A Quarterly Publication of the NCDIA

Inside This Edition:Complementary Color Diamonds

Collector’s Corner: Bi-Color Diamonds

The Ocean Dream

Member Impressions

Volume 2, Issue 1

Natural COlOrSCOMPLEMENTARY COLORS

EDITION

10Collector’s Corner: Bi-Color Diamondsby Kushal Sacheti

12In The News:

Observations of the Spring 2014 Auction Season

by Alan Bronstein

16Members Impressions:

Pink & Purple Complementorsby John Chapman &

Sherry Finley-Walker, Argyle

“Complementary Colors” in Diamonds

by Simon Zion, Dehres

One Dealer’s Eye on Complementary Colors

by Eyal Cohen, Luxury Diamonds

Volume 2, Issue 1

48 West 48th StreetSuite 1506

New York, NY 10036

table Of CONteNtS

4 Complementary Color Diamonds

by Thomas Gelb

14The Ocean Dreamby Thomas Gelb

18NCDIA Membership Benefits

& Member’s List

Board oF directorS 2014

PreSideNt Jeffrey Post

(Gem Platinum)

Vice PreSideNt alan Bronstein(Aurora Gems)

Vice PreSideNt Sean Moore(Borsheims)

SecretarY/treaSurerJordan Fine(Amgad,Inc)

Scott West(LJ West Diamonds)

Kristin Hanson(Kristin Hanson)

david rosenberg(Rosenberg Diamonds)

educatioNal directorthomas Gelb - tom@ncdia.com

directorGino di Geso - gino@ncdia.com

ProductioN oFFicelazar advertising & Marketing

222 West 37 St., 6 Fl.New York, NY 10018

tel: 212-889-9660e-mail: brian@lazaradv.com

Natur al

CO lO r S

Yellow

Orange

Pink

Purple

Violet

Blue

Green

dear Ncdia Members,

it is with great pleasure that the Ncdia brings to you its next

edition of Natural colors. this issue is dedicated to the wonders of

complementary colors. the yellow-greens, the grayish blues, the

purplish-pinks the list goes on and on with these amazing natural

color diamonds. Please enjoy this edition as we bring you the latest

information from in the news, let you hear from our members in

the collector’s corner, and our membership impressions.

We encourage all members to utilize our educational information

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miracles of nature!

i would like to personally thank all our contributing writers along

with our members for their continued support in helping Ncdia

grow its mission!

Sincerely,

NCDIA Director

Gino Di Geso

3

N atural color diamonds come in an amazing array of shades. In the previous issues of Natural Colors

we have focused on pure or unmodified colors. This issue is a departure as we will delve into the broader territory of diamonds with a complementary color description term. A large percentage of diamonds that receive a certificate from a gem lab have more than one word in their color description. From Blue-Gray to Yellow-Brown, from brownish purplish Pink to grayish yellowish Green, complementary color terminology gets very confusing very quickly. Starting with complementary hues in this issue, we will begin the process of explaining these terms, why these shades occur, and how to handle them. THE COMPLEMENTARY COLOR RANGE Color science divides colors in many different ways. In the Munsell system (which is widely used, and served as a basis for the GIA Color Grading system) color is divided along three axes: hue, tone, and saturation. Hue can be defined as the actual color, i.e. yellow, blue, green, etc. Tone refers to the lightness or darkness of the color; it can help to think of this as a scale that runs from white, through gray to black. Saturation is the relative strength or purity of the color from pale to vivid. For diamonds with complementary color grades we can divide them easily into two groups, complementary hues and those complemented by gray or brown.

COMPLEMENTARY HUES The GIA has designated 27 hue range terms, see table 1 (pg 5). Of these only seven are unmodified: yellow, orange, red (pink), purple, violet, blue and green. All the other terms have combinations of these words. The Complementary Color Description chart in this article was created to display the enormous range of potential diamond colors. We give just 23 stones, but there are many more shades in between. The stones show a roughly Intense or Vivid color. As with all of our charts these are approximations and should not be used for grading purposes, but are simply illustrations.

