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Orange diamonds are a rare and captivating subset of fancy colored diamonds. These vibrant gemstones get their color primarily from the presence of nitrogen during their formation, and the intensity of their hue can range from faint to vivid. When it comes to purchasing an orange diamond, the 4Cs (Cut, Clarity, Carat, and Color) still apply, but color is often the most important factor. The more intense the orange, the more valuable the diamond generally is. It’s crucial to buy from reputable sellers and always demand a gemological certificate to verify the stone’s characteristics.
Unlike traditional white diamonds, which are prized for their lack of color, orange diamonds are all about the hue. The unique coloration is what often sets their price, which can be quite high due to their rarity. It is essential to be cautious of stones that are treated to enhance their color; always aim for a naturally colored orange diamond. To ensure you are making a sound purchase, look for diamonds certified by reputable gemological laboratories and avoid stones without transparent information about their color origin.
Bottom Line Recommendation:
We recommend only buying an orange diamond from a vendor with high-quality photos, like James Allen or Leibish & Co. Color varies even within a specific color grade, and you want to make sure you’re getting what you pay for. In our experience, Leibish & Co. offers the best prices and customer experience in the Fancy Color Diamond market. They also provide the highest level of expertise when it comes to optimizing the color of the stone in jewelry settings.
Orange diamonds can look stunning, particularly when they have a pure, vivid orange color. As the GIA explains, natural orange diamonds are among the least common fancy-color diamonds, accounting for a tiny percentage of all fancy-color diamonds mined and cut:
“Natural yellow gem diamonds are the most common of the fancy-color diamonds, while orange diamonds are among the rarest when they have unmodified hues.” “Yellow and orange diamonds can be grown in a laboratory or created by color treatments, so a thorough understanding of the defects responsible for color in the natural stones is critical for identification.” Gemological Institute of America (GIA)
Origin of Orange Diamond’s Color
The presence of nitrogen within the diamond is the main source of the orange color, just as it is for yellow stones. The difference between orange and yellow diamonds is how the nitrogen atoms are grouped during the diamond’s formation. The arrangement, which is called hyper-specific, absorbs hints of blue and yellow light, thus creating an orange color.
Similar to yellow and brown diamonds, orange diamonds have a nickname and are sometimes referred to as pumpkin diamonds. The nickname is due to their likeness to the large squash’s color and a famous 5.54 Carat stone called the pumpkin diamond.
Why you should trust us
To help you with the diamond buying process we lean on our expertise and experience. The author of this article, our CEO, Mike Fried has over 20 years of experience in the diamond industry. Mike started from the bottom, sorting and evaluating hundreds of thousands of diamonds to learn every facet (pun intended) of diamond quality and value. Mike followed that up by spending years buying and selling diamonds on the wholesale market as well as selling tens of millions of dollars worth of diamonds to diamond retailers.
Orange Diamond Intensity Levels
The color intensity levels for orange diamonds are graded by the GIA as Faint Orange, Very Light Orange, Light Orange, Fancy Light Orange, Fancy, Fancy Intense Orange, Fancy Vivid Orange and Fancy Deep Orange. The two latter color intensity levels are the most desired and the most expensive.
Like other Fancy Colored Diamonds, the orange diamond often has a secondary hue or overtone, such as yellow or brown. This 0.93 Carat vivid yellow-orange diamond from Leibish & Co. is an example of a stunning orange hue with a slight yellowish tone.
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Orange Diamond’s Rarity and Prices
A pure orange diamond, with no overtone colors, is considered among the rarest stones that exist. It’s difficult to rank rarity, but gemologists often consider orange diamonds to be the fourth or fifth rarest color, just after red, violet, pink and blue.
Similar to all other natural Fancy Color Diamonds, those found in the purest form with a single color are considered the most valuable. The GIA rarely grades an orange stone as a pure color, making them extremely difficult to find—and when you do, they’re priced very high. For example, this is an incredibly rare and expensive fancy vivid orange diamond from Leibish & Co..
Orange diamonds drop in price dramatically if they have a secondary or modifying color. The majority of orange diamonds are found with some form of a color combination. Orange diamonds often contain secondary hues of brown, brownish, yellow, yellowish, brownish yellow and pinkish. Other combinations may exist, but they’ll include these colors: brown, yellow or pink.
Orange Diamond Engagement Ring Settings
If you’re fortunate enough to purchase an orange diamond, ensure that it’s set properly. Find inspiration below for beautiful orange diamond engagement rings.
Style 1: Side stones setting
Accent your orange diamond with smaller side diamonds. Choose colorless diamonds to help the orange center stone stand out.
Side stones setting example: Fancy Deep Brownish Yellowish Orange Pear Diamond Ring from Leibish & Co.
Style 2: Cross Over pavé setting
Highlight the originality of your orange diamond with an ornate ring setting. Consider a pavé style with smaller diamonds embedded along the band.
Cross Over pavé setting example: Fancy Intense Yellow Orange Diamond and Gold Interwoven Cross-Over Ring from Leibish & Co.
Style 3: Prong setting
Lift your orange diamond above the rest of the ring in a prong setting for a pronounced look.
Prong setting example: Fancy Deep Yellowish Orange Round Brilliant Diamond Ring from Leibish & Co.
Popular Jewelry Settings for Orange Diamond
The orange color is very unique for diamonds and for jewelry in general. More and more individuals are seeking to incorporate unusual elements into their jewelry. And the orange diamond, often sought after by collectors, definitely helps do the job.
Orange Diamond Pendant inspiration: Orange Marquise Diamond Halo Pendant from Leibish & Co.
Orange Diamond Earrings inspiration: Fancy Brown Orange Cushion Diamond Drop Earrings from Leibish & Co.
Orange Diamond Bracelet inspiration: All-Natural GIA Certified Multicolored Diamond Bracelet from Leibish & Co.
Select a stunning orange diamond that optimizes your budget. Contact our experts for assistance with your search.
What we love about them:
- Largest and best inventory of fancy color diamonds
- Best prices for fancy color diamonds
- Industry leading expertise will ensure the color of your diamond is maximized in its setting
- Leading bidders in the annual Argyle auction
- Highest quality jewelry available online
- Free shipping
- Free resizing within first 2 years of purchase
- Items comes with professional appraisal for insurance
- 30 day no questions asked free return policy
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