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Orange Diamonds: Everything You Need to Know

Orange Diamonds: Everything You Need to Know

Colored diamonds have started to become more and more popular. This sudden jump in popularity lead to a higher demand on the market, and people naturally started to educate themselves about these diamonds.

Here, you’ll find everything you need to know about orange diamonds.

If you’re interested to find out about where they come from, where are they mined, their history, and the best possible cuts, settings, and jewelry pieces for a diamond as amazing as an orange diamond, we highly recommend you keep reading and find out.

Also, if you’d like to hear our verdict about should you get orange diamonds, we have a little surprise for you at the bottom that might satisfy your needs.

Let’s dive right in!

What Are Orange Diamonds? Where Do They Come From?

You’ve all probably heard of yellow diamonds or red diamonds, but there is something in the middle of those two. That middle is reserved for orange diamonds.

These diamonds can have some of the most amazing colors to them that vary from deep orange (almost red) to a more faint orange that can look like yellow. Here, you’re going to find out everything about what orange diamonds are and where do they come from.

Orange diamonds are considered to be some of the most beautiful diamonds in the world. Amongst yellow, faint red, champagne, cognac, and brown diamonds, the orange diamond has its special place on the market and in the hearts of all diamond lovers.

For the characteristic color of these diamonds, we can thank the nitrogen atoms found in these diamonds that are responsible for giving them their distinct color.

In the atomic structure of carbon diamonds, the nitrogen atoms are organized differently.

The grade and purity of the color will depend on the nitrogen quantity and where it is located in the stone since nitrogen aggregates in the carbon.

Natural orange diamonds may also have secondary colors of yellow, brown, or occasionally pink. Without any secondary colors, orange diamonds are incredibly uncommon.

The intensity of a natural orange diamond’s color is one of the key determinants of its quality and worth; among collectors, a straight orange diamond is more uncommon than a yellowish-orange, pinkish-orange, brownish-orange, yellow-orange, pink-orange, or brown-orange diamond.

However, these supplementary hues can provide various, stunning color shades that are desirable to some people, but not for all diamond enthusiasts.

As far as the question of where these diamonds come from, the answer is quite simple. The majority of these rare diamonds come from South Africa and Western Australia. These parts of the world are known for the fact that a lot of diamonds come from them.

Rare colored diamonds such as red, blue, green, or pink also come from these parts of the world (especially Australia).

You’ve probably heard of the famous Argyle mine in Australia that is famous for excavating some of the finest and most desired diamonds all around the world.

There was word about it closing multiple times, but it seems that this mine just keeps on giving diamonds and won’t stop any time soon.

Diamond mines such as this one give a large percentage of colored diamonds to the market, despite these diamonds being rare.

As we’ve said, there need to be special conditions present for a diamond such as an orange diamond to form.

Larger amounts of nitrogen, as well as immense pressure and heat, are all found in this diamond mine which makes it a perfect place to find rare diamonds such as the one we’re talking about here.

History Of Orange Diamonds

Two regions, especially Western Australia’s Argyle Mine and South Africa, produce the majority of orange diamonds. A few centuries ago, the first orange diamonds were discovered.

Great Diamonds of the World, written by gemologist Edwin Streeter in 1882, has one of the first and most notable allusions to them. Streeter calls them “fire jewels” in the book, and with good reason. The stones are expertly carved and flash and flare like frozen flames.

The Pumpkin Diamond, a 5.54-carat orange diamond, was found in central Africa in the late 1990s. The stone was the biggest of its kind ever found at the time.

It was shaped, polished, and placed in a ring between two smaller clear diamonds by diamond cutter William Goldberg. The fancy colored diamonds became suddenly popular as a result of this.

On October 30, 1997, Ronald Winston purchased the Pumpkin Diamond for $1.3 million at a Sotheby’s New York auction. A few years later, the price of the rare stone was projected to be around $3 million; since that time, its worth has more than doubled.