RARITY If the occurrence of color in diamond was uniform one could say that there is about a 26% chance that a diamond would be in an unmodified hue range. Alas, life in the color world is rarely

COMPLEMENTARY COLOR DIAMONDSThomas Gelb, G.G., MBAEducational Director NCDIA

that simple. Since there are a large number of causes of color in diamond, and some are rarer than others, it is very difficult to make any sort of blanket statement about rarity of complementary hues versus unmodified. Instead we offer table 1, mostly derived from the author’s experience and input from our international membership for grades of Fancy, Fancy Intense, and Fancy Vivid. As one can see there is no hard and fast rule governing rarity versus hue. Yellow is more common than both hue ranges surrounding it (greenish yellow and orangy yellow), while blue is less rare than one (violetish blue), and more rare than another (greenish blue). To a great degree this is due to the causes of these colors. For example yellow is most commonly the result of nitrogen aggregations within a diamond’s crystal lattice, while greenish yellow is most commonly the result of both the same aggregations that cause yellow and a different aggregation that causes a green luminescence (fluorescence) and thus less common.

Image courtesy of Aurora Gems

Natural COlOrS

Color Range Rarity Origin Common Terms

Yellow Very Rare Aggregated Nitrogen Canary, Cape

orangy Yellow Very Rare Isolated Nitrogen Canary

Orange-Yellow Very Rare Isolated Nitrogen Canary

Yellow-Orange Very Rare Isolated Nitrogen Marigold

yellowish Orange Extremely Rare ? Nitrogen? Mandarin, Cantaloupe

Orange Rarest ? Nitrogen? Tangerine

pinkish Orange Rarest Plastic deformation Peach, Salmon

orangy Pink Extremely Rare Plastic deformation Salmon

Pink Rarest Plastic deformation and Nitrogen Cotton Candy

purplish Pink Rarest Plastic deformation and Nitrogen Bubble Gum

Purple-Pink Rarest Plastic deformation and Nitrogen Raspberry

Pink-Purple Extremely Rare Plastic deformation and Nitrogen Grape

pinkish Purple Extremely Rare Plastic deformation and Nitrogen Lilac

Purple Rarest Plastic deformation and Nitrogen Lavender

Violet Rarest Hydrogen, Nitrogen Argyle blue

bluish Violet Rarest Hydrogen, Nitrogen Argyle blue

violetish Blue Rarest Hydrogen, Nitrogen Argyle blue

Blue Rarest Boron Sky, Steel

greenish Blue Extremely Rare Radiation damage Teal

Green-Blue Extremely Rare Radiation damage, Nitrogen Aqua, Ocean

Blue-Green Extremely Rare Radiation damage, Nitrogen Aqua

bluish Green Extremely Rare Radiation damage, Nitrogen Seafoam

Green Extremely Rare Radiation damage, Nitrogen Grass

yellowish Green Extremely Rare Radiation damage, Nitrogen Mint

Yellow-Green Extremely Rare Nitrogen, nitrogen related fluorescence Lime

Green-Yellow Very Rare Nitrogen, nitrogen related fluorescence Neon

greenish Yellow Very Rare Nitrogen, nitrogen related fluorescence Starfruit© 2014 NCDIA. All Rights Reserved

5

BROWN & GRAY COMPLEMENTARY COLORS Brown and gray diamonds differ from complementary hues in a number of ways. In short they are not a “pure” color but rather a function of darkness in tone and/or weakness in saturation. Thus if a diamond has a yellow hue, but a dark tone, it would likely have brown as part of its GIA color description. And if a diamond in the blue hue range is weak in strength and/or dark in tone it would have gray in its description. Within the GIA system intense and vivid are described as strong in saturation and light in tone, thus no GIA grade will have brown or gray in its term if it is either of those two grades. The most saturated brown or gray diamond would be described as Fancy Deep. Other grades in the GIA system that may include these terms would be Fancy Light, Fancy, and Fancy Dark.

Given that all hues can produce a brown or gray color, diamonds with these terms may have the widest variation in appearances of any color diamond.

Unless a brown diamond is quite weak in saturation it will have another color that is visible, usually yellow, orange, or pink. The stronger the saturation the more visible this other color will become. The same is true for gray, with the other colors likely being purple, violet, blue or green.

