :)
You can't get any better than that.
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