The 2002 Academy Awards ceremony was one of the stone’s most well-known public appearances when Halle Berry wore the ring. The stone was also included in the Splendor of Diamonds exhibition at the Smithsonian.

A private collector disclosed in 2013 that they owned an orange diamond that set new records. The 14.82-carat fancy vivid diamond with VS1 clarity, often known as the Orange, was put up for sale at Christie’s Geneva.

Famous auctioneers predicted that the stone will sell for between $17 million and $20 million. Instead, the Orange fetched a staggering $35.5 million, or $2.4 million per carat.

The Orange was a once-in-a-lifetime find since polished orange diamonds larger than 4 carats are uncommon.

As you can see, orange diamonds have a rich and vast history that can be explored for hours. But, it’s important to know the basics since it heavily impacts the price and the amount of popularity of these diamonds.

People often overlook the fact that the history of these diamonds is much more vast than it might seem.

It’s a nice touch that you can enjoy a story behind a piece of precious rocks that you carry, and it adds to the originality of the gemstone that you’ve picked.

Orange Diamonds – Best Cut

When we’re talking about the best cuts for diamonds that are as special as the orange diamonds, we should understand a few things that make the cuts that we’re about to talk about the best picks.

First of all, when a diamond has a distinct color, it’s important to let that color be the center of attention. This means that anything from cut and setting, to a piece of jewelry that this diamond is embedded in shouldn’t steal the spotlight from the orange diamond in the center.

These diamonds are quite interesting, and taking the attention away from them would be a shame.

So, when it comes to cuts that are best suitable for an orange diamond, we have a few options. The lack of options only means that these go much better with orange diamonds than the other cuts out there.

But don’t feel discouraged if you don’t see your favorite cut on our list. If you intend to buy an orange diamond in a cut that isn’t mentioned on our list, feel free to discuss that with your jeweler.

They’ll give you all the necessary information for you to realize whether that cut is good or bad for an orange diamond.

Here are our top three picks for best cuts when it comes to orange diamonds:

The Cushion Cut

The cushion cut diamond (formerly known as the old mine cut) has square edges and rounded corners, similar to a pillow, hence the name.

For the first century of its existence, this traditional cut, which has been used, was the most often used diamond form (similar to the round cut today).

The cushion cut diamond was the standard diamond form up until the early 20th century. Compared to more contemporary cuts, traditional cushion cut diamonds reflect light in a chunkier pattern.

This produced a peculiar appearance that is coveted today among dealers in antique diamonds, especially when combined with the bigger culet (which was thought to be attractive for the pattern generated when viewed through the table).

The cushion cut accentuates the beauty of an orange diamond. It lets it shine with all its glory without drawing too much attention to the cut and leaving the spotlight on the color of the stone.

The Pear Cut

The faceting pattern of the pear is comparable to that of the round brilliant cuts. It still has the desired fire and brilliance that make diamonds sparkle as a result.

The pear shape is one of the juxtapositions since it can be worn on the finger with the tip facing up or down. The form is dynamic, seems timeless, and makes a powerful statement.

The pear cut is the only “rounded” cut on this list and for a reason. That reason is that round cuts are meant for transparent diamonds with no specific color to them. This means that colored diamonds, such as orange diamonds, aren’t exactly the best option for them.

On the other hand, the pear cut has a certain “sharpness” to it since it has one corner. This allows for the simplicity of the cut to accentuate the beauty of an orange diamond.

The Radiant Cut

The radiant cut is one of the most popular cuts out there at the moment. Part of the reason for its popularity is the fact that it goes with almost any diamond.

This versatility doesn’t create boundaries when it comes to creativity related to diamonds and jewelry but instead destroys those boundaries.

The 70 facets found in the pavilion and crown of the radiant cut diamond are responsible for its brilliance. Each facet’s accuracy delivers tremendous brilliance and fire. Only the round brilliant cut shines more brilliantly than the radiant cut.

