Natural diamonds are rare, hence very expensive. But people’s appetite for these lustrous stones is unquenchable. So Man, as inventive as he is, came up with synthetic diamonds to give them a cheaper alternative. And they caught on. In fact, in 2018, it was estimated that about 1.5% of all diamonds sold in the United States. were synthetics or lab grown—from clear diamonds to fancy colored ones, including lab grown fancy yellow diamonds.

But before going any deeper into lab grown diamonds, let’s take a closer look at fancy yellow diamonds.

Lab-grown Fancy Yellow Diamonds

The word “diamond” conjures in people’s minds a clear, colorless, and sparkling stone. But this is not necessarily true. In fact, per GIA’s color-grading scale (which is the industry standard), diamond colors vary and are graded from D, for colorless, to Z for light yellow and or brown.

In the practical sense, however, on top of GIA’s color-grading scale, there are other diamond colors in the market such as red, yellow, orange, green, blue, pink, purple, brown, violet, and gray. Every once in a while black and white diamonds are unearthed.

These are called “fancy-colored” diamonds. Red, green, purple, and orange,  are generally rare. While yellow and brown are more common.

Fancy-colored diamonds fall outside the Z range but fancy yellow is the closest—a borderline case. They are more intense than the light yellow of Z diamonds. This is due to their having a  higher nitrogen molecule content.

Are Fancy Yellow Diamonds Expensive?

Fancy yellow diamonds are more expensive than white diamonds but are cheaper than other fancy-colored diamonds. To give you an idea, a 0.7-carat fancy and vivid yellow diamond costs (2018 price) $6,500, while a white diamond of the same carat costs $1,500.

How Rare Are Fancy Yellow Diamonds

Natural yellow diamonds are extremely rare. Only 1 out of 10,000 carats mined is a yellow But among fancy-colored varieties, they are the most common. In fact, roughly 60% of all fancy-colored diamonds are yellow.

Yellow diamonds come in many shades: from fancy light yellow to vivid yellow. They can be found all over the world, except for the intense vivid yellow. This diamond variety can only be found in South Africa.

The story of yellow diamonds is sort of serendipitous. In 1867, a teenager found a rough stone lying on the grass which did not look like any other stone he has seen. He brought it home and gave it to his mother. Not knowing any better, she gave it to her neighbor.

From there, it changed hands so many times until it landed in Europe where it was discovered by De Beers in 1967. The company bought it and called it the Eureka Diamond. However, De Beers donated the diamond to the people of South Africa. Now it sits on display at the  Kimberly Mine Museum, South Africa.

Then in 1972, the yellow Kimberly Octahedron was found, the largest natural diamond ever found. It weighs an amazing 612 carats. Too memorable to be cut up, it was given to the Diamond Vault of the Big Hole Museum, at Kimberly, South Africa.

Yellow diamonds are more abundant compared to the blue, red, and green. Hence, they are more affordable.

What are Lab Grown Diamonds

Lab-created diamonds are, as the name implies, diamonds created in laboratories. They come in many names like synthetic diamonds, artificial diamonds, cultivated diamonds, or cultured diamonds. Regardless of the name, they look, in every respect, like natural diamonds.

Synthetic diamonds are made by simulating the conditions that create natural diamonds—by subjecting a piece of carbon to extremely high temperatures and pressure until it crystallizes.

In 1797, scientists discovered that diamonds consist of pure carbon. This started the race to create the gem in laboratories. Though some of them achieved some degree of success, replicating their results remained elusive until 1954.

In that year, GE (General Electric) initiated “Project Superpressure,” to create diamonds in a lab. It actually was started in 1940 but was put on hold due to the war.

This time, it was a success.

Methods of Making Synthetic Diamonds

There are two accepted methods of making lab-created diamonds: HPHT (high pressure, high temperature, and CVD (chemical vapor deposition). Both start with a seed—a small piece of diamond.

Here’s how they work:

HPHT

• The seed is coated with carbon and placed in a high-pressure/high-temperature chamber.
• Then it is subjected to a pressure of 1.5 million psi (pounds per square inch) and a temperature of up to 1,500 degrees Celsius.
• These conditions are maintained until the carbon layer melds with the diamond seed forming a complete diamond.

CVD

• A thin slice of diamond seed (often from the HPHT process) is placed in a tightly-sealed chamber.
• Then methane and hydrogen gases are introduced into the chamber.
• Heat and pressure are then introduced into the chamber (heat and pressure are lower than in the HPHT process).
• The temperature, around several hundred Celsius, breaks down the carbon atoms in the gases and builds around the diamond seed.

The diamonds GE created in 1954 were small to be used for gems. But they were hard, making them perfect for industrial use. They were also more expensive compared to natural diamonds.

So GE’s scientists went back to the drawing board to find a way of making synthetic diamonds that would look and feel like the real deal. They hit pay dirt in 1971 when they were able to make the first gem-quality lab-created diamonds.

But they were still far from perfect. Making them was still expensive, and the color was on the darker side of yellow. Besides, they contained a lot of inclusions. They did not pass the clarity and color standards of colorless diamonds.

But GE didn’t give up. After several tweaks, and years of trying, scientists from the US, Russia, and China finally were able to make lab grown diamonds that exceeded natural diamonds in carat size, color, and clarity.

Today, the market is full of the best lab grown diamond jewelry you can buy. And they are all made using the CVD process. You can’t tell the difference if put side by side with a natural diamond.

