Here's a breakdown of why, and a general ranking of diamond colors by rarity and expense:
1. Red Diamonds: Extremely rare. Their color is believed to be caused by a unique deformation of the crystal lattice during formation. This rarity translates to exceptional prices.
2. Pink Diamonds: Also very rare and highly sought after. The Argyle mine in Australia, which produced the vast majority of pink diamonds, closed in 2020, further driving up prices.
3. Blue Diamonds: Rare and valuable, their color is caused by the presence of boron in the crystal structure.
4. Orange Diamonds: Pure orange diamonds are quite rare.
5. Green Diamonds: Natural green diamonds obtain their color from irradiation. While some irradiated diamonds are created artificially, naturally colored green diamonds are valuable.
6. Violet/Purple Diamonds: Fairly rare, though generally less expensive than the colors listed above.
7. Yellow Diamonds: More common than the colors above, but still considered fancy colored diamonds and can command high prices, especially for vivid and intense shades.
8. Chameleon Diamonds: Unique diamonds that temporarily change color when heated or kept in the dark for a period. Their rarity puts them in the higher price range, but generally less than the above colors.
9. Champagne Diamonds: A brownish-yellow color. More common and generally less expensive than vivid yellow diamonds.
10. Grey Diamonds: Can be quite beautiful and are growing in popularity, but generally not as expensive as the rarer fancy colors.
11. Black Diamonds: There are two main types: natural fancy black diamonds and treated black diamonds. Treated black diamonds are more common and less expensive. Natural fancy black diamonds can be valuable but are not as expensive as many other fancy colors.
12. White Diamonds: Refers to colorless diamonds. Their value is based on the 4 Cs (carat, cut, clarity, and color grade), with the highest grades (D color) being the most valuable among colorless diamonds. Colorless diamonds can be very expensive, but generally less so than rare fancy colors like red, pink, or blue.
Important Considerations:
* Intensity and Purity of Color: The intensity of the color greatly impacts the price. Vivid, intense, and pure colors command the highest prices.
* Size (Carat Weight): Larger diamonds are rarer and more expensive, especially when combined with a rare color.
* Clarity: While clarity is important, color is the primary factor in fancy colored diamonds.
* Cut: The cut can affect the brilliance and color display of the diamond.
Therefore, in the list you provided, a red diamond is generally the most expensive, followed by pink and blue, assuming all other factors (size, clarity, cut, and intensity of color) are comparable.