Anyone who contemplates spending significant money on a green diamond should purchase the diamond from a business that has a reputation for selling colored diamonds. In addition, the diamond and the cause of its color should be evaluated by a trusted laboratory. Two questions are important: 1) is the diamond natural or synthetic; and, 2)…

Two of the most famous and valuable natural-color green diamonds are the “Aurora Green” and the “Dresden Green.” The Aurora Green In 2016, a ring containing the Aurora Green, a 5.03-carat, VS2 clarity, Fancy Vivid green diamond, was sold at a Christie’s auction for $16.2 million. That was the highest price ever paid for a…

Because many green diamonds obtain their color from exposure to radiation in a laboratory (a process known as irradiation), there have been concerns about their safety when used in jewelry. All companies in the United States that apply radiation treatments to any type of gemstone must be licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. These companies must use…

A) Formation of Natural-Color Green Diamonds Diamonds with a natural green color developed that color while they were underground, in rocks that contained small amounts of radioactive material such as uranium or thorium. As the radioactive materials decayed, they emitted radiation that penetrated the nearby diamond crystal. When this type of radiation enters a diamond, it can…

In many green diamonds, the color is confined to a thin layer at the surface of the rough stone. The design and cut of the polished diamond must be carefully planned and executed to conserve as much of that original color as possible. Even though the faceting might only preserve a band of green color…

Natural-color green diamonds are very rare. Of all diamonds cut into polished gems in any given year, a very small number of them will have a dominant green color. Diamonds with a natural green color are rare enough that many people have never seen one, and those who have seen one are likely to have seen it…