How Much are Canary Yellow Diamonds? (Current Price)

Lindsey, do you know what the Canary yellow diamond price is? This is one of the questions our readers ask a lot. Well, we´ve got you covered.

Bright yellow diamonds–called “Canary” yellow–are some of the most common fancy-colored diamonds found in engagement rings and other fine jewelry.

Before the current fancy-color craze, natural yellow diamonds were available as an alternative to white, even if they were still somewhat rare. But are they expensive? 

Natural Canary yellow diamonds range from $1,500 per carat all the way to $40,000 per carat. Large, vivid colored diamonds will fetch a much higher price per carat than lighter stones. Lab-grown canary diamonds range from around $1,000 per carat to $10,000 per carat. 

In the market for a fancy colored diamond? Yellow might be the way to go, since it is the least expensive and most popular of the colored options (at least for natural stones).

Read on for everything you need to know about canary diamond price and how to buy. 

What are Canary Diamonds?

You may not know this, but diamonds are not just white or colorless. Diamonds actually come in a range of colors, though naturally-occurring colored diamonds are much more rare than white diamonds.

Due to their rarity, fancy-colored diamonds typically cost much more than their white counterparts. 

Yellow diamonds are the most common of the fancy colors and are often the most affordable if you want to go with a colored stone. 

Some jewelers refer to all yellow diamonds as “Canary” diamonds, though others reserve the name Canary for diamonds that are in the fancy intense yellow and fancy vivid yellow ranges of color. 

How Much are Canary Diamonds?

The most expensive canary diamonds are the natural vivid yellows, in large carat sizes. 

For example, James Allen has four seven-carat canary stones available on the site, in a variety of colors from fancy yellow to fancy vivid yellow, with prices ranging from $141,750 to $297,030. This is $20,000 to $42,000 per carat. 

In contrast, a lab-grown yellow diamond in the 4-5 carat range will run $55,000-$70,000, or around $14,000 per carat.

For a regular 1-carat stone, you are looking at around $2,000 for a lab diamond, though many lab-grown yellow diamonds come in the desirable vivid color range rather than light yellow, so they are more desirable. 

You can also score a light yellow natural 1-carat stone for around $2,000, though if you want something in the more vivid canary range, that will run you $5,000-$20,000, depending on the color. 

Read also >> 9 Carat Yellow Diamond Price (All You Need To Know)

What Makes Canary Diamonds Yellow?

Fancy color diamonds are often created when trace amounts of minerals other than carbon are present when the diamonds are formed. Yellow diamonds are formed when trace amounts of nitrogen are present. 

This isn’t always the case–red diamonds form under intense pressure (more than is typical for diamond-formation) and green diamonds often form because they are exposed to radiation. 

How are Canary Diamonds Graded?

Yellow diamonds are graded using the same factors and scale as regular white diamonds, otherwise known as the 4Cs: cut, color, clarity, and carat. They also come with certificates from the same labs that grade white stones.

However, yellow diamonds obviously have a different color scale than white diamonds. White stones are graded from colorless (D-F color), near-colorless (G-J), and faint-color (K).

White diamonds may have a faint yellow or brown hue that makes them look less white, though they are not considered yellow diamonds, which are graded on a different scale. 

It is more difficult to grade fancy color diamonds because the colors vary more than with white, though gemologists stick mostly to a scale with the following grades:

• Fancy Light Yellow
• Fancy Yellow
• Intense Yellow
• Deep Yellow
• Vivid Yellow

Generally, with fancy-colored diamonds, stones at the vivid end of the spectrum fetch a higher price, because they are rare and the colors are more saturated.

However, if you are in the market for a fancy diamond, you may find that you actually prefer stones in the lighter range. Really the look is up to you. 

Are Canary Diamonds Real?

Yes–diamonds actually come in a variety of yellow colors and are 100% real diamonds. Just like with white diamonds, if you are buying a yellow stone make sure it comes with a certificate from a reputable lab like AGS or GIA.

This way you will know for sure that you have a real diamond. 

Be advised that some fancy-colored diamonds are treated to make them colorful. These are “real” diamonds because they start with white diamonds but are then altered to display color.

The best way to avoid buying a treated yellow diamond that is not a natural yellow is to buy from a reputable store and get a certificate. 

Are Canary Diamonds More Expensive?

Yellow diamonds are the least expensive of the fancy colors, though they are not cheap. In many cases they are more expensive than white diamonds, though not always.

It depends on the other qualities of the stones such as clarity, carat-weight, and cut. 

In addition, light yellow diamonds might be cheaper than white because they are less-desirable, though fancy vivid yellows will almost always be more expensive.

That being said, lab-grown canary diamonds are significantly cheaper than natural earth-grown stones. White lab-grown diamonds will often be cheaper than yellow, though this will depend on other grading factors as well. 

Are Canary Diamonds Rare?

Yes, natural canary yellow diamonds are much more rare than white diamonds, though not as rare as other colors such as red, blue, or green diamonds. 

However, these days you can buy a beautiful lab-grown canary that is identical to a natural stone.

These stones are grown in labs (it takes a few weeks or months rather than a billion years) and therefore are plentiful and not rare. 

Where Do I Buy Canary Diamonds?

When you are purchasing a colored diamond, it’s a good idea to shop with a jeweler that has significant knowledge of colored stones. Yellow diamonds are more common than other colors, so more jewelers deal in them. 

For colored stones generally, Leibish is a good place to start your search and learn about diamonds. 

You can also buy yellow diamonds from trusted online retailers like James Allen and Blue Nile, who sell earth-created yellow stones. 

Lab-grown yellow diamonds can be found at a variety of sites online, including James Allen, Brilliant Earth, and Clean Origin.

Should I Buy A Lab Canary Diamond?

Diamonds grown in labs are taking the diamond market by storm, both in colorless and fancy colored varieties.

Lab-grown colored diamonds are making these stones and styles available to a much wider audience, where previously fancy diamonds were prohibitively expensive to most consumers. 

Lab-grown diamonds are identical in chemical composition, behavior, and appearance to natural stones.

Gemologists can tell the differences between natural and lab-created stones, though it requires special equipment. To the naked eye, they look exactly the same. Even most jewelers wouldn’t be able to tell. 

By law, lab grown stones are identified as such with minuscule laser engraving, however. 

If you want to save some money for the same look, it is safe to buy a lab diamond from a trusted retailer.

Lab diamonds avoid the environmental and ethical impacts of natural mined diamonds, which many customers also love. 

If you prefer the idea of getting an original stone that is part of the earth’s history, stick with natural stones. 

Read also >> Are James Allen’s Diamonds Lab Created? (Complete Guide)

Read also >> Are VVS Diamonds Lab Created? (Real Diamonds + More)

Canary Yellow Diamond FAQs

What is the rarest diamond color? 

Red and pink diamonds are the most rare. This is due to the fact that they are grown under such extreme pressure. 

What is the most expensive diamond color?

Red and pink diamonds are also the most expensive, because of their rarity and beauty. Typically large, high-quality versions of these set auction records for diamonds. 

Green and blue diamonds are also very rare and expensive. 

Conclusion

Canary diamonds are beautiful and unique. If you are looking for a diamond ring or pendant with a slightly different look, in a cheerful and eye-catching hue, a canary diamond might be exactly what you are looking for. 

References

https://www.naturallycolored.com/diamond-education/yellow-diamonds-wiki