COMMON COLOR TERMS The terms used for describing the color of a diamond are many and varied. Since the GIA enhanced its color grading system in 1995, the trade has generally adopted its terminology. The words used in this article reflect that reality, but they are not the end of the story. Terms such as canary and cape have long been used by the trade to describe yellow diamonds. The issue is that these terms are not well defined and can thus cause confusion. This is true of the many other fanciful, or ill-defined, color terms, but it should not preclude their use. Many NCDIA members use these terms to help bring some romance to the otherwise gray terms used, and there is no rule against this. Table 1 includes an abridged list of some of these terms and the approximate corresponding GIA description.

ORIGIN OF NATURAL COMPLEMENTARY COLOR DIAMONDS As one might expect given the breadth of colors that diamond can occur in, the causes of these colors are many and varied. To delve deeply into each cause of color would take up many issues of Natural Colors. In previous issues we have looked at the cause of yellow, pink, blue and brown, please review those issues for deeper information. Table 2 which offers brief descriptions of the most likely cause of color for each group of hues. Please note this list is not exhaustive, and represents only the most likely cause of color.

DIAMOND TYPE At this point we will again delve into type I and type II differences. As written about in earlier issues of Natural Colors diamonds can be separated into two groups by their nitrogen content:

Type I diamonds have detectable nitrogen in the infrared spectrum. The vast majority of diamonds are type I. Nitrogen usually causes some color in diamonds, from D color through Vivid Yellow.

Type II diamonds lack this cause of color. They can be colorless, pink, blue or brown. Brown and pink type II diamonds were likely colorless as they were forming. It was only after their formation that the pressure caused the color.

To some degree one can evaluate the diamond type from its color. Please review Table 2. As with all of the information in these tables we are discussing the most likely occurrence, not all of the possibilities.

DETECTION: TREATMENTS AND SYNTHETICS Table 2 lists the most common forms of treatment and how they correspond to the color ranges we have been discussing. Also included are the most common colors of synthetic diamonds. Please note that this list is not exhaustive, and new treatments appear unexpectedly. We felt it important to have this table in this article, and lament that we cannot delve further due to the broadness of the subject. We will address these more closely in future issues.

THE FUTURE OF COLOR MODIFIED DIAMONDS We hope that this article will spur further discussion about what modifiers mean and how they are handled. The ease with which people can learn about these extraordinary gems has made it that much more important for all of us in the industry to educate ourselves. Presenting yourself as an expert on these diamonds will only be effective if you are, in fact, an expert. NDCIA provides Natural Colors, periodic seminars, the NCDIA website, and all of our collateral information to help NCDIA members attain the necessary level of expertise to grow their businesses.

Image courtesy of LJ West Diamonds

Yellow

Orange

Pink

Purple

Violet

Blue

Green

COMPLEMENTARY COLOR DIAMOND REFERENCE CHART

© 2014 NCDIA. All Rights Reserved

Natural COlOrS

Color Range Most Common Treatments Synthetics Type

Yellow Radiation and heat Yes I

orangy Yellow Radiation and heat Yes I

Orange-Yellow Radiation and heat Yes I

Yellow-Orange Radiation and heat Yes I

yellowish Orange Yes I

Orange ?

pinkish Orange Radiation and heat Yes with treatment II

orangy Pink Radiation and heat, HPHT Yes with treatment II

Pink Radiation and heat, HPHT Yes with treatment I OR II

purplish Pink Radiation and heat, HPHT Yes with treatment I OR II

Purple-Pink Radiation and heat, HPHT Yes with treatment I

Pink-Purple Radiation and heat Yes with treatment I

pinkish Purple Radiation and heat Yes with treatment I

Purple Radiation and heat Yes with treatment I

Violet I

bluish Violet I

violetish Blue I

Blue HPHT Yes II

greenish Blue Radiation Yes with treatment I OR II

Green-Blue Radiation Yes with treatment I

Blue-Green Radiation Yes with treatment I

bluish Green Radiation Yes with treatment I

Green Radiation Yes with treatment I

yellowish Green Radiation Yes with treatment I

Yellow-Green HPHT Yes with treatment I

Green-Yellow HPHT Yes with treatment I

greenish Yellow Radiation and heat, HPHT Yes with treatment I© 2014 NCDIA. All Rights Reserved

