A Brief History of Yellow Diamonds
Yellow diamonds are some of the most rare and beautiful diamonds in the world. Yellow diamonds are the perfect accessory for almost any outfit, and they coordinate well with other types of jewelry as well. Here is a brief history of these canary-colored beauties.
Yellow diamonds have been mined for hundreds of years. They can be found in several countries throughout the world, but South Africa is the leading producer of yellow diamonds. The earliest accounts of yellow diamonds being mined in South Africa occurred during the Victorian era.
Yellow diamonds get their coloring from the nitrogen in their molecular makeup. Diamonds are formed when carbon atoms are forced together by heat and pressure. Occasionally, some of the carbon atoms are replaced by nitrogen atoms. When this happens, the diamond will have a yellow tint. The more nitrogen atoms that are present, the more intense the color will be.
Although they are now some of the most coveted gems in the world, there was a time when yellow diamonds (and all other colored diamonds) were thought to be inferior to pure, colorless diamonds. A diamond that was colored was considered “flawed,” so no jewelers wanted to purchase them. As a result, thousands of colored diamonds went to waste. Now, yellow diamonds are considered by some to be even more valuable than pure, colorless diamonds, as are chocolate diamonds, which can be light to dark brown in color.
Natural yellow diamonds are rare, and tend to be very expensive. Because of this, synthetically made yellow diamonds have become increasingly popular and can be found in jewelry such as authentic Pandora charms and bracelets and other fashion jewelry; they are much less expensive than natural yellow diamonds but are still very beautiful. The diamond is treated through the processes of heat and irradiation to increase its yellow color. So if you are in the market for a yellow diamond, don’t panic. There are plenty of affordable synthetic yellow diamonds available that look just as good as the real thing!