The Most Expensive Diamonds by Color

When it comes to diamonds, most people think of clear stones. However, diamonds come in a wide variety of colors, ranging from the classic white diamond to the more exotic yellow, pink, and even blue diamonds. Diamonds are the most popular and valuable stone in the world – and the rarer the color, the more valuable. The beautiful and various colors of diamonds have captivated humanity for centuries. Read on to learn about the most expensive diamonds by color.

Evaluating Diamonds by Color

Determining the value of a colored diamond is not much different from evaluating a non-colored diamond. A professional diamond appraiser will look at color, clarity, carat weight, and cut. This evaluation is known as 4C’s of diamond appraisal. For more information on the 4C’s of diamond appraisal visit our blog on Diamond Value Factors.

With a colored diamond, a diamond appraiser will most likely spend more time evaluating the color and clarity of the diamond. Not all colored diamonds are the same, and not all are expensive. The value of a colored diamond depends on how pure the color is and how clear the color shows through. They will also consider the rarity of the color.

Popular Diamond Colors

It’s hard to believe that such beautiful stones exist outside of traditional diamonds! From red to blue (and most colors in between), colored diamonds exist, and they are gorgeous.

Yellow Diamonds

Less than 2% of all natural diamonds are yellow. The majority of yellow diamonds are actually classified as being fancy yellow, which means that they fall on the lower end of the color scale for diamonds. While some yellow diamonds can be quite pale, others can be intense in color. The purer and more intense a yellow diamond is, the more expensive it tends to be.

The average price per carat for a yellow diamond is $5,000. The most expensive yellow diamond to sell thus far is the 100.09 carat Graff Vivid Yellow diamond, which sold for $16.3 million at a Sotheby’s auction in 2014.

Blue Diamonds

Often mistaken for sapphires, the ultra-rare blue diamond is created when boron particles become trapped inside the stone. Boron is responsible for absorbing yellow light which, in return, reflects a blue color.

The average price per carat for a blue diamond is $12,500. The most famous blue diamond is the Hope Diamond, which is a 45.52-carat Fancy Deep blue diamond. It was sold in 1909 for $400,000 (equivalent to $9 million today).

Pink Diamonds

Pink diamonds are also extremely rare and valuable. In fact, they’re so rare that only about 0.001% of all diamonds mined are pink!

You may be thinking to yourself, “I’ve seen tons of pink diamonds before!” However, the diamonds you are most likely seeing are man made and not naturally occurring pink diamonds. Due to this natural rarity, pink diamonds are extremely expensive. The average price per carat for a pink diamond is $7,500.

The most famous pink diamond is the Williamson Pink Diamond, which is a 24.78-carat Fancy Intense Pink diamond. It was sold in 1949 for $457,000 (equivalent to $4.6 million today). It’s going to go up for auction again in October of this year, and is expected to sell for an estimated $21 million. Wow!

What is the Most Expensive Diamond Color?

Red diamonds are some of the rarest and most valuable diamonds in the world. In fact, they’re so rare that only a handful of red diamonds are known to exist. Less than 30 truly red diamonds have ever been discovered!

A red diamond is the most desirable colored diamond there is and will command a price that truly matches its rarity. These diamonds have only been found in Africa, Australia, and Brazil. The vast majority of red diamonds are less than 0.50 carats in size, upping the value even more. The most famous red diamond is the Moussaieff Red (pictured to the right), which is a 5.11-carat Fancy red diamond. It was sold in 2001 for a record-breaking $8 million!

Selling Colored Diamonds

Colored diamonds can bring in big money. If you have colored diamond jewelry that you’re looking to sell for fast cash, it’s vital to protect your asset and make sure you’re getting the best deal in the safest way possible.

Always take your precious jewelry to an expert when selling. Pawnshops or Facebook Marketplace may seem convenient, but these types of buyers generally don’t have the experience necessary for evaluating colored diamond value – just check out this horror story.

If you own a very special, high-value color like red or pink, it’s best to avoid anywhere with unqualified appraisers. Certification will indicate whether someone is qualified to appraise jewelry. (Get more reasons why you should sell only to a certified gemologist here.) 

At Diamond Buyers, our highly experienced GIA-trained appraisers have been evaluating colored diamonds for over 30 years. We’ve evaluated and made generous offers on numerous colored diamonds. We hold a high reputation within the diamond community and aim to provide the highest value offer for each piece of jewelry we inspect. Contact us to set up a free appraisal any time.