Yellow diamonds are the fifth rarest color in the fancy range. They, like brown diamonds, start out in the colorless diamond scale and intensify into a gorgeous Fancy Vivid Yellow.

You begin to see the pure yellow tone evolve towards the end of the “D-Z” color scale in the “X Y Z” range.  Diamonds in the “D-Z” range, “Faint Yellow”, and “Light Yellow” range contain trace amounts of white the diamond which is why they do not receive a “Fancy” designation as the color is not pure and even throughout. The yellow tint is caused by nitrogen impurities in the crystal lattice absorbing blue light and reflecting shades of yellow.

Rebecca Romijn's 6 carat Canary Yellow Diamond Engagement Ring

Est. Value $80,000-$100,000

Fortunately, fancy yellow diamonds are more abundant and affordable than their colorless counterparts and serve as a very popular and a unique choice. Many celebrities rock this sunny hue as the center of their engagement rings.

 The Cora Sun Drop Diamond, 110.30 carats

The largest known Fancy Vivid Yellow diamond was a 110.30 carat pear shape named the Cora Sun-Drop Diamond.  It was kept in The Vault of the London Natural History Museum after it was found in South Africa in 2010 for six months. The Sun-Drop was sold to an anonymous telephone bidder in Geneva at a Sotheby’s auction for $10.9 million dollars in November 2011. The diamond received its name from Cora International, based in New York, who cut and owned the stone previous to auction.