m.o.m.i.:
the exhibition
of color
appendix b
BEHOLD... COLOR!
the museum of misfit inclusions: a glossary of the weird and wonderful
A big part of what makes a Misfit a Misfit is color!
Color in gemstones has a wide range of influences: imperfections in genetic makeup, exposure to radiation, inclusions or the presence of trace elements. In diamonds, we categorize color by the stone’s general appearance, including salt and pepper, trapiche and rustic diamonds, extending all the way to the rarest “Fancy Colors,” the diamonds that are the most rich in color and are some of the rarest of all the Misfits. Similarly, sapphires come in every color imaginable, usually because of trace elements, and may feature particular optical phenomena based on their inclusions. (Browse our Museum of Misfit Inclusions for more on inclusions.)
Below is the full glossary of the many colors you can find in diamonds and sapphires.
APPENDIX B: THE EXHIBITION OF COLOR
a comprehensive guide to color in diamonds and sapphires
Diamonds
Below is a full glossary of all the colors that can be found in diamonds and what causes each color.
Rarity: 💎 💎 💎 💎 💎
Red
Cause of color = imperfections in the crystal lattice.
Note: Because Red Diamonds are so rare, it is still relatively unknown what exactly causes this color.
Australian GIA SI1 Fancy Deep Orangy Pink Marquise Brilliant (Argyle Mine)
Rarity: 💎 💎 💎 💎 💎
Orange
Cause of color = the presence of Nitrogen and/or Nitrogen C-centers, where Nitrogen has replaced Carbon in the gemstone's atomic structure.
Note: Rustic Diamonds can have a red/orange appearance due to iron-rich inclusions.
GIA SI2 Fancy Vivid Yellow-Orange Pear Brilliant
Rarity: 💎
Yellow
Cause of color = the presence of Nitrogen.
Note: Diamonds that are recognized as white/colorless can display yellow and are graded on a scale of D (colorless) to Z (light yellow). A diamond beyond Z is considered 'Fancy Yellow.'
GIA VVS2 Fancy Yellow Oval Brilliant
Rarity: 💎 💎 💎 💎 💎
GIA VS2 Fancy Vivid Green Oval Brilliant
Rarity: 💎 💎 💎 💎
GIA SI1 Fancy Intense Blue Pear Brilliant
Rarity: 💎 💎 💎 💎 💎
Violet
Cause of color = the presence of Hydrogen replacing Carbon in the crystal lattice.
Rarity: 💎 💎 💎 💎 💎
Purple
Cause of color = the presence of Hydrogen and Boron and/or plastic deformation (permanent change in the crystal structure).
GIA I1 Fancy Purple-Pink Round Brilliant
Rarity: 💎 💎 💎
Pink
Cause of color = imperfections in the crystal lattice, sometimes Nitrogen.
Note: More than 90% of the world's Pink Diamonds have come from the Argyle Mine in Australia, which ceased production in 2020.
GIA VS2 Fancy Pink Oval Brilliant
Rarity: 💎 💎
GIA Fancy White Pear Brilliant
Rarity: 💎
Black
Cause of color = the presence of many dark and dense inclusions.
Note: Black Diamonds are commonly irradiated to enhance their black color. (Any treatments in gemstones will always be disclosed in the product listing.)
Black Pear Brilliant
Rarity: 💎 💎
Fancy Grey
Cause of color = the presence of Hyrdogen and Boron.
Note: Fancy Grey Diamonds range from Light to Dark Grey, and because Hydrogen and Boron are also the cause of Purple, some Fancy Grey Diamonds may have a hint of purple.
Fancy Grey Cut Corner Rectangle Step Cut
Rarity: 💎
Champagne
Cause of color = distortion in the crystal lattice and/or the presence of Nitrogen.
Note: Champagne is a term given to diamonds with warm tones, ranging from brown to yellow, often designated "Yellowish Brown" or "Brownish Yellow" by GIA, at times with notes of pink.
Canadian VS1 C4 Modern Antique Old Mine Cut
Rarity: 💎
Salt & Pepper
Cause of color = the presence of inclusions such as crystals, clouds, feathers, etc.
Note: While they may not be rare when it comes to other diamonds, its their inclusions that make them unqieu; truly, no two Salt & Pepper Diamonds are alike.
Canadian Salt and Pepper Kite Step Cut
More on Fancy Color Diamonds...
"Fancy" is a term given by the GIA to diamonds that have a high amount of saturation. White Diamonds that exhibit yellow are graded from D to Z, while anything beyond Z is considered Fancy Yellow. Before a color is considered Fancy, it is either Faint, Very Light or Light (in order of saturation). After that point, a diamond is given further modifiers based on: Tone, Hue and Saturation.
