Information about Brown Diamonds

Brown DiamondsWhat exactly are Brown Diamonds? Brown diamonds have a tint of brownish body color. Diamonds can occur in nearly any color, though yellow and brown are by far the most common. The Brown diamond is a member of the Carbon family and is the hardest substance known. The word Diamond is derived from the Greek word "adamas" which means "hardest metal" reflecting the property of the stone. Diamonds with a detectable hue, other than yellow or brown are known as colored diamonds. If the colour is strong enough, a stone may be referred to as a fancy colored diamond by the trade. There are Natural fancy color diamonds and Synthetic Color Diamonds. For more information on any of these subjects please refer to the Index.

Definition of Diamond Color
What is the Definition of a Brown Diamond? Colored diamonds contain impurities or structural defects that cause the coloration. The most common impurity, nitrogen, causes a slight to intense yellow coloration depending upon the type and concentration of nitrogen present. Brown “amber” diamond crystals show some deformation called “brown graining”. They also contain nitrogen.

Cost of Brown Diamonds
The Australian Argyle mines produce a significant quantity of brown diamonds. Brown diamonds are usually less expensive than any other colors due to the fact that they are less appealing to most consumers. The color descriptions of these diamonds are now described and marketed as Cognac or Champagne.

The Color Scale or Grade for Brown DiamondsArgyle Diamonds created the following scale for brown diamonds to separate them into their progressively darker tonal ranges which are described as follows:

• Very light brown (champagne)
• Medium brown (champagne)
• Brown (dark champagne)
• Dark brown (fancy cognac)

Diamond Color Scale or Grade for Brown Diamonds
Color	Diamond Color Scale or Grade
Light Champagne	C1 & C2
Medium Champagne	C3 & C4
Dark Champagne	C5 & C6
Fancy Cognac  & Fancy Very Rare Cognac	C7 & C8