Green diamonds do occur naturally though most people are not aware of their existence. However, simultaneous existence of all the environmental conditions necessary for formation of green diamonds is virtually impossible. As such, green diamonds are extremely rare and extraordinarily valuable.
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| 14k White Gold 0.75ct Green Diamond Stud Earrings | 14k Yellow Gold .75ct. Green Diamond Stud Earrings |
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On the scale of rarity of natural color diamonds, green diamonds are second only to red (or pink) diamonds and probably share this second place with blue diamonds.
We all know that diamonds take birth deep inside the womb of mother earth (at depths of 140 to 190 kilometers (87 to 120 mi) in the Earth mantle) when excessively high temperatures and insanely intense pressures act on the carbon that happens to be present at such great depths. This continues over the course of hundreds of thousands of years and ultimately crystallizes the carbon into a diamond.
14k White Gold 0.75ct Green Diamond Stud Earrings
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When perfectly colorless natural diamonds get exposed to a source of radioactivity during their formative years over a prolonged period of time (millions of years or even longer) some diamonds acquire a green color. Green diamonds of such type are truly unique.
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| 0.80 Carat Light Green Yellow Loose Diamond Natural Color Radiant Cut | 0.73Cts Fancy Light Bluish Green Loose Diamond Natural Color GIA Untreated |
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Most green diamonds acquire their color from exposure to radioactive broths in the crust of the earth. Over the course of millions of years, radiation produced by the decay of isotopes of elements such as uranium and thorium (present in minerals or dissolved in geological fluids) change the diamond’s structure by displacing carbon atoms to create vacant atomic positions. The vacancy causes the diamond to absorb the red portion of the spectrum of light. Furthermore, nitrogen-related defects are also found in natural diamonds. The nitrogen-related defects simultaneously absorb the blue part of light. The amalgam of these two factors primarily permits the green portion of the spectrum to be visible. This is how we get natural green diamonds.
Mostly, such radiation comes in the form of alpha and beta particles emitted by underground uranium compounds or by seeping groundwater. The penetration of green color imparted by this radiation is not very deep and is often lost during the fashioning of the stone. Expert cutters leave a ‘skin’ or staining of surface radiation on the stone giving the stone a greener appearance.
Since the GIA grades color on face up appearance and since the skin occurs naturally there is little clue as to how the stone appears green.
0.41Cts Fancy Intense Blue Green Loose Diamond Natural Color Pair GIA Untreated
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You should view the diamond loose and check how much of the stone is in the rough form (Lesser the better). Green diamonds with the same GIA grades can vary greatly in value on account of the green ‘skin’. This should not daunt a collector from buying a skin stone as a natural green diamond is exceptionally rare in any form.
Less often, gamma rays from radioactive sources shower the diamond and impart the green color deeper into the diamond. In rarest of rare cases the entire gemstone is turned green.
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| 1.09Cts Light Green Yellow Loose Diamond Natural Color Cushion Cut Pair | 1.61 Carat Light Green Yellow Loose Diamond Natural Color Cushion Cut Pair |
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The size of the gemstone, the strength of radioactivity, the length of time of exposure to radioactivity along with the type of radiation (as brought out above) are the factors governing the intensity and depth of the green color acquired by a natural green diamond.
Like all natural colored diamonds, natural green diamonds too exhibit more than one spectral hue. The predominant green color is accompanied by modifiers which are one or more additional colors that contribute to its overall impression. There are many combinations of modifying colors contributing to a green diamond’s final appearance & they factor in determining its final per-carat price.
14k White Gold Green and White Diamond Leverback Earrings Lever Back Drop Dangle Em Style Fine Jewelry
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Modifiers colors of green diamonds include brown, yellow, gray and blue. As a result, Yellowish-Green, Yellow-Green, Bluish-Green, Blue-Green, Grayish-Green, Gray-Green, and even Gray-Yellowish-Green diamonds also occur in nature.
Brown and Gray modifiers greatly reduce the value of a stone. Yellow as a modifier too devalues a diamond but in some cases it can create vibrant colors.
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| Fancy Intense Blue Green Loose Diamond Natural Color GIA Untreated | 0.53Cts Fancy Light Yellow Green Loose Diamond Natural Color GIA Untreated |
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Blue as a modifier is the most valuable. Bluish-Greens, Blue-Greens, Green-Blues, and Greenish-Blues are even rarer and these diamonds are at times even more highly valued than pure greens.
Pure green colored diamonds without any trace of secondary color modifiers are highly valued and greatly admired in the diamond and jewelry industry.
