There are said to be more than 20
polished fancy yellow diamonds in
existence that weigh over 100 carats.
Most of these were mined in South
Africa. India and Brazil were the
main sources of diamonds for many
years before the discovery of diamonds
in South Africa in 1866, but they
produced few yellow diamonds.
There
were many yellow diamonds among those
mined in Cape Province of South Africa,
and diamond dealers therefore refer
to yellowish diamonds as "cape."
South African production saturated
the market with yellowish diamonds,
resulting in much lower prices. Among
these, only those with a deep and
beautiful color are given special
recognition and called "fancy"
yellow diamonds.
The marquise-cut
fancy yellow diamond as shown in the
photograph on the next
page has a lemon color and a beauty
that seems to overflow from the stone. |
This is
a so-called "canary" fancy
yellow diamond. Both the brilliance
and the balance of the mosaic pattern
in this gemstone are exceptional,
and its perfectly balanced outline
gives an impression of refinement.
Compared to colorless diamonds of
similar size and shape, this particular
gemstone is by far more beautiful.
A fancy yellow diamond as beautiful
as this one is rarely encountered.
Since each gemstone is unique, it
is important to compare them individually
and determine which is more beautiful.
As with any colored gemstone, the
beauty of a fancy-colored diamond
is determined primarily by its color,
then by the balance of its transparency,
brilliance, scintillation, and overall
appearance.
Notably, fancy-colored
diamonds are not often fashioned as
round brilliant cuts. In order to
take full advantage of the rough material
and produce a deep, beautiful color
when viewed face-up, the cutter considers
each fancy-colored diamond carefully
and polishes them into various shapes. |
