Article: Understanding the 4C's
Color (continued)
FANCY COLOR - It is often surprising to learn that diamonds also occur by rare
accidents of nature in shades of pink, blue, green, amber, or even red. These
rarely occurring colors are referred to as fancies and are evaluated by different
set of color standards. These standards take into consideration various factors
such as hue and saturation. Fancy colored diamonds are the most expensive because
of their extreme rarity. Some fancy colors can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars
for diamonds of one carat or less!
FLUORESCENCE - Fluorescence is not directly related to a diamond's color. This separate characteristic refers to the diamond's ability to fluoresce under ultraviolet (UV) light. Our sun emits some UV light, but it is usually not great enough to detect fluorescence. The most common source of UV is a black light. When exposed to UV light, many diamonds will give off a distinctive glowing blue coloration. Although fluorescence may be displayed in various colors, blue is the most common in diamonds. The fluorescence of a diamond is defined by its intensity as either None, Faint, Medium, Strong, or Very Strong. Although fluorescence is a characteristic that can be measured, it is seldom an issue when selecting a diamond.