Hue = what is the stone's color?
Tone = how light or dark is this color?
Saturation = how intense is the color?
Characteristic | Definition | Terminology | Example (Diamond) | Example (Name) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Hue | The name of the color based on the gemmological color wheel. | E.g. Green, Blue, Purple. | Fancy Light Yellowish Brown Modern Antique Moval Brilliant  | Hue = "Yellowish Brown" |
Tone | The degree of lightness or darkness in a diamond. Think of it in terms of adding white or black to a color. | Tone is described by adding (in order of lightest to darkest) "Faint," Very Light," "Light" or "Dark" before the Hue. | Fancy Dark Greenish Grey Modern Antique Old Mine Cut  | Tone = "Dark" |
Saturation | The intensity of a diamond's color, from very soft/muted (low saturation) to very intense (high saturation). | Saturation is represented by terms like "Intense" and "Vivid." A color that is considered "Fancy Deep" is both dark in tone and high in saturation. | Fancy Vivid Bluish Green Pear Brilliant  | Saturation = "Vivid" |
Fig. 1. The color wheel featuring specific names of each Hue as applied to diamond color.
Fig. 2. A cross section of the color wheel (using Misfit Pink for Fancy Vivid) to demonstrate Hue, Tone and Saturation.
Fancy Color Diamonds in the Shop...
Sapphires
Below is a full glossary of all the colors that can be found in sapphires and what causes each color.
Red
Champagne is a term given to diamonds with warm tones, ranging from brown to yellow, often designated "Yellowish Brown" or "Brownish Yellow" by GIA, at times with notes of pink. Champage color is caused by distortion in the crystal lattice and/or the presence of Nitrogen.
Orange
Champagne is a term given to diamonds with warm tones, ranging from brown to yellow, often designated "Yellowish Brown" or "Brownish Yellow" by GIA, at times with notes of pink. Champage color is caused by distortion in the crystal lattice and/or the presence of Nitrogen.
Yellow
Champagne is a term given to diamonds with warm tones, ranging from brown to yellow, often designated "Yellowish Brown" or "Brownish Yellow" by GIA, at times with notes of pink. Champage color is caused by distortion in the crystal lattice and/or the presence of Nitrogen.
Green
Champagne is a term given to diamonds with warm tones, ranging from brown to yellow, often designated "Yellowish Brown" or "Brownish Yellow" by GIA, at times with notes of pink. Champage color is caused by distortion in the crystal lattice and/or the presence of Nitrogen.
Teal
Champagne is a term given to diamonds with warm tones, ranging from brown to yellow, often designated "Yellowish Brown" or "Brownish Yellow" by GIA, at times with notes of pink. Champage color is caused by distortion in the crystal lattice and/or the presence of Nitrogen.
Blue
Champagne is a term given to diamonds with warm tones, ranging from brown to yellow, often designated "Yellowish Brown" or "Brownish Yellow" by GIA, at times with notes of pink. Champage color is caused by distortion in the crystal lattice and/or the presence of Nitrogen.
Purple
Champagne is a term given to diamonds with warm tones, ranging from brown to yellow, often designated "Yellowish Brown" or "Brownish Yellow" by GIA, at times with notes of pink. Champage color is caused by distortion in the crystal lattice and/or the presence of Nitrogen.
Pink
Champagne is a term given to diamonds with warm tones, ranging from brown to yellow, often designated "Yellowish Brown" or "Brownish Yellow" by GIA, at times with notes of pink. Champage color is caused by distortion in the crystal lattice and/or the presence of Nitrogen.
White (Colorless)
Champagne is a term given to diamonds with warm tones, ranging from brown to yellow, often designated "Yellowish Brown" or "Brownish Yellow" by GIA, at times with notes of pink. Champage color is caused by distortion in the crystal lattice and/or the presence of Nitrogen.
Grey
Champagne is a term given to diamonds with warm tones, ranging from brown to yellow, often designated "Yellowish Brown" or "Brownish Yellow" by GIA, at times with notes of pink. Champage color is caused by distortion in the crystal lattice and/or the presence of Nitrogen.
Padparadscha
Champagne is a term given to diamonds with warm tones, ranging from brown to yellow, often designated "Yellowish Brown" or "Brownish Yellow" by GIA, at times with notes of pink. Champage color is caused by distortion in the crystal lattice and/or the presence of Nitrogen.
Parti-Color
Champagne is a term given to diamonds with warm tones, ranging from brown to yellow, often designated "Yellowish Brown" or "Brownish Yellow" by GIA, at times with notes of pink. Champage color is caused by distortion in the crystal lattice and/or the presence of Nitrogen.
