Natural fancy yellow diamond rings are rare. Estimates are that only one in every 10,000 diamonds possesses natural color. They’re interchangeably referred to as fancy color diamonds or, for short, “fancies.” More often than not, when you purchase an engagement ring or wedding band featuring them, they’ll be in platinum, since platinum is the rarest of all noble metals. But, if you want your natural color yellow diamonds set in high-karat yellow or white gold, just tell the jeweler, who can usually arrange that. You can also find fancy yellows set in some of the alternative metals, for instance, palladium, particularly when you’re looking for men’s wedding bands.

Are there lots of different shades of yellow?
Gem analysis laboratories have developed the “fancy color diamond scale” to classify the strength of intensity of a diamond’s color. So, it’s like this: Vivid Yellow is the rarest and, after that, there’s Intense Yellow, Fancy Yellow, and Light Yellow. They may have what is known as a modifying color, and that can be orange, green, or brown. So a jeweler may refer to a particular yellow diamond he’s showing you as “brownish-yellow” if it has a brown modifier. (If you’re researching these online and trying to figure out what some descriptions mean, the yellow diamond’s primary color is listed last, with the stone’s modifying color–or colors–before it.)
Are fancy yellows more expensive than colorless diamonds?
It depends. When you buy a natural diamond for your engagement ring, the color will have the most impact on how high a price you pay. As a rule-of-thumb, expect to pay more for a stone that’s “Vivid Yellow” or “Intense Yellow,” as they are the rarest. After that, of course, it will be the diamond’s size (known as its carat weight, as that’s how its size is referred to).
Clarity matters in the price but, sometimes color can mask an inclusion in a way it can’t with a colorless diamond.
What shapes and cuts can you get natural yellow diamonds in?
Pretty much, you can find them in any shape you want: round, cushion, radiant, emerald cut, marquise, Asscher, pear, etc. And some high-end jewelry manufacturers even offer natural yellow diamonds in some of their propriety premium brand cuts, which have different faceting than standard diamond cuts.
For engagement rings, can I get natural yellow diamond halos around my yellow center stone, or fancy yellow accent and side stones?
Many, many yellow diamond designs come with halos—and, for the most part, around any of the cuts. The majority of engagement ring designs, however, have halos of small round colorless diamonds, not yellow. As for side stones to complement, you can find some engagement rings with smaller fancy yellow diamond pave or side stones. Yellow trapezoids are popular, as are triangles and half-moons.
Will all jewelers carry them?
Because natural color diamonds are special, I recommend you go to a reputable jeweler to buy—either someone you know or who’s been recommended. It’s also important that the jeweler be knowledgeable about natural color diamonds, so I suggest beginning by locating a retail jeweler, who’s also a member of the Natural Color Diamond Association (NCDIA). Over the years, I’ve spoken with many such jewelers, and they tend to have a real passion for the spectrum of colored diamonds. Many collect them, too. They’ll also have great access to stones, should you desire something in particular in terms of size, color, cut, or clarity that the jeweler does not necessarily have in the store. If you go to the Natural Color Diamond Association website, there’s a list of its retail members, many in the U.S. and a few in other countries such as China and Australia. The site also has a Design Gallery, where you’ll see a few interesting rings featuring yellow diamonds.
Yellow Diamond Engagement Rings
Yellow diamond engagement rings are particularly attractive and desirable due to their rarity and unique coloration and appearance. Therefore, they are more expensive than those with light or colorless. Their shiny and yellow color is a delight to the eye and they go well with a wide range of other jewelry pieces.
As a general practice, diamonds are graded according to four different criteria, including color. Typically, the less color is present, the more desirable the diamond is. Diamonds are also graded by their purity, the whitest or the clearest being the highest grade. The grading scale begins with D which is the purest white and ends with Z, which means that the stone has coloration or it’s tinted. Further, then Z, a diamond’s color will be strong and it is rated as “fancy colored diamond.”
With yellow, however, the more coloration or tint, the higher and favored and sought after they are, therefore yellow with a color grade that beyond “Z” is the most luxurious and expensive diamond. All yellow stones within this color grade range are labeled as fancy, while the N-Z range represents what is considered “light” coloration.
As stated above, yellow diamonds have their own color scale, the “fancy category”. In this category, there are varieties of hues that hold different names within the diamond industry such as fancy light yellow, fancy yellow, fancy dark yellow, fancy deep yellow, and fancy vivid yellow or also known as canary yellow.
Fancy yellow diamonds with moderate or low color saturation may be considered as “fancy light yellow.” The “fancy dark yellow” is categorized depending on how dark the color is. For diamonds with high color saturation and a darker hue, the term “fancy deep yellow” is applied, and for lighter-colored diamonds with high saturation, “fancy intense yellow” is used. At last, “fancy vivid yellow” is the name applied to yellow diamonds with the highest level of color saturation.