Can Lab-grown Diamonds be Yellow

Yes, lab grown diamonds can be yellow. In fact, lab grown diamonds can be as colorful as natural diamonds. And it can be done easier.

Diamond colors are caused by the inclusion of trace chemicals during its formation millions of years ago. In the case of yellow diamonds, it is the presence of nitrogen molecules. Natural fancy yellow diamonds come in five shades whereas the lab grown variety has seven:

• Faint
• Very Light
• Light
• Fancy light
• Fancy
• Intense, vivid, deep, dark.

These varying shades are caused by the number of nitrogen molecules introduced during the process. The more molecules, the deeper the shade of the resulting diamond.

Faint yellow diamonds straddle between the Z grade colorless diamonds and Fancy-colored. They are very common, hence are not produced more. Besides, people are more attracted to the deeper yellow varieties—the canary hues.

A fancy light yellow diamond will be the least intense yellow color of the various carat fancy yellow diamonds. These diamonds will not look like tinted colorless diamonds, they will still appear purposefully yellow. They are great engagement ring options and less expensive.

The dark yellow diamond is priced higher on a per carat basis among the lab-created fancy diamonds because it is much sought after. In their natural state. they are also expensive because of their rarity.

Canary diamonds

Natural canary yellow diamonds, or canary diamonds, are fancy yellow diamonds with an intense, vivid hue. They are very rare and much sought-after. Thus, lab grown fancy yellow diamonds provide an attractive alternative. Just like natural diamonds, canary lab grown diamonds are more intense and vivid yellow without a trace of secondary colors. Named after the yellow-breasted bird, canary diamonds are rarer and more expensive, about 25% to 50% more, compared to a fancy yellow.

You can buy a stunning lab grown fancy yellow engagement ring at a fraction of the price of a natural diamond of the same color and carat size.

Technically, lab-created diamonds are real diamonds and are graded according to GIA’s 4cs—carat, color, clarity, and color—except for a small difference.  Regular diamond color is graded from D to Z, while yellow diamonds are anything that is beyond the Z grade. So, should you be interested in buying a fancy-colored diamond ring, be sure to ask for an IGI (International Gemological Institute) certification to ensure that you get the highest quality possible.

Price Profile

A natural diamond takes billions of years to form while you can have a lab grown fancy yellow diamond in a matter of weeks. Naturally, this translates to a huge price difference.

Natural yellow diamonds, especially those with intense, vivid yellow colors are very rare, thus they come at a premium.

These conditions make buying lab grown diamonds a lot more attractive. For example, an exquisite grade and hue natural 2.08-carat fancy vivid yellow diamond may cost somewhere around $31,140. On the other hand, an equivalent lab grown diamond with the same color intensity, clarity, and carat size can fetch around $13,210.

On the whole, smaller diamonds or fancy-colored ones with lighter hues are more common, hence, cheaper. However, low-grade lab-created diamonds are very rare as they are made to fill the demand for high-grade vivid yellow varieties, like the canary yellow.

Not everything is perfect for lab-created diamonds, though. Although cheaper, they have lower resale value—if ever. In the eyes of a jeweler, lab-created diamonds have no intrinsic value. While the value of natural diamonds traditionally rises over the years, lab grown diamonds have none.

How to Buy Lab grown Fancy Yellow Diamonds

Just like buying any piece of diamond jewelry, or any type of fine jewelry for that matter, buy from a reputable jeweler certified by a top grading institute. At the very least, ask for an IGI certification. 

After buying your jewelry item, have it inspected by an expert to check if you got what you paid for. There are plenty of fancy yellow diamond hues you may not be familiar it.

Do bear in mind that a lab-created diamond will be worth not much should you decide to sell it. They lose all their value right after purchase.

Lab grown Fancy Yellow Diamond Engagement Rings

They are eye-catching, no doubt about that. And they cost a lot less compared to natural diamonds. But with so many styles in the market, choosing the right one can be confusing.

So if you are buying a lab grown fancy yellow diamond engagement ring, consider the setting: how will its appearance and color affect the diamond?

Diamonds are reflective and may appear dark when reflected from the setting. So if you want to save a little, buy a lighter shade of fancy yellow and pair it with a gold setting to make it look darker.

Always be aware of the contrast between your yellow diamond and its setting. Yellow diamonds will not shine or glitter as much in a round cut.

If you buy a radiant cut—a great and popular choice for fancy yellow diamonds—have it set on a yellow gold bezel, or sunk in a yellow gold tub for a tremendous effect.

Canary yellow lab grown diamonds set in white gold or rose gold will give a classic and warmer look to your engagement ring.

The bottom line

Lab-created fancy yellow diamonds are an excellent alternative to real diamonds when it comes to engagement rings. They look, in every respect, like real diamonds and are graded very much the same way.

Synthetic fancy yellow diamonds sparkle and glitter just as much as real diamonds. And if properly cut and set, yellow diamond engagement rings are just as stunning and breathtaking.

One word of caution, though. Never expect your lab-created fancy diamond to become an heirloom or an investment. As mentioned above, one loses practically half its market value once you slip it into your finger. But don’t let this douse the excitement of having one. Anyway, they look every inch like real diamonds and nobody can tell the difference—even your curbside jeweler.

Now, if you’re in the market for a high quality diamond but don’t know where to start, read our article, “How to Choose a High Quality Diamond: A Detailed Guide.”