The Rarest Diamonds on Earth: Colors, Origins, and Prices Explained

The World’s Rarest Diamond Colors Ranked

1. Red Diamonds The Rarest of All

Fewer than 30 natural red diamonds of significant size are known to exist in the entire world. The GIA doesn’t even grade them on a scale; there’s no Fancy Light Red or Fancy Vivid Red. There’s just Fancy Red, because they’re all extraordinary by default.

Their color comes from something called plastic deformation, a distortion of the crystal structure under extreme pressure that changes how light passes through the stone. No chemical element causes it. It’s pure physics.

• Origin: Primarily Brazil; occasional finds from Australia’s now-closed Argyle mine
• Famous example: The Moussaieff Red 5.11 carats, one of the largest known
• Price: $1,000,000+ per carat, often far higher at auction

2. Pink Diamonds Legendary and Getting Scarcer

Pink diamonds just got significantly harder to find. The Argyle mine in Western Australia which produced over 90% of the world’s pink diamond supply closed permanently in 2020. That closure sent the market in one direction: up.

Like red diamonds, pink stones get their color from plastic deformation rather than any chemical impurity, which makes them scientifically fascinating. The intensity range runs from Faint Pink to Fancy Vivid Pink, and each step up represents a dramatic jump in value.

• Origin: Australia (Argyle), India, Brazil, South Africa
• Famous example: The Pink Star 59.60 carats, sold for $71.2 million in 2017
• Price: $100,000 to $700,000+ per carat for high-quality stones

3. Blue Diamonds Born Deeper Than Most

Blue diamonds form deeper inside the Earth than almost any other diamond, sometimes over 400 miles below the surface. They get their color from trace amounts of boron incorporated into the crystal as it is formed. This makes them Type IIb diamonds, a classification that covers less than 0.1% of all natural diamonds.

The most desirable blue diamonds have a pure blue hue with no gray or green modifying color. The deeper and cleaner the blue, the rarer and more valuable the stone.

• Origin: South Africa (Cullinan mine), India, Australia
• Famous example: The Hope Diamond 45.52 carats, on display at the Smithsonian
• Price: $200,000 to $3,000,000+ per carat at the top of the market

4. Green Diamonds The Hardest Color to Authenticate

Natural green diamonds are among the most difficult gems to certify, because their color lives almost entirely on the surface of the rough stone. It develops from exposure to natural radiation from uranium or thorium in surrounding rock over millions of years. Cut the stone, and much of that green can disappear.

Pure vivid green in a finished cut diamond is exceptionally rare. Most green diamonds carry a secondary modifier like yellowish-green or bluish-green.

• Origin: Brazil, Central Africa, Zimbabwe
• Famous example: The Dresden Green 41 carats, one of the most historically significant green diamonds
• Price: $50,000 to $3,000,000+ per carat depending on saturation and purity

5. Orange Diamonds The Underrated Gem

Orange diamonds are caused by nitrogen defects in the crystal structure, the same element that creates yellows but in a specific atomic arrangement that shifts the color toward orange rather than yellow. A pure orange diamond with no brown or yellow modifier is extremely rare and increasingly sought after.

• Origin: South Africa, Central African Republic
• Famous example: The Pumpkin Diamond 5.54 carats, famously worn by Halle Berry at the Oscars
• Price: $50,000 to $700,000+ per carat for Fancy Vivid quality

6. Yellow and Brown Diamonds Beautiful, But More Available

Yellow diamonds often called canary diamonds are the most commonly found fancy colored diamonds. Their color comes from nitrogen atoms replacing carbon in the lattice. High-quality Fancy Vivid Yellows are still spectacular stones, just more accessible than the colors above.

Brown diamonds, marketed under names like champagne or cognac, are the most abundant fancy color and typically the most affordable entry point into this category.

Where Do These Diamonds Actually Come From?

Different geological environments produce different colors, and certain mines have become legendary for what they yield:

• Argyle Mine, Australia (now closed): The world’s primary source of pink, red, and violet diamonds — its permanent closure has dramatically tightened global supply
• Cullinan Mine, South Africa: Famous for exceptional blue diamonds and large white stones
• Golconda, India (historical): Birthplace of legendary diamonds including the Hope Diamond and Koh-i-Noor
• Brazilian mines: Known for red, green, and a wide range of fancy-colored rough
• Central Africa and Zimbabwe: Important sources for orange and green material

No single mine produces every color. The specific chemistry and physical conditions of each geological environment essentially specializes in a narrow color range which is part of what makes each discovery so significant.