8

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RNG_8.5X11 Yellow.pdf 1 5/20/2014 12:43:02 PM

By Kushal Sacheti, Galaxy USA

BI-COLOR DIAMONDSNATURAL INDECISIVENESS

COLLECTOR’S CORNER

Natural color diamonds often exhibit color zoning, that is their color is not uniform throughout the stone. Many pink diamonds show alternating planes of pink and colorless areas. Very rarely a diamond will have two distinct areas, and even more rare is the manufacturer who recognizes this and cuts the stone to display this amazing result. Generally the cause of this phenomenon is two different causes of color within the same diamond. It seems likely that these diamonds went through two distinct growth phases under different conditions. Most common is when these diamonds have distinct zones of colors and non-color, but NCDIA member Galaxy USA has a unique specimen that they have described below.

Galaxy USA’s 2.15 carat bi-color, partially chameleon diamond is an exceptionally rare and possibly unique occurrence in nature. It has received a two-color grade by the GIA: Fancy Dark Gray-Yellowish Green and Fancy Deep Orange-Brown, and it is a chameleon too! The chameleon nature of the diamond by itself makes it a very fascinating gem to study and work with. This, coupled with the distinct color zones that can be seen within

the stone, make it a truly phenomenal diamond. Such stones are actively sought after by diamond collectors and are most likely find their way into a private collection.

The stone can be divided into three distinct appearances. The first zone is described by GIA as Fancy Dark Gray-Yellowish Green and is commonly referred to as “olive” or “moss.” The second zone is described by GIA as Fancy Deep Orange-Brown and is commonly referred to as “cognac” or “autumn brown.” The third zone is the chameleon nature of the olive half of the stone. Upon heating, the left half of the stone changes color to a subtle yellow over several minutes of heating. When all three appearances are combined into one natural colored diamond, the gem produced is not only noticeably rare, but conceivably the only one of its kind.

Images courtesy of Galaxy USA

10

576 Fifth Avenue Suite 900 New York NY 10036Office: 212 827 0799 Fax: 212 827 0798 Email: info@optimumdiamonds.com

www.optimumdiamonds.com

IN THE NEWS...

The major auction houses continue to push the envelope with awe inspiring natural color diamonds as a 100ct Vivid Yellow Cushion, a 13ct Vivid Blue Pear, a 13ct Intense Orangy Pink Cushion and the historic 5.5ct Vivid Blue Green Ocean Dream capture the attention of major collectors. The relatively conservative estimates seem to assure that these stones will not only sell but also there is potential for some records to fall in this season. The major auctions generally target the high profile and super valuable fancy colors but the spring auctions that have already taken place show there is a growing taste for blended or mixed colors, stones that have complementors to the so-called “pure shades” of yellow, pink, blue and green. Thus there were some pleasant surprises and even outrageous prices that were achieved on such anomalies as a yellowish-green 2.5 carat diamond that brought $1.8m. Credit for this high price must go to the designer JAR whose work is the most sought after and collected by jewelry aficionados today. Also, a 6 ct. dark brown-greenish yellow diamond, not an easily digestible description, sold for $20,000 per carat. Kudos to William Goldberg Corp and their trademark Ashoka shape for cutting a beautiful piece from the rough. Also sold were deep yellow-orange, deep brownish-yellow, brownish orangy-pink, and gray-blue.

While this is great news that extends the boundaries for appreciation of the color diamond spectrum, we cannot make assumptions on values for similarly named colors and that they are all worth exactly what the auctions present. Every diamond must be seen and scrutinized and must possess great beauty to the ultimate buyer. While this sets an example with these particular stones, the sexiness of the shape and cuts, and the desire for certain designers, will always be a factor when unusually high prices are realized. It is hard to use these results as a guide.

There were no surprises as most yellows sold within the market trade prices and a 6ct Intense Pink sold in the range of the wholesale/retail, trading price of $1m p.c. Many such stones have been absorbed into the jewelry world and thus it is hard to find a really sweet stone, so the market remains relatively strong in larger sizes, 3 cts plus and in well-saturated pinks, blues and greens.