The radiant cut is a great option for an engagement ring that glows with brilliance and fire because of this. The radiant cut has expertly beveled edges that significantly increase its resistance to fracture and chipping, making it a great option for people who lead busy lifestyles.

The Radiant can also be matched with both square and rounder diamonds thanks to this functionality.

Orange Diamonds – Best Jewelry Pieces

Like with all diamonds, some jewelry pieces go better with orange diamonds than some other ones. Before we get into our top picks, we’d like to tell you that you shouldn’t feel obligated to pick these pieces of jewelry just because we named them.

Everybody had their preferences, and if these pieces of jewelry don’t fit into yours, that’s completely fine! Having said that, let’s jump straight into our top picks for the best jewelry pieces for orange diamonds.

Here are our top three picks:

Rings

Rings are the safest and the most popular option out there. Regardless of if we’re talking about red diamonds, green diamonds, or orange diamonds, these pieces of jewelry are a classic and are an amazing host for any type of diamond (as long as the cut fits).

Rings are an amazing way to make a diamond stand out, and that’s exactly what an orange diamond needs. With minimalistic amounts of precious metals and minimal detail, a ring is an amazing way to let the diamond completely enjoy the main stage.

These pieces of jewelry are also one of the most popular ones out there, so if you’re on the lookout for an orange diamond, chances are – you’ll find it embedded in a ring.

The cuts that we talked about earlier are of the utmost importance when it comes to rings since they are the pieces of jewelry that allow for the cut to complement the diamond the most. This means that the cut is more visible on a ring than on any other piece of jewelry.

One more thing that’s important when it comes to rings is that you should think about the setting of the diamond. Diamonds that are as authentic and rare as orange diamonds usually go with minimalistic settings for obvious reasons.

More on settings a bit later on, so be patient and continue reading!

Earrings

These pieces of jewelry are also quite popular, and with smaller diamonds (or any other gemstone), they are the perfect fit.

For example, if you have a diamond that’s too big for a ring, but too small for a necklace, cutting it in two and placing it into a pair of earrings may be the move.

The beautiful thing about earrings is that they are easily noticeable, especially with certain hairstyles. Rings are a bit less noticeable, while the earrings are often noticed easily.

Necklaces

Necklaces are usually used for diamonds that are bigger than your usual 1-carat or 0.50-carat diamond.

If you happen to own an orange diamond and it’s too big for a ring or earrings, you should consider embedding it into a necklace.

Also, if you’re looking to get a piece of jewelry that will be the easiest to notice, the necklace is the first on the list.

With proper clothing, necklaces are the piece of jewelry that gets the most attention. You can even wear them over clothing and get the desired effect.

In addition to that, necklaces are very popular as gifts for your loved ones, so if you’re looking to surprise somebody with a piece of jewelry containing an orange diamond, you should look into necklaces!

The only problem with them is that an orange diamond that’s big enough for a necklace is very rare and hard to find, so it may be difficult getting your hands on one of them.

Related Read: How Much Does A Real Diamond Necklace Cost?

Orange Diamonds – Best Setting

When it comes to the setting for a diamond, many things should be considered. Also, when we’re talking about regular diamonds that don’t have any color to them, it’s much simpler to get a setting that will work with the stone that you’re looking for.

With colored diamonds, such as orange diamonds, it’s important to consider the color, the amount of light, the surrounding precious metals, etc…

So, let’s start with the most important thing, and that’s the amount of light. When a diamond is colored, especially if it has a deep color, that gemstone needs to get a lot of light to shine and show its true colors.

Without light, that’s impossible, and the sparkle is negligible if the setting doesn’t allow much light into the center of the diamond.

So we recommend going with a setting that will allow a lot of light from the top and the sides to enter the diamond and provide it with enough luminosity for a beautiful orange diamond to show its colors.

The color of the diamond is also very important. Colored diamonds that are fainter in color need less light to shine and sparkle because they aren’t as dark. Darker diamonds do need a lot more light to shine and show the true colors of the gemstone.

