When you think of diamonds, the romance of a solitaire being presented to a bride to be is what usually come to mind.

But when you look around you can see that diamonds are so much more!

Take for instance the increasingly popular "right hand ring". Usually a gorgeous ring that women are now wearing on their

right hand and used not as a sign of love but as a statement.

Now of course when either of these pieces of jewelry are thought of, you usually think of a clean white diamond. But what is

becoming more and more popular are the color diamonds. Yes diamonds come in more than just the white ones you normally see.

A rainbow of colors await you in red, green, yellow, blue, pink and even black. Today they are becoming more and more popular

and the prices are going up on them quite a bit.

Colored Diamonds are not usually natural unless of course you want to pay a fortune for them. Most colored diamonds on the market

today are treated by acceptable standards in the gemstone and jewelry industry. Some of these treatments include, Irradiation,

followed by a high heat treatment, can turn brown and yellow diamonds into fancy colored diamonds--greens, vivid yellows, blues,

purples, reds and other colors. The color is usually permanent, but could possibly change if high heat is used during setting repairs.

Natural fancy colored diamonds are expensive and out of the reach of most buyers. A certificate from a respected grading lab should

accompany all fancy colored diamonds that are marketed as natural.
Question the ethics of anyone who attempts to sell you a natural fancy colored diamond for a bargain price.
Treatment-produced fancy colors are affordable, and allow more of us to own a brightly colored diamond. They should not be considered

an investment. Buy one because you love it, not because you think you can sell it for a profit later.
Ask the jeweler for care instructions when you buy an irradiated fancy color diamond.

Color diamonds are also becoming very popular in engagement rings or anniversary rings.