While many trade dealers, collectors and connoisseurs appreciate blended color varieties and they are gaining consumer popularity, one must remind again, that a certificate is limited to trying to best describe the color, but this observation has nothing to do with the rarity, beauty or desirability of any particular stone. It must have a personality that is compatible to the potential buyer before one

Observations of the Spring 2014 Auction Season by Alan Bronstein, Aurora Gems

begins to rationalize if the price is within reason. I also suggest you do a serious due diligence to compare the similarities and differences within any color description, to help you decide what the color looks like that will make you happy. This season’s auctions seem to have made many people very happy.

“...a certificate is limited to trying to best describe the color, but this observation has nothing to do with the rarity, beauty or desirability of any particular stone.”

- Alan Bronstein - Aurora Gems

Images Courtesy of Christie’s.

ew complementary color diamonds have reached the recognition and fame as the Ocean Dream diamond. First displayed publicly in the Splendor of Diamonds exhibit at the Smithsonian Museum in 2003, the Ocean Dream defied the public’s perception of what a diamond can look like. Visitors to the museum had long known about blue diamonds due to the Hope diamond display. The Tiffany Yellow, the Dresden Green, and some news in the 1990’s and early 2000’s had introduced yellow, green and pink shades. But the Ocean Dream was a revelation. The deep and rich blue-green hue was captivating from the beginning, and helped spur the demand for green diamonds overall.

The cause of color in the Ocean Dream is due to radiation damage. As with the vast majority of green diamonds, when the stone reached the earth’s surface it rested near a radioactive substance. This radiation penetrated the diamond at the atomic level and knocked some carbon atoms out of their place in the crystal lattice. The resulting vacancy causes red light to be absorbed when light hits the stone, imparting a green color. The strength of the color is related to the amount of damage. Often this damage manifests visually with dark stains on the surface of a diamond. Behind those stains a greenish color is occasionally evident, if the damage is strong enough. In the case of the Ocean Dream these stains are quite evident (see image), as would be expected in a diamond with such a rich color.

The Ocean Dream as a gem itself is notable for a number of reasons. Its current cut, a modified triangle is unusual. As noted the color is quite strong, about as rich as these diamonds get. It was graded as Vivid Blue-Green by the GIA. It is believed to be the largest diamond of its color. The clarity grade of SI1 is related to the radiation stains on the surface of the diamond. Finally, as noted later in this issue, this diamond is up for auction. It is an opportunity to purchase one of the most important natural color diamonds in history, and it is open to the public.

F

THE OCEAN DREAM By Thomas Gelb, G.G., MBA

The dark area in the center of the above image is a reflection a dark brown radiation stain on the girdle of the Ocean Dream.

THE OCEAN DREAM

The most coveted colour for diamonds is considered to be red, and in close second place, its less saturated and more prevalent form – pink. Until the advent of the Argyle diamond mine in Australia, pink diamonds were predominantly faint, mined from Golconda in India during the earliest days of the diamond industry and later from other mines in South Africa and South America. Purple coloured diamonds are noted from mines in Siberia and to a lesser extent Canada.

The Argyle mine owned by Rio Tinto is responsible for the majority of pink-hued diamonds today and so dominates any discussions of pink diamonds. Through a peculiarity of nature, these diamonds have been subjected in the Earth’s lower mantle to a sequence of squeezes and sheer forces that produce both brown colours (‘champagne’ and ‘cognac’) and pink and mixtures of the two. These mixtures create a range of hues from those in which the dominant colour is brown with a hint of pink described as ‘pink champagne’, and as the pink component intensifies the colour assignments become ‘pink rose’, pink, purplish-pink and pinkish-purple. These descriptors are those applied by Rio Tinto, whereas GIA uses a wider range of colour descriptors e.g. purple pink, purplish pink, orangy pink, brownish orangy pink, red accompanied by the familiar grade adjectives – faint, very light, light, fancy light, fancy, fancy intense, fancy deep, or fancy vivid.

Pink & Purple Complementors in Diamondsby John Chapman Principle Adviser - Diamond Technology, Technology and Innovation, Argyle & Sherry Finley-Walker G.G., Senior Polished Diamond Grader, Argyle

The Argyle colour grading system is separated into three hues with the descriptors being:

colour, and in rare instances Purple Pink where the pink and purple are in equal balance (see example images below)

The three hues are further divided into nine intensities utilising the prefix of 1 to 9; 1 being the deepest and 9 being the lightest.