So, take into consideration that not all color-intensity levels desire the same settings, and be careful about settings that don’t provide enough light to darker diamonds.

Also, precious metals are very important when it comes to diamonds. When we’re talking about orange diamonds, gold isn’t the best option since the colors are too similar. Rose gold, silver, and white gold as well as platinum are all amazing options when it comes to these diamonds.

Having said that, let’s take a look at our top three picks for the best settings for orange diamonds:

The Prong Setting

This setting is one of the most well-known settings around the world. It consists of four to six prongs that hold the diamond in place. The prong setting is most often used for round brilliant cut diamonds, but it can also serve as an amazing setting for the cuts that we previously mentioned as our favorite.

The Cathedral Setting

A setting such as a cathedral setting is not the most popular one, but it works pretty well with orange diamonds. When you have a diamond that’s an amazing central piece, this setting can work wonders!

The Solitaire Setting

The solitaire setting is another amazing setting that is, unlike the cathedral setting, very popular at the moment. It’s similar to the prong setting but the difference is in the amount of precious metals used. If you like “chunkier” settings that are still considered minimalistic, this is the setting that you should be considering!

Orange Diamonds – Price

The price is what most people are interested in when it comes to something as exclusive as an orange diamond is. It’s also a common topic to talk about, and people enjoy finding out about the diamond market and how the prices can fluctuate.

Keeping in mind that orange diamonds are very rare, their price is also rarely seen, so if you don’t have even the slightest idea about the price tag that’s hanging off of an orange diamond, we don’t blame you!

But now, you’re going to find out all about how much you’d be expected to pay when shopping for an orange diamond.

The price range that orange diamonds can be found in is between $1,500 and up to $20,000 for a carat of orange diamonds.

This all, of course, depends on the vividness of the color, the intensity, the clarity and color grade, and whether the diamond is lab-grown or natural.

Now that you know what can you expect when buying an orange diamond, let’s take a look at the most expensive orange diamond in the world.

At Christie’s Geneva Magnificent Jewels sale in 2013., the largest fancy vivid orange diamond ever to be offered at auction surpassed the previous record by selling for more than $35.5 million.

Its high estimate of $21 million was also broken by the 14.82-carat diamond. At the auction held at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues, there was 286 lots total, with this one being the last.

For a gorgeous, vibrant orange diamond, it established a global record. It also set a world record for the highest price paid per carat for a colored diamond sold at auction, coming in at $2,398,151.

As you can see, orange diamonds can cost a lot of money, so it’s not a fixed price range!

Are Orange Diamonds Worth Buying?

Orange diamonds are quite desirable, but they’re hard to come by. Having said that, are orange diamonds even worth buying in the first place?

Here’s the answer: Yes and no.

If you’re, let’s say, a diamond collector, then an orange diamond would fit perfectly in your collection. Also, it’s unique to own an orange diamond, so if you’re looking to surprise a loved one with something truly authentic, then an orange diamond is what you’re looking for.

But, if you want to spend less money on a diamond that looks and feels amazing, and has a distinct orange color, maybe you should look into buying a lab-grown orange diamond.

This will allow you to get a diamond that looks the same as a natural orange diamond, but it will just cost you a fraction of what you’d otherwise pay.

Conclusion

Now that you know as much about orange diamonds as we do, let’s recap and see what we learned about these magnificent gems.

They are one of the rarest colored diamonds on Earth, and finding one won’t be easy. But if you do happen to stumble on one of these diamonds, now you know the perfect cut, setting, and jewelry that will complement your orange diamond to its fullest potential.

Also, these diamonds have a rich history, and it’s unfortunate if you don’t know it and happen to own one of these diamonds.

So we hope that you learned all about orange diamonds, and if you can’t seem to remember a thing or two about them, feel free to scroll through the article and help yourself remember.

Happy diamond hunting!