Blue diamond

Properties determining value of blue diamonds

• Four Cs of Connoisseurship: color, clarity, cut, and carat weight
• Color is the most important criterion for grading a blue diamond
• Highest clarity grades increase the value of blue diamonds
• No completely flawless blue diamonds, but some are graded Internally Flawless
• The Hope Diamond is a famous blue diamond discovered in India
• Clarity in blue diamonds is judged under 10x magnification
• Clarity has little effect on the value of blue diamonds, except for vividly colored ones
• High clarity on a vividly colored diamond can add tremendous value
• Loupe standard is used to grade clarity in blue diamonds
• Exceptional clarity can increase the value of blue diamonds

Color characteristics of blue diamonds

• Blue diamonds occur in hues ranging from green-blue to gray-blue
• Primary hue of blue diamonds is blue, with green and gray as secondary hues
• Pure blue diamonds are considered the most beautiful and valuable
• Type IIb blue diamonds have very few or no nitrogen impurities
• Type Ia blue diamonds have a secondary hue and get their color from hydrogen

Treatments and value of blue diamonds

• Natural blue diamonds are considered rare and valuable
• Enhanced diamonds, which have had color added, do not have the same value
• Synthetic blue diamonds can be created using the HPHT method
• Enhanced blue diamonds are not bought for investment or resale purposes
• Natural blue diamonds hold their value better than enhanced or synthetic ones

Blue diamond mines

• The Hope Diamond was discovered in the Kollur mine in India
• Blue diamonds have also been found in the Cullinan Mine in South Africa
• The Golconda region is known for producing blue diamonds
• The Argyle Mine in Western Australia occasionally yields blue diamonds
• Blue diamonds are thought to form in the lower part of Earth's mantle

Additional information on blue diamonds

• Blue diamonds are graded based on their color intensity, with the most intense blue being the most valuable
• The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) provides grading and certification for blue diamonds
• Blue diamonds are formed deep in the Earth's mantle under extreme pressure and temperature conditions
• The presence of boron during the diamond's formation process gives it a blue color
• Blue diamonds are often found in diamond mines located in countries like South Africa, Australia, and Botswana
• Blue diamonds are considered rare, with only a small percentage of diamonds exhibiting a blue color
• The Hope Diamond, Blue Moon diamond, Oppenheimer Blue diamond, Bunny Mellon's Blue Diamond, and Botswana's largest-ever blue diamond are famous examples
• Synthetic blue diamonds are created in a laboratory using high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) or chemical vapor deposition (CVD) methods
• The GIA has techniques to distinguish between natural and synthetic blue diamonds
• Synthetic blue diamonds offer a more affordable alternative to natural blue diamonds

Blue diamond Data Sources