Leibish & Co., has unveiled its World of
Colors guide for identifying fancy coloured
diamonds. Leibish Polnauer, the president and
founder of the Israeli-based fancy coloured
diamonds company, said the guide contains 234
different colour combinations from Leibish’s own
inventory. It is designed for jewellery and diamond
professionals but it can also be used by consumers
and investors, Polnauer said.
“It has every colour on earth in every diamond
shape every colour of the rainbow,” he said.
Fancy coloured diamonds are graded differently
than white diamonds. The 4Cs are used but the
colour, including intensity of colour and hues, are
considered the diamond’s most important attribute.
Fancy coloured diamonds are found in 12 different
colours with more than 90 secondary hues and nine
intensity levels within the 234 colour combinations.
Their rarity and beauty makes some of these
diamonds worth well into the millions of dollars.
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To bring home the final point, the company
displayed a selection of its valuable inventory,
which included the $1 million 1.68-carat vivid Argyle
pink radiant diamond set in a double halo ring;
and a $2.5 million 33.83 carat fancy vivid yellow
radiant VVS2 earring set.
The only other fancy coloured diamond
grading guide in existence is from the Gemological
Institute of America. A second guide “was much
needed and sought after in the industry,” Polnauer
said.
He said that for the past ten years the value of
these diamonds have grown far greater than most
other investments. For example, he says that a 5-
carat fancy yellow diamond increased in value by
180 percent from 2001 to 2011 He compared that to
Berkshire Hathaway stock, which increased by 52
percent for that 10-year period and Coca Cola,
which grew 42.5 percent. He added that a $600,000
investment in a 5-carat fancy pink diamond would
yield about $3 million today.
“Fancy coloured diamonds have a longer
shelf life and doesn’t get worn out,” he says. “They
have financial appeal.” |
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Some of Leibish & Co.’s fancy coloured diamonds used for the World
of Color guide. |
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