Excerpt from section 1 of the exhibition
A UNIQUE CRYSTAL
COLOUR – Crystal palette
Colour does indeed exist in diamond, in a myriad of variations. Of course, a chemically pure diamond, one composed solely of carbon, is perfectly colourless; it is then described as « of the purest water. » But add a few nitrogen atoms and yellow appears. Add boron instead and a blue diamond results. Red, violet, pure white and even black are possible.
The origin of colour in diamond is still not fully understood. However, coloured diamonds are certainly highly valued both in the marketplace and in science.
Aurora Collection
Courtesy of the American Museum of Natural History and Aurora Gems, New York
Collection of 260 naturally coloured fancy diamonds from around the world
showing the range of colours in diamonds. The gems weigh between 0.13 and
2.88 carats.
