Lindsey, do you know what is the price of blue diamonds? This is one of the questions our readers ask a lot. Well, we´ve got you covered.
Shopping for diamonds can be quite a daunting experience, particularly when it comes to all of the different variations and styles that you can find out there.
So, what is a blue diamond’s price? On average the price of 1 carat blue diamond will vary between $6,800 and $11,200.
If you’re interested in special colors of diamond then you will want to know what a blue diamond’s price might be, and how it is different from more traditional colorless stones.
This article will tell you everything you need to know about blue diamonds and what they are worth on the market today.
Table of Contents
What Are Blue Diamonds?
Before we get into their worth and how much you might expect to actually spend on one, we should take a look at exactly what a blue diamond actually is.
Blue diamonds are a variety of “fancy color diamonds”, which essentially refers to any diamond that has a distinct level of coloration in it. Like the vast majority of other colored diamonds, they are almost identical to colorless diamonds apart from their color.
Although colorless diamonds are by far the most common and most famous type, you can actually find diamonds in many different shades, including:
- Blue
- Pink
- Violet
- Red
- Purple
- Yellow
- Orange
- Green
- Brown
- Gray
They range in the intensity and hue of the color that is present, but they are all simply a subcategory of the stone.
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What Makes Blue Diamonds Blue?
There are several different reasons why diamonds will take on a different color when they are forming, usually related to an additional element found in the stone or the conditions under which the stone is formed.
Blue diamonds are created when a trace amount of boron is contained within the structure, giving it a blueish hue to varying degrees.
It is rare for a diamond to naturally form with a blue coloration. Only around one in every 200,000 diamonds that are mined have even the slightest hint of blue color, and far fewer will be richly or intensely blue.
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Where Do Blue Diamonds Originate?
There are three different origins of these wonderfully-colored stones: natural, lab-grown, and enhanced. Naturally-occurring blue diamonds will be mined directly from the earth with the color already present, and they are the rarest and most valuable.
The first blue diamonds were discovered in India, but they have also been found in South Africa and Western Australia as well.
Lab-grown blue diamonds are created in a laboratory by one of a few specialist methods, which can be adjusted to create different colors. Lab-grown diamonds are cheaper than natural stones but they are virtually identical in their physical, optical, and thermal properties.
Enhanced diamonds are stones that have been treated in some way after they are formed, either by being irradiated or through a process known as “annealing”. These are the cheapest form of colored diamond that you can buy, often fetching around half the price of a natural stone.
Are Colored Diamonds Worth More?
The question of color is an interesting one in the diamond community, as it can either increase or decrease the value of the stone, depending on the type of diamond you are talking about.
Colorless diamonds are made less valuable by the presence of any hue at all. They are graded from D to Z, with Z being the least valuable and having the most noticeable yellow color.
When it comes to colored diamonds, however, things are very different. The more vivid and intense the color is, the more expensive the stone. In fact, because colored stones are rarer, they are worth much more than colorless stones on average.
It’s all to do with scarcity and beauty. For colorless stones, a pure clear lack of color is the most beautiful and rare. For colored stones, you actually want them to have a more intense and vivid appearance, and this is also harder to find.
What Is The Cost Of A Blue Diamond?
Now that we have a good idea of exactly what blue diamonds are, and their rarity, we can look at what you might expect to pay for one.
The prices do vary considerably (as they will for any diamond) based on a few different factors, including the physical characteristics of an individual stone. With that being said, there is a general range that you can expect to spend.
The lightest blue natural diamonds generally sell for around $8,000- 10,000 per carat, but deeper and more vivid blues will sell for $300,000 per carat or more.
Blue Diamond Color Intensity | Price Per Carat |
---|---|
Faint Blue | $6,000 – $10,000 |
Light Blue | $25,000 – $50,000 |
Fancy Blue | $60,000 – $90,000 |
Fancy Vivid Blue | $100,000 – $300,000 |
Fancy Dark Blue | $250,000 – $500,000 |
There are also significant differences in the prices between lab-grown or enhanced blue diamonds and naturally occurring blue diamonds.
Overall, though, these colors of the stone are still more expensive than the traditional colorless variety, which generally range from $5,000 to $10,000 per carat.
What Affects How Expensive Blue Diamonds Will Be?
There are a significant number of factors that affect just how much blue diamonds are worth, just like with colorless diamonds.
The main features of a stone that are assessed in order to determine its value are known as the 4Cs: color, cut, clarity, and carat.
- Color: The hue, saturation, and tone of the diamond will greatly impact its price.
- Cut: The shape of the diamond affects its brightness and how well it reflects light.
- Clarity: Minor inclusions in the stone can reduce its value, even though they are rarely visible to the naked eye.
- Carat: The carat is the way that diamonds are weighed.
All of these individual elements are assessed when deciding the worth of a diamond, as well as other aspects like fluorescence, polish, and shape.
The value of any diamond is generally determined through an independent grading process that is carried out by an organization such as the AGS, the GIA, or the IGI . These bodies award a certificate to each stone that details its unique features and authenticates its worth.
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What Blue Diamonds Are Worth The Most?
When you’re talking about blue diamonds, a combination of color intensity and carat weight often have the greatest effect on the price of an individual stone.
The range of colors that you can find for these particular fancy color diamonds include:
- Faint Blue
- Light Blue
- Fancy Light Blue
- Fancy Blue
- Fancy Intense Blue
- Fancy Vivid Blue
- Fancy Deep Blue
- Fancy Dark Blue
Typically, a fancy dark or deep blue diamond will cost the most, but it does also depend on the origin, cut, and clarity as well.
Are Blue Diamonds Becoming More Expensive?
As a general trend, all colored diamonds have been increasing in value over the last couple of decades.
In 2021, the average price of fancy color diamonds increased by 1.7%, with the value of blue color diamonds actually increasing the most of any color – by 2.2% overall.
Can You Find Blue Diamonds For Less?
There are cheaper options for blue diamonds on the market, and they can be almost completely indistinguishable from the naturally occurring examples that are dug up from the earth.
Lab-created diamonds are an affordable alternative that can be made in almost any color – and they are the same in practically every measurable way.
The stone’s origin will affect its worth overall, however, so lab-grown blue diamonds will have a lower resale value.
Which Blue Diamond Is The Most Expensive?
There have been quite a few renowned blue diamonds throughout the years, including one that is perhaps the most famous precious stone in the world: The Hope Diamond.
The Hope Diamond is a 45-carat stone that was found in the Kollur Mine in India in the 17th century that is estimated to have a worth of around $200-$350 million. It has changed hands many times over the years and has been owned by all kinds of individuals – from King Louis XIV of France to Washington mining heiress and social leader Evalyn Walsh McLean.
It has a rich and storied history, including a curse that is rumored to follow the stone wherever it goes. It was last purchased by a New York gem merchant named in 1949 who donated it to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in 1958.
The most expensive blue diamond to ever make it to auction is the De Beers Cullinan Blue. This 15-carat stone was found in a South African mine in 2021 and sold for around $57 million at auction.
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Conclusion
So, what do you need to know about the price of a blue diamond? These stones are certainly highly valuable, and they are rarer and more highly sought-after than typical colorless diamonds, but their price can vary greatly.
The cost of a blue diamond will depend on its origin, as well as the physical features of the stone itself – including the cut, clarity, color, and carat.
You can expect to pay about $10,000 per carat for a lightly colored blue diamond, but more vividly blue stones can cost $300,000 or more.
References
https://www.luxuriousmagazine.com/fancy-color-diamond-index-2021/
https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/blue-diamond-auction-results/index.html
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