Champagne diamonds are certainly unique when it comes to the color variations available in these stones. While champagne diamonds are generally considered to be the most common of the colored gems, they are far from the norm and remain something special no matter the application used.
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- What Is A Champagne Diamond?
- Where Do Champagne Diamonds Come From?
- Are Champagne Diamonds Rare?
- How Much Do Champagne Diamonds Cost?
- What To Look For In A Champagne Diamond
- How Can You Tell If A Champagne Diamond Is Real?
- Are Champagne Diamonds Ethical?
- Where To Buy A Champagne Diamond
- Are Argyle Champagne Diamonds Valuable?
What Is A Champagne Diamond?
A champagne colored diamond is a real diamond, which attains its signature brown hue from nitrogen being present in the carbon when the diamond forms. These gems are often known as cognac diamonds as they have a certain brown coloration which can range from light to a dark coloring.
At times, it can seem that champagne diamonds have a specific yellow tint along with the brown, this is not to be confused with yellow diamonds which usually have a much lighter coloring all together. Champagne diamonds are just as hard as their clear counterparts and can be used in virtually any similar situation.
Where Do Champagne Diamonds Come From?
Champagne diamonds are most frequently found in Siberia, Australia and Africa. The leading mine is in Western Australia. While we know what gives champagne diamonds their distinct color, we aren’t sure why they are most frequent in these areas.
Are Champagne Diamonds Rare?
Champagne diamonds are more common than normal colorless diamonds, but that is not to mean they are common all together. While they are the most frequently found diamond coloration, they are still a rare mineral and retain a commanding price.
How Much Do Champagne Diamonds Cost?
In a broad sense, champagne diamonds usually cost roughly 50% to 60% of their clear diamond counterparts. While still not cheap at all, champagne diamonds are more affordable, especially in jewelry which requires more than one diamond.
Further than that, cost will be greatly affected by many aspects like the four C’s – cut, color, carat and clarity. On a broad average, for a good quality champagne diamond, around $2000 to $3000 per carat is to be expected.
What To Look For In A Champagne Diamond
As with any diamond, there are multiple factors to take into consideration for your own diamond. Below, we discuss the factors that you should know before purchasing a champagne diamond.
Color
All champagne colored diamonds are in some way a shade of brown, but at either end of this spectrum, they could not be more different from one another. To understand the coloration of a diamond, first, we must understand the different elements to be looked at in a diamond’s color.
Hue – The Hue is the visible color of the stone. In the case of champagne diamonds, the majority of the hue will generally be brown with an addition of yellow, orange or pink tones shining through. These tones can be difficult to properly represent on a screen and will need to be seen in person to be properly appreciated.
Tone – The tone describes the depth or darkness of the colors present.
Saturation – The saturation describes the intensity of the color. The saturation in itself can be difficult to be present in pictures of diamonds, they need to be seen to be properly graded and appreciated.
Further than this, there are two main grading systems used to dictate the overall color of champagne diamonds, the GIA system and the Argyle system. The GIA system uses plain descriptions and is relatively easy to understand. The Argyle system makes use of a code in which a letter and number code to describe the color.
In this case, the letter of the code will remain C to signify champagne, the proceeding number ranging from 1 to 7 will indicate the color with 1 being the lightest and 7 being the darkest color. As an example, a C3 diamond would be a medium champagne diamond, while a C7 would be very dark, also known as cognac. When assessing the coloring of a champagne diamond, it’s best to have an expert on hand, as it can be difficult depending on the diamond and the cut.
Cut
The cut of a diamond is what gives a diamond its typical shimmer. A more intricate cut will give a better surface for reflections and create the glimmering or shining effect. There are no standard cuts used in champagne diamonds, as the cut can greatly impact the color and overall tone of the diamond. The cutting used on darker champagne diamonds is even more important than the lighter variants, as the darker will have less light reflection.
Clarity
The clarity of a diamond refers to internal imperfections of a diamond. The majority of champagne diamonds will have some nature of internal imperfections, it is still possible to find champagne diamonds with little to no internal Imperfections.
Carat
Carat is simply a unit of mass for a diamond. Every carat equates to 200 mg. This measuring system allows for good sizing resolution while retaining a standardized sizing. Carat is a standard measure for precious gemstones throughout the world.
How Can You Tell If A Champagne Diamond Is Real?
Champagne diamonds share the same structure as clear diamonds, making testing methodologies work similarly on any nature of colored diamonds.
A best-case scenario would be a diamond tester, a small and inexpensive device that uses either thermal or conductivity testing to analyse the makeup and determine if the diamond is real.
There are other easier testing methods like diamond’s inability to fog up like glass and inability to scratch with sandpaper. If you are planning on buying a diamond, the price of a small tester or taking the stone to a professional with a diamond tester would be inconsequential. A profession to test the diamond stands to save you a lot of time and money in any jewelry transaction.
Are Champagne Diamonds Ethical?
Not all diamonds are mined and sourced equally, meaning not all diamond mining procedures adhere to the same ethical standards.
When buying champagne diamonds, there should be a certificate which is given stating which mine the diamond is from, with this information and a bit of research into the particular mine, you should be able to find the ethical and environmental implications of your particular diamond.
That said, the majority of champagne diamonds currently in circulation were mined in the Argyle mine in West Australia, meaning the majority of champagne diamonds are ethically mined. Regardless of buying a new or second-hand diamond, there should be a certificate with it, stating where it was mined.
Where To Buy A Champagne Diamond
The best place to buy any diamond is a jeweller you trust. If you wish to buy the diamond itself from the source, larger mines have direct sales outlets.
Are Argyle Champagne Diamonds Valuable?
Diamonds are named Argyle diamonds as a reference to the Argyle mine in Australia where they are sourced. Argyle is known for providing some of the highest quality fancy or colored diamonds available in the market, making Argyle champagne diamonds some of the most valuable champagne diamonds available.
The cost and quality will vary from diamond to diamond, but if from Argyle, you can be sure you are receiving a good quality champagne diamond.
Chermaine’s journey into the world of gemstones and crystals began as a child, collecting shimmering stones on family vacations. Today, she’s a certified gemologist and spiritual healer, intertwining the physical beauty of jewels with their metaphysical properties.
Chermaine has traveled to mines in Africa, marketplaces in India, and spiritual retreats in Bali, always seeking to deepen her understanding.