Diamond Envy (http://www.diamondenvy.com/) is your leading source for natural loose color diamonds and jewelry. Diamond Envy has gathered diamond history and some interesting fancy color diamond facts. Diamond Envy is your leading source for rare natural color diamonds and jewelry.

1. (888) 983-9588
History and Famous Facts about
Fancy Colored Diamonds
www.diamondenvy.com

2. » Diamonds were first discovered in India over 5,000 years ago, since then
they have been captivating us with their elegance, beauty and rarity.
» The Koh-I-Noor, one of the world's most famous diamonds, was believed
to have been worn by the first Mogul Emperor of India.
» After the invention of diamond faceting in the 14th century, the art of
diamond cutting emerged in Europe, and the stones began to be prized
by royalty and aristocrats.
Photo source: http://famousdiamonds.tripod.com/
www.diamondenvy.com

3. » Until relatively recently, most people associated a diamond's value and
rarity based on its absence of color. While this is true for colorless stones,
fancy color diamonds are more exotic and valuable precisely because of
their naturally occurring hues.
» The evidence of this appears throughout history: from the 280 carat faint
bluish-green diamond owned by the last Mogul of India to the 189.60
carat Orlov, presented by Count Grigori Orlov to Catherine the Great of
Russia in 1775. In fact, many believe that these are, in fact, the same
stone!
www.diamondenvy.com

4. » The Hope Diamond, arguably the most famous fancy color diamond in the
world, has a rich history as well.
» Brought back from India by famed diamond merchant Jean-Bap tiste
Tavernier for King Louis the XIV, it was originally cut into a 69 carat
triangular shape and proceeded to pass through the hands of several
French kings until it emerged as a 45.5 carat dark blue diamond
purchased by London banker Henry Philip Hope in 1824.
» 77 years later it was acquired by an American, finally ending up in the
hands of jeweler Harry Winston in 1949, who presented it to the
Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. nine years later.
www.diamondenvy.com

5. » The mid-18th century also saw the emergence of the Dresden Green, a 41
carat pear-shaped green diamond, the largest natural green diamond in
existence.
» With the discovery of diamond deposits in South Africa in the 1860s, the
spectrum of fancy color diamonds turned yellow. The first diamond ever
discovered there was a 21 carat rough yellow diamond, which enthralled
onlookers at the Paris World Exposition in 1867 and which was later cut
into the 10.73 carat round brilliant, Eureka.
» Probably the best known yellow diamond from South Africa was
discovered in the Kimberley Mines in 1878. The 287.42 carat yellow
diamond was acquired by Charles Tiffany and cut into a magnificent
128.54 carat cushion, which currently resides in the permanent collection
of Tiffany & Co.
www.diamondenvy.com

6. » While pink diamonds were discovered in very small quantities in India,
Brazil and South Africa, their color saturation tended to be very faint.
» All of that changed with the discovery of the Argyle mine in Northwest
Australia in 1979. For the first time, pinks appeared with more intense
saturations, earning the label "fancy". Their legend grew and they have
become prized by collectors and investors alike.
www.diamondenvy.com

7. » For centuries, fancy color diamonds have been the stuff of legend, from
adorning kings to being sought after for their mystical properties as
talismans.
» Today, because of their beauty and extreme rarity, fancy color diamonds
are prized by collectors and museums around the world. Diamond Envy is
pleased to bring the exclusive ability to purchase, collect, invest in, and
most importantly, marvel at these natural wonders directly to our
customers.
www.diamondenvy.com

8. Here are fancy colored diamonds facts:
www.diamondenvy.com

9. 1. Blue Diamonds
1.
In 2010, Christie's sold The Bulgari Blue Diamond, a ring featuring a
10.95 carat Fancy Vivid Blue diamond cut into a triangular shape, for
$15.7 million, a record for a blue diamond sold at auction.
www.diamondenvy.com

10. 2. Pink Diamonds
2.
Most pinks originate in Rio Tinto's Argyle mine in Northwest Australia.
In 2010, Laurence Graff paid over $46 million for a 24.78 carat Fancy
Intense Pink, setting a record for a diamond sold at auction.
www.diamondenvy.com

11. 3. Yellow Diamonds
3.
The Sun Drop, a 110.3 carat Fancy Vivid Yellow diamond, was
auctioned by Sotheby's for over $11 million in 2011. The 616 carat
Kimberley Octahedron, the largest diamond in the world, is a yellow
diamond.
www.diamondenvy.com

12. 4. Orange Diamonds
4.
In 2011, a 4.19 carat Fancy Vivid Orange Cushion sold for nearly $3
million at a Sotheby's auction in Hong Kong.
www.diamondenvy.com

13. 5. Green Diamonds
5.
In 2008, a new record was set for a green diamond sold at auction
when Sotheby's achieved $1,222,222 per carat for a 3.08 carat green
diamond auctioned in Geneva.
www.diamondenvy.com

14. 6. Champagne Diamonds
6.
A champagne color diamond once owned by Elizabeth Taylor sold at
auction in 2011 for over $2.3 million.
www.diamondenvy.com

15. 7. Red Diamonds
7.
Natural red diamonds are absolutely the rarest stones in the world. If
you see one firsthand, you're one of a very rare breed. The 5.11 carat
Mousaieff Red is the largest pure red diamond ever graded; large
natural pure red diamonds are extremely rare and hence incredibly
valuable.
www.diamondenvy.com

16. 8. Grey Diamonds
8.
In 2011, a 10.67 carat grey diamond sold for nearly $1.2 million at a
Christie's auction.
www.diamondenvy.com

17. 9. Black Diamonds
9.
The Black Or off, a 67.50 carat Fancy Black cushion cut diamond,
was cut from 195 carat rough and was once owned by an 18th
century Russian princess.
www.diamondenvy.com

18. 10. Violet/Purple Diamonds
10.
These rare gifts of nature originate in Australia's Argyle mine.
www.diamondenvy.com

19. » Over the past four decades, wholesale prices of fancy color diamonds
have never decreased. Certain color classes, like reds, blues and pinks,
have seen annualized returns in the double and triple digits during this
time.
» Investment grade blue and pink diamonds have witnessed their price per
carat leap forty-fold over the past 40 years. As an asset class, fancy color
diamonds are thoroughbreds when it comes to long-term appreciation.
www.diamondenvy.com

20. 590 Fifth Avenue,15th Floor,
New York, NY 10036
For Help or to Order (888) 983-9588
International Calls: +1 (646) 653-8988
Email : support@diamondenvy.com
www.diamondenvy.com