So what makes a diamond to be yellow in color? For sure you are interested to know and here are some scientific facts for your reference. Diamond’s primary component is carbon, and nitrogen is the other most common element found in it. Nitrogen atoms have a different number of electrons to carbon, which means that when they bond, a number of electrons remain unattached. These free electrons partly absorb blue and violet light wavelengths and the wavelengths that are not being absorbed give the diamond its yellow color.
The Perfect Gift: Yellow Diamond Engagement Rings
Buying an engagement ring is considered to be a significant part of being engaged and it’s really worth considering a yellow diamond for an unusual engagement ring which can make any engagement really extra special. These yellow diamond engagement rings are certain to enthrall the visual senses of any fiancée and leave a lasting impression in the eyes of many.
Yellow diamond engagement rings become extremely popular in recent years especially among celebrities. It is believed that their popularity will continue to grow as time goes by. The world’s most famous yellow diamond is the Tiffany Yellow Diamond which was discovered in the Kimberly mine in South Africa, back in 1878.
Tiffany Yellow Diamond
The 4C’s factors in purchasing a white diamond ring which is “color, cut, clarity and carat” are still and also the factors to be considered when you are interested to buy yellow diamond rings. But in contrast with the light colors, here it’s the more vivid colors that are more sought after and more expensive.
Yellow diamonds stand out because of their unique coloration and appearance which formulates a nice contrast either when set next to colorless or light-colored diamonds. Values and grading criteria for yellow diamond engagement rings vary and can differ from those of standard diamond engagement rings.
Thus, if this is your first time looking for yellow diamond engagement rings or other jewelry pieces involving yellow diamonds, there are a number of additional considerations you will need to be aware of in order to ensure that you are going to purchase the best value and quality.
Where To Buy Yellow Diamond Engagement Rings
You are unlikely to find these yellow-colored gems in your local jewelry shop and even if you did they would probably be exceedingly expensive. If you are interested to buy good colored yellow diamond engagement rings for your loved ones then your best choice is to look online at specialty jewelers.
When your budgets are tight, the search for cheap yellow diamond engagement rings can prove to be a challenge, making it hard to get a stone that is stunning and desirable without sacrificing the quality. However, if you are ready to shop around and really persevere, you may be able to find a reasonably priced yellow diamond ring that has a reasonable quality as well. This is why auction sites will often give you a wide collection of low-cost yellow diamond engagement rings to select from at a lower price.
Yellow Diamond Engagement Rings

If you have recently become engaged or if you are about to become engaged, you may want to get a ring that will be not only gorgeous but will also be very unique. Yellow diamond engagement rings certainly fit that description, gorgeous and also very unique. Want to know more about fancy yellow diamond engagement rings?
Yellow diamonds are the second most common diamond color, right after colorless diamonds. Not all yellow diamonds are the same yellow color; some people may even think that all yellow diamonds are called “canary” yellow diamonds. This is not totally accurate. They are broken down into several major groups: pastel, dark and deep, and vivid and intense. Pastel or light yellow diamonds are the least rare and also less expensive than their darker cousins. Canary yellow diamond engagement rings are considered to be in the vivid and intense group and are among the most expensive yellow diamonds.
Something to remember, especially if you are restricted by your budget, is that a light yellow diamond will look much darker and richer if it is surrounded by yellow gold. Don’t worry, even if you prefer white gold, you can get light yellow diamond engagement rings that have a white gold shank, and only the actual prong setting is yellow gold. That way it will still look like a darker yellow diamond, and the rest of the ring will be the silvery-white gold color you love. Some people naturally prefer the lovely softer tones of light yellow diamonds, so if you do, by all means, choose a pastel yellow diamond for your ring.
Because they are not among the rarest of diamond colors, that makes them still affordable for most people. Very beautiful yellow diamond engagement rings can be found for $2500 and under, in both yellow and white gold. You may have to shop around and be aware that not all jewelry stores will carry yellow diamond engagement rings. Also, if you are interested in vintage jewelry, antique yellow diamond engagement rings can be found at estate sales and also at specialty jewelry stores. Online jewelers are also a great source for antique yellow diamond rings. As always, ask to see a gemological certificate for the diamond before you purchase any expensive gemstone jewelry.
Yellow diamonds have long been considered to be very classy and are part of many fashionable women’s jewelry wardrobes. They will look fabulous with many other types of jewelry, like emerald rings and Pandora bracelets. From movie stars to First Ladies of the United States, you can find yellow diamonds on the best-dressed women, and you can be sure you will be in good company if you love yellow diamond engagement rings!
Happy Shopping!