Most Famous Green Diamond:
The Dresden Green Diamond, more famously known as ‘Dresden Green’, is the most famous green diamond on earth. It is a 41 carats (8.2 g) natural green diamond. The diamond probably weighed over 100 carats (old carat) in its rough form and came from the Kollur mine in the state of Andhra Pradesh in the India.
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| 0.55Cts Fancy Intense Bluish Green Loose Diamond Natural Color GIA Untreated | 0.32 Carat Fancy Green Loose Diamond Natural Color Pear Shape GIA Cert Untreated |
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The diamond has been named after Dresden, capital of Saxony, Germany where it has been on display for the last two hundred years.
Earliest record pertaining to The Dresden Green can be seen in issue dated October 25th – 27th, 1722 of ‘The Post Boy’, a London new-sheet of the 1700’s which reads as follows:
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| 10k Yellow Gold Green Diamond Fashion Ring Wave Design Band Dome Style Womens Fancy .26 ct | 10kt Yellow Gold Womens Round Green Color Enhanced Diamond Band Ring |
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“On Tuesday last, in the afternoon, one Mr. Marcus Moses, lately arrived from India, had the honor to wait on his Majesty [King George I (ruled 1714-27)] with his large diamond, which is of a fine emerald green colour, and was with his Majesty near an hour. His Majesty was very much pleased with the sight thereof. It is said there never was seen the like in Europe before, being free from any defect in the world; and he has shown his Majesty several other fine large diamonds, the like of which ’tis said were never brought from India before. He was also, the 25th, to wait on their Royal Highnesses with his large diamond; and they were surprised to see one of such largeness, and of such a fine emerald color without the help of a foil under it. We hear the gentlemen values it at £10,000.”
10k White Gold Green Diamond Cascading Fashion Ring
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The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) examined the stone in 1988.
- The Dresden Green Diamond found to be of extraordinary quality, and a rare type IIa diamond.
- The clarity grade established by GIA was VS1 and the gem has the potential of being internally flawless.
- The gem measures 29.75 x 19.88 x 10.29mm. The GIA graded the symmetry good and the polish very good. This is astonishing for a diamond cut prior to 1741.
- The Dresden Greed Diamond is displayed Albertinium Museum in Dresden.
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| 0.26 Carat Round Green Diamond Fancy Shaped Ring, 14k Yellow Gold Size 8.5 | 0.26 Carat Round Green Diamond Fancy Shaped Ring, 14k White Gold | 0.26 Carat Round Green Diamond Fancy Shaped Ring, 14k Rose Gold Size 9.5 |
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| 10kt White Gold Womens Round Green Color Enhanced Diamond Band Ring | 10k White Gold Green Diamond Fashion Ring Wave Design Band Dome Style Womens Fancy .26 ct |
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| 0.94 Carat Green I2-I3 Diamond Engagement Wedding Anniversary Halo Bridal Ring Set 14K White Gold | 1.7 Carat Green I2-I3 Diamond Engagement Wedding Anniversary Halo Bridal Ring Set 14K White Gold |
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| 10k White Gold Green Diamond Fashion Ring | 10kt White Gold Womens Round Green Color Enhanced Diamond Stripe Band Ring |
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| .80CT Green Diamond 14K Rose Gold 3D 3 Row SEMI Eternity Anniversary Ring | .26CT White & Green Diamond 14K Yellow Gold 3D Multi Row Criss Cross Ring |
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| Goldenstar 1.22Ct. Green & White Diamond Ring, 10k Gold Ring | Goldenstar 0.47Ct. Green Diamond Ring, 14k Gold Ring |
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| 1.00 Carat Green Color Diamond 6 mm Wedding Band | Goldenstar 0.50Ct. Green Diamond Ring, 14k Gold Fancy Band |
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| 0.97 Carat Round Green Diamond Dome Shape Stylist Anniversary Band, 14k White Gold, Size 7 | 0.56Ct Green & White Diamond Twisted Ring, 14k Gold |
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10kt White Gold Womens Round Green Color Enhanced Diamond Band Ring 1.00 Cttw
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| Goldenstar 0.73Ct. Green & Blue Diamond Ring, 14k Gold Ring | Goldenstar 0.51Ct Green Diamond Fancy Ring, 10k Gold Ring |
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Prism Jewel 0.75Ct Green Diamond with Diamond Anniversary Ring
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Or Learn About More Colored Diamonds As Follows:
See Also:
Fascinating Facts About Diamonds Straight From Tiffany & Co’s Chief Gemologist