In addition to this the Pink Champagne (PC) colour profile covers those diamonds with a brown body colour and a pink secondary colour. The intensity nomenclature is reversed for this colour range, PC1 being the lightest intensity through to PC3 being the darkest.

Argyle also recognises two Red hues; Red and Purplish Red, while to complete the Argyle fancy colour palette, blue-violet is captured by grades BL1 to BL3

Argyle Colour Grading System

An example of microscopic colour graining. Fine parallel planes featuring both pink and brown colouration.

The Argyle colouring guide covering the various pink hues found with Argyle diamonds.

“Each time that I inspect a lot of Argyle pink diamonds, I am fascinated by the fact that nature has been able to create this unique and magical color! Whether it’s baby pink , purple pink, deep , vivid or red, each shade possesses its own beauty and allure.. It is Earth magic and beyond rare , indeed...”

- John Glajz of Glajz-THG PTE, Ltd.

Argyle - 5PP GIA - Fancy Intense Purple Pink

Argyle - 7PP GIA - Fancy Purplish Pink

Member ImpressionsMember Impressions

In recent years fancy color diamonds have enjoyed tremendous popularity amongst seasoned investors, collectors and consumers alike. Aside from their aesthetic appeal, which gives these fancy color diamonds their unique beauty, one cannot underestimate their rarity.

Talking about complementary or secondary colors in fancy color diamonds is an extremely interesting subject as these are what give us such a vast variety of different and stunning color possibilities. Otherwise, only ten single colors would be listed by the GIA

The GIA uses twenty-seven hues in order to describe the vast array of fancy color diamonds. For example: Fancy Greenish Blue, or Fancy Deep Greenish Yellow. In the Greenish Blue example, the dominant color or face-up color (known as “body” color) is blue, meaning the stone has an overall “Blue” appearance, but there is a small percentage of green (the complementor) also present in the stone, giving the diamond a noticeable aqua appearance.

One of the most frequent and widespread misconceptions in the global market is the notion that complementary terms in fancy color diamonds decreases their value. This is most apparent in pink diamonds. Consumers believe that complementors in pink diamonds greatly reduce their value

and that they should stay away from them no matter what. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Fancy Brownish Pink has a lower value than Fancy Pink, but Fancy Pinkish Brown is worth more than Fancy Brown. This illustrates clearly that the more rare the complementary color, the higher the value of the diamond.

There are specific complementary colors that greatly enhance both the beauty and value of diamonds, in particular purple. These are graded as either Fancy Purplish Pink or Fancy Purple Pink by the GIA. Nine out of ten people would pick a straight ‘Fancy Pink’ diamond over a ‘Fancy Purplish Pink’ diamond strictly based on the certificate,

believing that it is more valuable. However, if they were choosing blindly without certificates, the same nine out of ten people would pick the diamonds with the purple complementary color simply because it is more aesthetically beautiful and appealing to the eye. This experiment has been tried and proven again and again.

As previously mentioned, rare color combinations can be equally, if not more rare and valuable, than single colors. For example, it is widely believed in the industry that the largest Fancy Vivid Blue is the ‘Heart of Eternity’ diamond, weighing 27.67cts, and the largest known Fancy Vivid Pink, other than the Pink Star, is believed to be just under 20cts. In contrast, the largest Fancy Vivid Blue-Green, the Ocean Dream, is only 5.50cts and the largest Fancy Vivid Green-Blue is under 5cts.

In conclusion, complementary colors can both increase or decrease the beauty and value of a fancy color diamond. It is unfortunate, that because of misinformation, ignorance and misguided direction by certain retailers, many customers cannot appreciate these diamonds. It is incumbent upon us in the diamond industry to educate these consumers properly so that more people can understand and acknowledge the true rarity, beauty and value of these incredible fancy color diamonds.

I will always remember the first natural color diamond which influenced my decision to trade them throughout my career. I knew that “canary” diamonds existed, but when a colleague brought me a purple diamond which was as

beautiful as the pastel hue of a lilac flower, I was immediately hooked. I had no idea nature created such wonders!

