Have you ever heard about orange diamonds? Like their name suggests, these are naturally occurring diamonds with a bright, orange shade. One of the most famous gemologists, Edwin Streeter has rightly termed them fire diamonds in his book called “The Great Diamonds of the World”.
Orange diamonds truly live up to their fiery reputation. Fancy colored diamonds are extremely rare but naturally colored diamonds that are mined across the world. Of these, orange diamonds are among the most coveted stones.
For one, they make an incredible investment. This is because orange colored diamonds are so rare that they seldom make an appearance.
Secondly, they come in the most delightful shades, ranging from cheerful citrus to warm ambers; the orange hues have enchanted collectors and diamond lovers for centuries.
Where orange diamonds are mined
You may have heard of one of the most celebrated mines in Australia – the Argyle mine.
Generally, orange diamonds are either found in the Argyle mine or South Africa. The stones get a unique hue because of nitrogen, which is the same element that is responsible for the color in yellow diamonds.
Experts say that when the nitrogen atoms are grouped in a hyper-specific way during the formation of the diamond, it absorbs blue and yellow light. This results in the orange coloration.
The cost and demand for orange diamonds are directly proportional to the intensity of their color.
You can imagine how beautiful some of the fancy oranges, fancy intense orange, fancy deep orange, or shades are. They have very colorful names too.
Well-known Orange Diamonds
Only a handy vivid diamonds have been auctioned to date. The exception to this is the record-breaking diamond, The Orange, weighing at 14.82, with fancy vivid color and VS1 clarity. It was the showstopper at the Christie’s Geneva auction block. While typically most orange diamonds are Type 1B, The Orange is an exception to this. This Type 1a diamond fetched a whopping $35.5 million dollars.
The Orange is often called “a miracle of nature” owing to its exceptional and unique characteristics and size.
Before The Orange, there was the Pumpkin Diamond, considered the largest fancy vivid orange diamond in the world, until The Orange stole its limelight.
The Pumpkin Diamond was found in central Africa, and at 5.54-carat it caused quite a sensation. In fact, it was Pumpkin that led to a sudden spike in demand for orange diamonds in the 90s.
Orange diamond engagement rings
Although orange diamonds are very difficult to source and buy, if you are lucky enough to score one, it would be an apt choice for an engagement ring.
Ensure it is set properly. Some popular orange diamond setting styles for an engagement ring include:
Prong setting
You can elevate the orange diamond above the rest of your engagement ring in a prong setting to highlight the diamond. Side stones setting
Surround your orange diamond with smaller, colorless diamonds to let the center stone stand out.
Cross over pave setting
You can also use a pave style using smaller diamonds embedded on the band.
Invest in Orange
Finding a pure orange diamond is very rare as typically the diamonds found have a dominant secondary color. Larger orange diamonds with natural and vivid color are even rarer and are an auctioneer’s delight. If you are looking for an orange diamond from an investment perspective, then look for these characteristics.
