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.
Diamonds
trace elements and/or imperfections at the atomic level are responsible for color in diamonds. click on the color header to reveal its specific cause.
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.
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.
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.'
green
Cause of color = radiation during the grown process.
blue
Cause of color = the presence of Boron.
violet
Cause of color = the presence of Hydrogen replacing Carbon in the crystal lattice.
(Being so rare, instead of a violet diamond, the featured image is a Fancy Grey that shows a subtle purple in natural light.)
purple
Cause of color = the presence of Hydrogen and Boron and/or plastic deformation (permanent change in the crystal structure).
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.
fancy white
Cause of color = the presence of microscopic cloud inclusions.
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.)
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.
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.
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.
rust/iron
“Rust” or “Rustic” are terms used to describe a diamond with rust-colored inclusions, typically caused by the presence of iron.
salt + pepper
A term used to describe diamonds with many inclusions, such as feathers, clouds, or other minerals, with a black and white (or colorless) appearance like salt and pepper. These diamonds are sometimes referred to as ‘Galaxy,’ ‘Celestial,’ or ‘Grey’ diamonds, but we exclusively use the term “Salt and Pepper.”
trapiche
A star-like pattern that occurs in diamonds when dark inclusions (usually hydrogen clouds) align with the crystal axis; most well-know for occurring in emeralds, trapiche patterns in diamonds are quite rare.
trigon
An indented triangle that appears naturally on the surface of a diamond crystal during the growth process; trigons can appear solitary or in groups, sometimes stacking within larger trigons.
twinning wisp
A wispy line of microscopic inclusions, either pinpoints or clouds, inside a diamond caused by irregular crystal growth.
Sapphires
specific trace elements are responsible for color in sapphires. click on the color header to reveal what element(s) cause that color.
red
Cause of color = Chromium.
orange
Cause of color = Iron + Chromium or Iron + Vanadium.
yellow
Cause of color = Iron (and sometimes color centers).
green
Cause of color = Iron.
teal
Cause of color = Iron + Titanium.
blue
Cause of color = Titanium + Iron.
violet
Cause of color = Vanadium.
purple
Cause of color = Chromium + Vanadium + (sometimes) Iron.
pink
Cause of color = Chromium.
white (colorless)
Cause of color = free of trace elements or impurities.
grey
Cause of color = Chromium.
padparadscha
Cause of color = Chromium + Iron.
parti-color
Cause of color = Chromium + Vanadium + (sometimes) Iron.
color change
Cause of color = Chromium.
opalescence
Cause of color = a high concentration of rutile silk; also the cause of asterism when silk is aligned on the crystal axis.
MORE ON FANCY COLOR DIAMONDS...
how is color measured when it goes beyond the D-Z color scale?
"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?
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.
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" |
Why
COLOR
MatterS
When it comes down to it, color is really a matter of preference. The emphasis on "colorless" diamonds has driven a lot of the jewelry industry to become, quite frankly, monochromatic, while ignoring the key visual element that brings a stone to life. Take a chance and add some color to your next piece, mix colors - do something unexpected! In the right context, a piece of jewelry will make a gemstone's color (or colors) sing.
Color has a strange association with value. In white/colorless diamonds, the less color a diamond has can add to its value; in Fancy Color diamonds, the richer a stone's color, the higher the value. Typically, in sapphires, more saturation equates to more value. There are specific categories of color that are rarer and hence more valuable, such as "Cornflower Blue" or "Padparadscha" sapphires. However, value is not the same as preference. Every person is unique and should first find the diamond or sapphire that speaks to them, even if that stone may not be "valuable" to someone else.
COLOR
+
VALUE