Star Appeal

These six high-jewelry designers share why they like featuring natural color diamonds in their most precious creations.

Maggi Simpkins
Whenever I am working with a diamond. I always look for fire and brilliance first — no matter what color. I know that the deeper the hue the more valuable they are, but I actually really love the softer colors where you can still see flecks of fire (blue or rainbow reflections shining off of the facets). [Color diamonds] offer me the opportunity to be playful with my design. Any time I work with one colored stone, it gives me the open invitation to design with more color stones.

Josefina Baillerès
People who learn about color diamonds fall in love with their stories. It is usually those who are searching for something new and are educated in the gemology world. Color diamonds are the most unique diamonds in the world, each with their own personality and particular traits. When collectors learn about the incredible intricacies color diamonds possess, there is simply no turning back!
Color diamonds open up my favorite part of design, which is color. One of my favorite artists, Josef Albers, taught me about color theory when I was introduced to his work in university, and this changed my perspective on color and how it can be used forever. Color diamonds open endless design possibilities that are not possible with just white diamonds.

Lily Gabriella
For me it’s all about the variety of vibrant hues and brilliance found in natural color diamonds. It is so mesmerizing that nature has produced such prismatic stones by chance encounters really, as if the stars were aligned, except in this case it involves combining carbon with intense pressure, heat, radiation and other natural elements such as boron and nitrogen formed deep within the Earth, some billions of years ago. It is truly fascinating when you think about it and even more so if you get the chance to hold one!
What I’ve noticed lately is that despite jewelry connoisseurs seeking the rarest and most coveted fancy-color diamonds, be it for their beauty or value, as well as funds looking to diversify their portfolios by offering investors the opportunity to invest in said stones, there has also been a larger audience looking for more affordable options, too, within the color spectrum. I believe this is due to information being readily available and clients looking for unique alternatives to colorless diamonds. Luckily color diamonds come in a plethora of hues, and although yellows and browns are most common, gray [salt and pepper] and black have become quite popular and affordable choices, too. Furthermore, a growing number of millennials and Gen Z HNWI [high-net-worth individuals] have become more active and discerning when it comes to collecting rare color diamonds, especially in Asia, where they choose quality over carat — it is a subtle indulgence that seems to captivate a growing number of luxury consumers in the region.

Nigel O’Reilly
One thing I always explain to my clients is that the massive positives of using a color diamond is that you get the full benefit of a diamond, with all the longevity and strength but with the full intensity and fire of color. Diamonds are formed through such an intense and magical process, working with them in general is always interesting. The fact that there are color options just injects real personality into a piece. It just adds another unique layer to my designs.

Feng J
Color diamonds offer me lots of options, as my design motto is ‘painting with gemstones.’ Color always plays an essential role in my creation. To me, the fancy-intense and fancy-vivid colors are always attractive, but I also quite like some poetic pale-color diamonds, such as my Jardin de Giverny necklace,
sold at a Phillips auction for $2.6 million. It’s set with a 19-carat, fancy-light-pink-color diamond, which although it’s pale, is very elegant and charming.

Thelma West
I look for maximum sparkle in a diamond, and color plays an important role for me. It’s not only about the intensity of the color, but also the saturation and hue. They work together to show off the real character of a color diamond. The fancy range is incredible and a dream to work with, however there are other interesting ways to play with non-fancy colors, which as a designer can be quite exciting.
I am able to simply let the fancy-color diamonds dazzle in a design which brings out their full color. Combining rare colors delivers one-of-a-kind results, which is always the goal.
Collectors [of color diamonds] are mostly buyers looking for something rare, unique for a design, or to keep as an heirloom or as an investment. These collectors have a real appreciation for nature’s finest gems.
For clients who do not have the fancy-color diamond budget, I am able to play with diamonds with some color. Just a hint is all I need most times, and I get on with the task of bringing to life a design that enhances every hue in the gem.

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Main image: Maggi Simpkins ring centering a cushion-cut, 2.43-carat fancy-pink diamond, surrounded by rubies and pink sapphires. Photo: Karla Ticas.