The Riddle of Colored Diamonds Solved

For centuries, the occasion of discovery of colored diamonds have mystified people. The most precious of gems, diamonds are recognized as colorless, translucent stones that are brilliant and scintillating from all angles. How then these achromatic sparklers often rise from the earth wearing a vivid tone? That is no riddle because diamonds, like many other gemstones occur in a variety of colors. Though white diamonds are more common than others, there are still diamonds that are colored in orange, pink, blue, emerald, black, brown and other shades.

What Are Colored Diamonds?
To put it plainly, colored diamonds are natural diamonds that occur in colors. During the crystallization process, these diamonds in their carbon form are interfered by foreign particles that enter the crystals in the form of gas and radiation molecules. These elements, though present in trace amounts retain their respective colors which manifest in the colorless crystal giving it a light to vivid tone. Diamonds in nature occur in a variety of contrasting and analogous shades.

The Natural Colors of Diamond
The colors of diamond can be broadly sorted into analogous shades. Red and pink diamonds are formed from the same foreign molecules, nitrogen and boron. The amount of these elements present in the crystal determines the color saturation. Mild presence of nitrogen and boron lends the stone a pinkish hue whereas when the red color comes from a greater concentration of the same elements.
The color in gray in a diamond is the effect of hydrogen, though the fancier shades of gray come from boron. This chemical element, when bonded with the crystal structure can also make the stone spear blue, red, green and even yellow.
Diamonds also occur in colors violet to deep purple. Pure violet, though very rare happens because of the presence of hydrogen in the mineral crystal lattice.
Yellow and orange in diamonds again come from nitrogen atoms which makes the blue color in white light get absorbed so that it gives out a yellow to orange tinge. Nitrogen atoms when grouped together can also cause the color to change to blue.
Like full white diamonds, there are naturally occurring black diamonds. Through extreme rate, these gems are highly coveted particularly for luxe jewelry. Made from pure carbon, the gems turn black due to the inclusion of graphite. The graphite in the diamonds prevents it from reflecting any light thereby making it appear fully black.

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