The GIA’s color grading standard allows for a more than one word color description. These diamonds have complementary, or additional colors, and are an integral part of the color diamond spectrum. Often, these diamonds can be even more beautiful than their unmodified (one word) counterparts. While some feel that natural color diamonds with just one term are pure and rarer in the market, thereby commanding higher prices, this doesn’t mean it is more visually appealing. For instance, a Fancy Vivid Green-Blue diamond displays a gorgeous teal body color, whereas a Fancy Vivid Blue and a Fancy Vivid Green are

cold colors on their own. When these two hues combine equally, they are breathtakingly beautiful.

The GIA laboratory identifies classifications within the fancy color descriptions. A “blue” diamond can be Fancy Greenish Blue, Fancy Green-Blue, Fancy Blue, Fancy Bluish Green or Fancy Blue-Green. Each category is visually different and the market prices them all differently. One of the factors affecting the price is the main color of the stone, which is the last word describing the hue. A Fancy Greenish Blue can have 20% or more green as a complement but primarily displays blue, whereas a Fancy Bluish Green can have 20% or more blue as a complement while being primarily green. Since there are so many nuances in a color diamond, it is important to work with a dealer that has amassed a “mental color inventory” and exclusively handles natural fancy color diamonds.

Funny enough, as I was writing this article a vendor called me to look at a half carat fancy pink vs2 round. I stopped writing and visited his office, only to be disappointed. The GIA graded the diamond correctly, but often fancy pink diamonds take on a brownish hue, like this diamond, and it makes it less appealing. If, however, this diamond was a Fancy Purplish Pink, the color would be more feminine and appealing to the end consumer, and I would have bought it.

“Complementary Colors” in Diamonds

One Dealer’s Eye on Complementary Colors

by Simon Zion, Dehres

by Eyal Cohen, Luxury Diamonds

7KH�1&',$�LV�D�QRW�IRU�SUR¿W�RUJDQL]DWLRQ�ZKRVH�PLVVLRQ�LV�WR�HGXFDWH�and promote global awareness and desire for Natural color diamonds. %HORZ�DUH�VRPH�RI�WKH�EHQH¿WV�RI�EHLQJ�DQ�1&',$�0HPEHU�

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A Quarterly Publication of the NCDIA BLUE DIAMOND EDITION

Inside This Edition:Blue DiamondsCollector’s Corner: Green TransmittersHope Diamond Members Impression

Volume 1, Issue 3 May 2013

Natural COlOrS

Ncdia provides its members with the most current gemological information on Natural color diamonds. as the only association to have a dedicated educational director that provides up to date information on Natural color diamonds. don’t miss the latest information on our website, sales collateral, blog and newsletters!

every member has immediate access to Ncdia news, newsletters, press releases, calendar of events, meetings and a full spectrum of member networking channels. don’t miss our seminars, product promotions, in-store retailer events, trade networking events and many more!

MARKETING & EVENTS

PRESTIGENcdia owns and maintains the #1 Natural color diamond website on the internet, dedicated to promoting the industry and every one of its members. utilize your Ncdia membership logo, and elevate your brand as a Natural color diamond specialist.MEMBER

ncdia retaiLer List

addeSSi JeWelerS .........................................................uSaBerNie roBBiNS ..............................................................uSaBorSHeiM’S ......................................................................uSaBroWN GoldSMitHS .....................................................uSaBruce roBiNSoN .............................................auStraliaclodiuS & co. JeWelerS.............................................uSadaVid craiG JeWelerS ................................................uSadeJa & co. .........................................................................uSadeNNeY JeWelerS .........................................................uSadeVoN FiNe JeWelrY ....................................................uSadiaMoNd Boutique ......................................................uSaecKSaNd Natural color diaMoNdS ..........caNadaeli & co, iNc. ...................................................................uSaGaStoN BiJoux ...............................................................uSaGeorGe WaltoN’S Gold & diaMoNd co. .............uSaGreeNe & co, iNterNatioNal, llc. ........................uSaGuNderSoNS JeWelrY .................................................uSaHaMiltoN JeWelerS .....................................................uSaHartMaNNS ........................................................ deNMarKHYde ParK JeWelerS ...................................................uSaJacK leWiS FiNe JeWelerS ........................................uSaJoNatHaN K JeWelrY ...................................................uSaJuraSSic JeWelrY ............................................SHaNGHaiKriStiN HaNSoN .............................................................uSaleMP JeWelerS ...............................................................uSaleoNardS WHole diaMoNdS ....................auStralialoNG’S JeWelerS ...........................................................uSaMarBill JeWelerS ........................................................uSaMaSSoN aBraM .................................. uNited KiNGdoMMoNdial NeuMaN JeWelerS .....................auStraliaMorGaN’S JeWelerS ....................................................uSaPiNK diaMoNd Boutique ..............................SHaNGHair.c. WaHl JeWelerS ......................................................uSa

