Stunningly rare green diamonds
Natural green diamonds are extremely rare second only to natural red diamonds. It is said that less than ten natural green diamonds are released into the diamond market each year.
What Gives Green Diamonds Their Colour
Natural Green
While some green diamonds have a trace amount of nickel mixed into their carbon, the coloration in most green diamonds is due to the natural radiation from nearby rocks, which traps electrons to create a green surface colour. This minute amount of trace radiation does not always affect the entire gem, meaning that the stone may be green only in patches or on the surface. In these gems, the coloured surface portion is the external layer and some of the natural green can be lost during polishing.
If the colour is not lost during the polishing stage, the diamond is awarded a natural green colour grade. It can be said that this is the reason that green diamonds are so rare, as mostly the green colour is only skin deep.
All green diamonds have at least some small patches of 'skin' left on the stone also known as natural inclusions. It is very easy to replicate green colouration artificially, so the natural inclusions assist the diamond graders in determining the origin of the colour. Awarding a green diamond a natural colour origin is one of the hardest tasks a diamond grader can face contributing to the value and rarity of these diamonds.
