Natural coloured diamond
Natural Green Diamonds
The most scientifically intriguing fancy colour — it forms from exposure to natural radiation deep in the earth, not from a chemical impurity. Green diamonds are among the rarest colours, and only an independent GIA origin report can confirm their natural origin. Every diamond from 0.30 ct with documented colour origin.
Featured natural diamond
0.68 ct · · VS1
Radiant
DKK 630,485.00
incl. 21% VAT
From our selection
Selected natural diamonds from our offer
A live selection — each stone is unique and GIA-certified; once sold, it cannot be replaced.
The science
Why a diamond is green: natural radiation
A green diamond's colour does not come from a chemical impurity like nitrogen or boron, but from exposure to natural radiation deep in the earth — a process that may have taken millions of years. That same mechanism makes them exceptionally hard to authenticate.
Colour from natural radiation
When a diamond sits near radioactive minerals in the earth's crust, radiation over geological time displaces carbon atoms and creates colour centres — defects that absorb red and yellow light and transmit green.
Skin colour vs. body colour
In most green diamonds the colour sits only in a paper-thin surface layer (alpha radiation). Green that permeates the whole diamond — as in the Dresden Green — is a rare exception, valued many times higher.
A hard origin to verify
Natural and laboratory irradiation give a physically identical result. Green is therefore the hardest fancy colour to authenticate — an independent GIA origin report is absolutely essential.
GIA intensity scale
Faint → Fancy Vivid
GIA grades coloured diamonds on a separate scale. For greens value rises steeply with saturation — a Fancy Vivid green reaches many times more than a Fancy Light green. Green ranks alongside blue and red among the rarest fancy colours.
Three axes of colour
Hue, tone and saturation
Hue
The character of the colour. For greens GIA often describes modifiers — bluish-green, yellowish-green or grayish-green. A pure, unmodified green is the rarest.
Tone
The lightness or darkness of the colour — from soft, almost pastel to a deep, dark “apple green”. Tone together with saturation sets the intensity grade.
Saturation
The depth and strength of the colour. Saturation is what drives value up — from Fancy Light to Fancy Vivid green, which is among the rarest coloured diamonds of all.
„Green is the only colour the earth's own radiation presses into a diamond — and only in the very rarest does it reach all the way to its heart.“
Arete Diamond gemological view
Honest distinction
Natural × treated × laboratory-grown colour
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| Natural colour | Irradiation-treated colour | Laboratory-grown | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cause of colour | Natural radiation from radioactive minerals in the earth's crust over millions of years — creating colour centres in the crystal lattice. | A natural diamond whose colour was altered in a laboratory by irradiation (or HPHT). The treatment is stable and legitimate, but must always be disclosed. | A stone created by the CVD or HPHT process. Physically and chemically identical to a natural diamond, but with its own GIA report (LGDR) and a more accessible price. |
| Documentation & disclosure | GIA certificate stating colour origin “Natural”. | Mandatory disclosure; GIA notes the treatment in the certificate and as a girdle inscription. Always declared. | A separate GIA report (LGDR). Always transparently labelled. |
| Value | Highest — the rarest category. | Lower than natural; valued for the accessibility of the colour. | Most accessible. |
Value & rarity
Among the rarest — and the hardest to verify
Green diamonds rank alongside blue and red among the rarest fancy colours. Value is driven by saturation, colour distribution (body vs. skin) and, above all, documented natural origin. To illustrate the rarity: the Aurora Green (5.03 ct, Fancy Vivid green) sold at auction in 2016 for about USD 16.8 million.
40.70 ct
The Dresden Green
The largest natural-colour green diamond — Fancy green, VS1, Type IIa, a Saxon state treasure for centuries. A rare example of even body colour throughout the diamond.
Body > skin
Colour distribution
Most green diamonds carry colour only in a thin surface layer; even body colour throughout the diamond is the exception and is valued exponentially higher.
GIA
Documented origin
For greens the origin opinion is decisive — natural and laboratory irradiation give the same result, so independent GIA verification is indispensable.
What drives the price
For white diamonds the 4Cs decide in the usual order. For coloured diamonds colour comes first — judged through hue, tone and saturation. The factors we watch:
Swipe to see the full table
| Factor | What we look at | Why it matters for price |
|---|---|---|
| Intensity grade | Fancy Light → Fancy Vivid | The strongest price driver; a Fancy Vivid green is exceptionally rare. |
| Colour distribution | Skin vs. body | Colour permeating the whole diamond is worth exponentially more than surface colour. |
| Hue purity | Pure green vs. modifiers | A pure green is rarer than bluish-, yellowish- or grayish-green. |
| Colour origin | Natural / treated / laboratory | The most important factor for greens; a GIA origin report is essential. |
| Weight | Whole and threshold weights | Natural green diamonds in larger weights are extremely rare. |
Compiled by Arete Diamond gemologists for educational purposes. Not financial or investment advice.
Frequently asked
Frequently asked questions
Consultation
Looking for a particular hue or intensity grade?
We will source a natural coloured diamond to your brief — the saturation, shape and weight you want — always with a GIA certificate and documented colour origin.
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