raSMuSSeN diaMoNdS ................................................uSaraSKo diaMoNdS .................................................caNadarico GeMS (SHaNGHai) ...................................SHaNGHairoSeNBerG diaMoNdS ................................................uSaSaraH leoNard FiNe JeWelerS ..............................uSaSoloMoNS JeWelerS....................................................uSaSoloMoNS BrotHerS FiNe JeWelrY ......................uSaViVid diaMoNdS .............................................................uSaWicK aNd GreeNe JeWelerS .....................................uSaYVeS FreY diaMoNdS, ltd. ............ uNited KiNGdoM

ncdia whoLesaLer List

alMor deSiGNS ..............................................................uSaaMadeNa llc ..................................................................uSaaMGad, iNc.......................................................................uSaaurora GeMS ..................................................................uSaBelodiaM, ltd ............................................... HoNG KoNGcaratS ......................................................................caNadacora iNtl., iNc. ...............................................................uSadaNa auGuStiNe, iNc. ..................................................uSadaVid YurMaN................................................................uSadiaMWill BVBa ................................................. aNtWerPdiarouGH, N.V. (aNtWerP) ............................. aNtWerPdiarouGH, N.V. (uSa) ....................................................uSaeMBY-uS .............................................................................uSaexcelleNt FacetS ........................................................uSaFaNcY JeWelS.............................................................. iNdiaFiNeSSe diaMoNdS corP. ............................................uSaForeVer FlaWleSS diaMoNd co. ..................caNadaGalaxY, uSa ....................................................................uSaGeM PlatiNuM ................................................................uSaGeMcut, S.a. ................................................SWitzerlaNdGeMelodY ........................................................................uSaGlaJz-tHG Pte, ltd. .......................................SiNGaPoreGloBal diaMoNd GrouP ............................................uSa

GoldSteiN diaMoNdS ..................................................uSaGreat diaM HK .............................................. HoNG KoNGGuildHall diaMoNd iNc. .................................caNadaHerSzaFt & racHMiNoV diaMoNdS ltd. .......iSraeliSHaY BeN-daVid ............................................................uSaJuliuS KleiN ....................................................................uSaKuNMiNG tradiNG coMPaNY ................... HoNG KoNGlaBioS tradiNG ........................................................ JaPaNleiBiSH & co...............................................................iSraelleo iNGWer ......................................................................uSalJ WeSt diaMoNdS ........................................................uSaluxurY diaMoNdS ........................................................uSaMaidi corP .......................................................................uSaMaNaK JeWelS ................................................................uSaMarc lazar ....................................................................uSaMid diaMoNdS ................................................................uSaNaMdar, iNc. ...................................................................uSaNice diaMoNdS ...............................................................uSaNoVel collectioN .......................................................uSaoM diaMoNdS.....................................................tHailaNdoPtiMuM diaMoNdS, llc............................................uSaP. HiraNi ......................................................................... iNdiaPriJeMS...............................................................................uSaPriti GeMS .................................................................... iNdiaracHMiNoV diaMoNdS 1891 ................................iSraelraPHaH iNc ......................................................................uSario diaMoNd ...................................................................uSario tiNto diaMoNdS ........................................ aNtWerPSetHi couture ...............................................................uSaSHelleY & co, iNc. ........................................................uSataKat GeMS ......................................................................uSaVMK diaMoNdS, ltd ...............................................iSraelViVaaN ...............................................................................uSaYNY FiNe JeWelS ............................................................uSazeatH JeWelS, iNc. ........................................................uSa

2014 Ncdia HoNorarY MeMBerS

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2014 Ncdia MeMBer liSt

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