Blue diamonds are some of the rarest and most highly sought after fancy color diamonds in the world. Keep reading to learn more about what they are and why they’re special.
What Makes Fancy Blue Diamonds Blue?
The conditions needed for a blue diamond to form underground are very rare. The blue color usually comes from trace amounts of boron, and boron impurities aren’t usually found where diamond crystals are growing. That is one of the reasons why blue diamonds are so expensive and rare. Another reason is because a natural blue diamond can only occur in diamonds with a special crystal structure. A blue diamond belongs to a rare diamond type called Type IIb diamonds.
Natural vs Lab Created Blue Diamonds
Natural blue diamonds are extremely rare and very expensive. Lab created blue diamonds don’t have the same value as a natural diamond with a blue hue, but there’s more to them than meets the eye.
You might be wondering, are lab created blue diamonds real diamonds?
Absolutely. A blue diamond from a lab essentially has the same chemical structure, optical properties, and physical features as a mined one.
Price and Value
Price is the first thing, people . A natural blue diamond is extremely expensive. A lab grown blue diamond is costly, but it is much more affordable than its natural counterparts.
When blue diamonds are made in a lab, they’re not limited to being a specific diamond type. Instead, scientists are able to impart boron impurities into the diamond crystal in the lab.
Additionally, lab grown blue diamonds can be created in less than a few months, whereas natural ones take billions of years to form and however long to be discovered.
Because lab made blue diamonds are easier to make ourselves than natural blue diamonds, it only makes sense that they’re less rare and less expensive. But if you’re not a diamond collector, that shouldn’t disappoint you too much.
After all, it’s hard to be disappointed when lab grown blue diamonds allow more people to have a fancy blue diamond like the one they loved and admired in Titanic. Many could only dream of owning natural blue diamonds, but lab grown blue diamonds make that dream an affordable reality.
Color, Clarity, and Carat Weight
The most important aspect of a fancy blue diamond is its color. Obviously the color is blue, but the shade can come with secondary hues of green and purple. Blue diamonds can also have a light tone, a high intensity blue color, or something in between– they all look different.
Many natural diamonds go through a heat treatment process to change their body color to blue. This does bring value and price down when compared to natural blue diamonds, but natural untreated fancy blue diamonds are extremely rare. Finding a natural blue diamond with a saturated blue color in a carat weight large enough for an engagement ring is very difficult.
And at an affordable price for mere mortals? Try almost impossible.
But not with lab created blue diamonds. A lab created blue diamond comes with intense color and vivid blue shades. The most blue diamonds mined are a very light blue color and often below 1 carat. A 1/2 carat fancy light blue natural diamond weighing can cost over ten thousand dollars, even with a very light blue shade.
Alongside our pink diamonds, yellow diamonds, and green diamonds, Clean Origin’s collection of blue diamonds are perfect for creating your dream blue diamond engagement ring.
How to Create a Blue Diamond Engagement Ring
So, how does one pick out a blue diamond for their engagement ring?
Well, I’m glad you asked.
Choosing a fancy blue diamond isn’t like picking out a colorless diamond. You still need to pay attention to the cut, clarity, and carat weight– but it’s color that you want to focus on. After all, you’re sure to come across blue diamonds with different hues and intensities.
Hues of Blue Diamonds
Starting off, you’ll need to decide for yourself what kind of blue diamond colors you’re looking for. A blue diamond can have a primary hue and a secondary color. Though a pure blue diamond is the most desired, many are drawn to green blue fancy color diamonds.
The best lab created blue diamond should have a strong color intensity. In our catalog, most blue diamonds’ color intensities are fancy deep blue or fancy dark blue. These are for those looking for a striking blue diamond engagement ring rather than a subtle one.
Lab Reports
Wherever you’re purchasing a blue diamond from, it’s essential to have a diamond report that comes with it. That goes double for those of you seeking out a natural one. Diamond certificates, grading reports, or whatever else you call them are documents that verify the quality your diamond is being advertised for.
For example, say a random jewelry store online is selling a 1 carat fancy vivid blue diamond without a certificate. The diamond comes at a lower price than some of the other ones you’ve been seeing on the internet. If a reliable grading lab were to grade this diamond, you’d likely find that the grades were lower than what you’d paid for.
Even at lab created blue diamond prices, you’re still spending a big chunk of money on what you think is a quality blue diamond.
Nobody likes to throw money away. A diamond certificate is like your blue diamond’s birth certificate. It will tell you if the stone is lab created as well as whether or not it has undergone any treatments or enhancements.
Ring Setting
You should choose your favorite ring setting to go with the blue diamond you’ve chosen for your engagement ring. Whether you like bold, unique engagement ring settings or delicate vintage ring settings, either will look stunning with a blue diamond.
Experts recommend sticking with either gold or platinum for jewelry metals. Less expensive metals like sterling silver and stainless steel aren’t the best for jewelry worn as often as engagement rings and wedding bands.
There’s no wrong choice for metal color, and you have a few options. White gold might be the most popular choice for engagement rings, but yellow gold or rose gold engagement rings can stand out, too.
If you need some recommendations, though, I’d go for a white gold or platinum ring setting for your blue diamond. The silver colored metals complement the cool blue color of the diamond. But if you’re looking for something striking and attention grabbing, a yellow gold or rose gold setting might be calling your name.
Famous Blue Diamonds
You might be wondering where the interest in blue diamonds comes from. Turns out, there are some pretty famous ones in jewelry history.
The Hope Diamond
Most people know about the famously accursed Hope Diamond, but here’s a little info just in case you don’t.
The Hope Diamond is a legendary fancy intense blue diamond weighing 45.2 carats, making it the largest blue diamond ever. It has a tumultuous past and can be seen at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington DC.
Originally, the Hope Diamond was at 113 carats before it was recut. The stone has since been recut many times as the ownership changed. Startling events and misfortune befell some of the many owners of this diamond, so many that people believed the Hope Diamond to be cursed.
Over the years, the Hope Diamond has gone by many names including the The King’s Jewel, Tavernier Blue, or Le Bleu de France.
Blue Heart Diamond
You can also find another famous blue diamond at the Smithsonian Museum called the Blue Heart. The Blue Heart diamond weighs 30 carats and has a heart-shaped cut.
The Sultan of Morocco
This famous gray blue diamond weighs 35.2 carats, making it the 4th largest blue diamond in the world. A lot of details about the history of this blue diamond are hazy, though it has a complex history.
For example, despite its name, there is no evidence that the Sultans of Morocco owned the diamond. Appraisers haven’t yet to determined the clarity of this diamond, either. We do know that, like most blue diamonds discovered at this time, it had to have come from the Koller mines in India.
Conclusion
Few of us will ever get to own a natural blue diamond engagement ring. But with the development of lab created blue diamonds, more people can own one instead of a traditional colorless diamond engagement ring.
With strong intensities in high carat weights and eye clean clarity, there’s no reason not to choose a blue diamond for your engagement ring today. If you’d like help crafting your perfect blue diamond ring, our consultants are standing by to help you!
