Yellow Diamonds

Although we usually think of diamonds as being clear, they can occur in a variety of colours. Of the world's 100 largest diamonds some 30 are yellow, including the world's largest diamond the Kimberley Octahedron.

Yellow diamonds come in a variety of shades, one of the most popular you can buy being the bright canary yellow. These canary diamonds are sometimes referred to simply as canaries or sometimes as cape series.

The yellow colouring in diamonds is usually formed by trace impurities such as nitrogen. A weak yellow tint is fairly common, however a saturated, canary yellow is much rarer in natural stones. Such deeply coloured stones are often referred to as fancy diamonds.

Because canary yellow natural diamonds are so rare the price tends to be very high. Most of the deep yellow diamonds you can buy are synthetic. It's also possible to treat natural diamonds which have a pale yellow tint to enhance the colour.

Tiffany Diamond

One of the most famous yellow diamonds is the Tiffany Diamond. This was discovered in South Africa in 1887 and weighs in at a massive 287.4 carats! The stone was named after the jewelry store Tiffany & Co which purchased the stone and had it cut in Paris.

Over the years the Tiffany Diamond has been displayed the world over as well as having been mounted in a necklace of white diamonds and worn in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Tiffany is, of course, a name long associated with diamonds and especially engagement rings. Tiffany diamond products range from their classic six prong ring setting through to modern offerings such as their Tiffany Stars set in platinum.