FANCY COLORED CHAMELEON DIAMONDS
Natural Fancy Colored Diamonds represent one of nature’s most remarkable treasures. Among them, the Fancy Colored Loose Chameleon Diamond stands out as an even more awe-inspiring and fascinating rarity. True to its name, this remarkable diamond possesses the unique ability to temporarily change its color according to its environment, much like the reptile it was named after—the Chameleon.
WHAT ARE FANCY COLORED LOOSE CHAMELEON DIAMONDS?
Fancy Colored Loose Chameleon Diamonds remain one of the greatest mysteries in the gemological world. Scientists are still unraveling the exact reason these diamonds temporarily change color and hues when exposed to heat or kept in darkness.
The GIA first acknowledged the existence of Fancy Colored Loose Chameleon Diamonds in 1943. Before these studies, these diamonds were simply regarded as green diamonds. Through experiments on 29 Fancy Colored Loose Chameleon Diamonds, the GIA established that an ordinary green diamond permanently changes color when exposed to extreme heat. In contrast, a true Fancy Colored Loose Chameleon Diamond can return to its original hue, akin to its namesake. The GIA categorized two basic types of Fancy Colored Loose Chameleon Diamonds: classic and reverse.
The majority of Fancy Colored Loose Chameleon Diamonds fall into the classic category. This means they have a stable body color of greenish-grey to greyish-greenish-yellow (olive) with brown or yellow undertones. When subjected to heat or at least 24 hours in the dark, the stable body color changes to an unstable body color of yellow, orangey yellow, or yellow with an olive green modifier.
WHERE ARE FANCY COLORED LOOSE CHAMELEON DIAMONDS FOUND?
The exact origins of Fancy Colored Loose Chameleon Diamonds remain unknown. However, it is known that approximately 40% of these diamonds were purchased in India, 30% in Antwerp, and 30% in Tel Aviv.
HOW DO FANCY COLORED LOOSE CHAMELEON DIAMONDS CHANGE COLOR?
The majority of Fancy Colored Loose Chameleon Diamonds are small, making them challenging to study. However, HRD Research had the opportunity to study an unusually large oval-shaped diamond of this type weighing 4.89 carats.
Scientists observed that, in its normal state, the diamond had a greyish-green to greyish-olive appearance. However, when kept in the dark for a considerable length of time or heated to up to 300°C, its color changed to intense yellow.
The coloration of Natural Fancy Colored Diamonds is caused by defects in the atomic scale within the crystal lattice of the diamond during formation. Scientists concluded that within the Fancy Colored Loose Chameleon Diamond being studied, the color change from greyish-green or greyish-olive to intense yellow was related to the presence of hydrogen and nickel impurities in the crystal lattice. Chameleon Diamonds contain unusually high concentrations of hydrogen, as well as traces of nickel and nitrogen, in their crystal structure. This nitrogen-hydrogen complex could be responsible for the chameleon effect. However, the actual physical mechanism behind this effect, known as thermochromism (a switch in response to heat) and photochromism (a switch in response to light), is still unknown.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CLASSIC AND REVERSE FANCY COLORED LOOSE CHAMELEON DIAMONDS?
Fancy Colored Loose Chameleon Diamonds come in two types: ‘Classic’ and 'Reverse,' describing their two distinct natural capabilities—Thermochromic and Photochromic.
Classic Fancy Colored Loose Chameleon Diamonds exhibit Thermochromic behavior, allowing the diamond to temporarily change to a darker color when heated from 130°C to 230°C for a short period. As the Chameleon Diamond cools down, its color gradually returns to the original lighter shade.
In contrast, reverse Fancy Colored Loose Chameleon Diamonds act almost exactly opposite to Classic Chameleon stones. The diamond’s Photochromic behavior enables the stone to temporarily change from a darker to a lighter color when stored in a dark place for a longer period, usually over 24 hours. When exposed to light again, the darker color gradually restores. Reverse Fancy Colored Loose Chameleon Diamonds do not react to temperature changes.
WHAT INTENSITIES AND SHADES DO FANCY COLORED LOOSE CHAMELEON DIAMONDS COME IN?
Fancy Colored Loose Chameleon Diamonds do not appear in all color intensities. They are available in fancy light, fancy, and fancy deep and are not found in vivid and intense colors.
The dominant color of Classic or Reverse Fancy Colored Loose Chameleon Diamonds can be green, yellow, brown, or grey. These diamonds always exhibit a degree of fluorescence and generally show an overtone combination of colors (unlike Fancy Natural Colored Diamonds).
Common overtone combinations include Brownish-Yellowish, Gray-Yellowish, Grayish-Yellowish, Gray-Greenish, Brownish-Greenish, and Green-Yellow. No two diamonds are exactly alike, and many other color combinations will be found. However, some Fancy Colored Loose Chameleon Diamonds contain only one secondary hue, such as the 8.04-carat fancy dark grey-green Chameleon diamond discussed earlier.
ARE FANCY COLORED LOOSE CHAMELEON DIAMONDS EXPENSIVE, AND ARE THEY AN INVESTMENT?
The value of a Fancy Colored Loose Chameleon Diamond is determined by its unique color-changing properties, unlike other Natural Fancy Colored Loose Diamonds where value is based on color saturation or intensity.
The color scale for Fancy Colored Loose Chameleon Diamonds is divided into two corresponding to their value. The first group includes more affordable Chameleon diamonds with a noticeable brown hue, often referred to as ‘muddy brown’. Diamonds in this group generally have lower quality clarity and luster. The second, more expensive group includes Fancy Colored Loose Chameleon Diamonds that display an olive hue and show more brilliance and luster.
Given their extreme rarity, finding a large Chameleon Diamond is almost impossible, making a large Fancy Colored Loose Chameleon Diamond highly sought after by diamond connoisseurs or investors, easily commanding a price of at least six figures per carat.
ARE THERE ANY FAMOUS FANCY COLORED LOOSE CHAMELEON DIAMONDS?
Despite their rarity, several Fancy Colored Loose Chameleon Diamonds have gained fame. The Chopard Chameleon Diamond is the largest documented Fancy Colored Loose Chameleon Diamond, weighing an impressive 31.32 carats. An oval-cut diamond, it boasts exceptional clarity and color and is considered an especially stunning example of the Fancy Colored Loose Chameleon Diamond family.
Another remarkable Fancy Colored Loose Chameleon Diamond, discovered by Africa Gems, is an 8.04-carat radiant-cut diamond. Classified by the GIA as fancy dark grey-green, this diamond was set in a rose gold ring surrounded by a pave frame of small pink diamonds, estimated to be worth approximately $2,100,000. Africa Gems also found a Fancy Colored Loose Chameleon Diamond weighing over 4 carats, now set in a platinum ring, which fetched an impressive $240,000 in a Hong Kong auction.
WHERE CAN I BUY FANCY COLORED LOOSE CHAMELEON DIAMOND JEWELRY?
Fancy Colored Loose Chameleon Diamonds, being extremely rare and unique, are not commonly found in high street jewelers but are sourced by specialist diamond experts.
If you've set your heart on investing in a Fancy Colored Loose Chameleon Diamond, consult the team at Rêve Diamonds, New York, one of the very few diamond experts in the UK offering a choice from an impressive collection of Fancy Colored Loose Chameleon Diamonds.
