Chocolate Diamonds: Are They a Real Thing?

Call it the diamond with many names. Chocolate diamonds is a term that is applied to a range of coloured diamonds that feature hues that are the same or similar to the colour brown. But there is more to the story of Chocolate or brown diamonds, as these two names mean the same thing that is worth exploring.

In this Education page, we will look at what chocolate diamonds are, their origins and what makes the value proposition. Or are they?

What are Chocolate Diamonds?

Brown diamonds or chocolate diamonds or champagne diamonds or cognac diamonds (you get the picture) are a category of diamonds that fall under the coloured range of diamonds. However, they do not, at least until very recently, fall within the heading of coloured or as they are better known ‘fancy coloured’ diamonds.

This is an important distinction, as chocolate or as they are better known in the industry, brown diamonds were never really part of the fancy coloured range. In fact, they were not even part of the recognised range of diamonds that were considered valuable in the world precious gemstones or gemstone jewellery. A flag that diamonds that fall under this range still carry with them. This is due to the historical character of brown diamond use. This takes us to the next point.

Origins of Chocolate Diamonds

One of the reasons why many persons, even those who are interested in the world of diamonds and gemstones may not be aware of brown/chocolate diamonds is that their history of use has for the most part been limited to the world industry. Brown diamonds have been predominant in various industrial processes, where diamonds in this range are adopted as cutting and shaping tools. Since diamonds are immensely durable, scoring a solid 10 in the Mohs scale for hardness, they are a feature in many industries. However, their prevalence in the world of heavy industry like manufacturing and not in gemstones and jewellery is an interesting one.

First, coloured diamonds are rarer than colourless diamonds. At least when one considers the overall supply of diamonds from across the world, brown diamonds that feature a distinct hue are rarer than white or colourless stones. However, in the world coloured or fancy coloured gemstones brown diamonds are the most abundant. A bulk of these diamond varieties are sourced from the now-voided Argyle mines of Western Australia.

However strategic decisions made by the leaders in the diamond mining industry, notably De Beers, led to the side-lining of these particular diamond varieties. The exact reasons for this decision are difficult to speculate on, but brown diamonds were effectively pushed out of the limelight in the West, with many of the stones finding their way into the Indian market. A part of the world where coloured gemstones were better valued.

The Naming of Chocolate Diamonds

As noted one of the major sources of brown diamonds was the Argyle diamonds in Western Australia, but the abundance of the supply of these stones meant they were deemed better suited for industrial production. Thus brown diamonds became a staple in that world. However in order to bring them into the world of gemstone jewellery, a new marketing approach was needed. Enter the chocolate diamond.

Essentially the ‘chocolate diamond’ is an effective marketing ploy to make brown-coloured diamonds more accessible to the consumer market for carbon-based gemstones. At one level the chocolate diamond or cognac or champagne diamonds as they are fashionably known are a premium presentation of traditional brown diamonds. However, when it comes to the world of diamonds and diamond jewellery, not all brown diamonds are made the same. For in addition to featuring the colour brown there are other factors to consider when picking brown diamonds for jewellery.

Determining the Quality of Chocolate Diamonds

The first thing to consider when considering chocolate or brown diamonds is the industry is not fully settled on their quality and standard. As there are still a number of companies well known or otherwise that are sceptical on the subject of brown diamonds. This is an important point to keep in mind. For some, no matter the quality of the brown diamond colour it will always be viewed negatively.

However in the diamond industry, especially in recent times, there has been growing interest in brown or chocolate diamonds, which has found its way into the fine jewellery industry. Before we get to the different types of hues that make up the brown diamond range, we need to understand what gives diamonds their brown or chocolate colour.

When it comes to diamond colour the causal factors vary. From the presence of trace minerals as in yellow diamonds to the effects brought on by radiation in green diamonds. With brown diamonds, the cause of colour is identified with distortions caused to the crystal lattice structure of the stone. Diamonds form deep within the Earth’s surface. In a process that takes place over tens of millions of years. In this process involving high heat and pressure, a number of interactions take place.

Now there is some confusion about the actual stimulant that sets the motion of colour change in the first place. The key point to bear in mind is that changes to the diamond’s structure affect its ability to interact with the light which contributes to the particular hue. However, when it comes to purchasing a gemstone-quality chocolate diamond, the other factors of diamond quality remain. The 4Cs which measure the gemstone cut, clarity and carat must be considered.

Chocolate Diamond Varieties

Now when it comes to classifying brown diamonds with respect to quality, the richer the hue in the stone generally the more valuable it is. Now, this might sound a bit tricky because when it comes to brown diamonds, we are not just looking for the darker stone. Brown diamonds which feature deeper browns are generally valued less and may be confused with industrial stones. What gemstone experts are looking for is the presence of a distinguishable chocolate hue, but not too light. 

Interestingly the brown or chocolate diamond industry has started to develop a way of classifying these various brown diamonds. When it comes to colourless or normal diamond colour quality is measured by the D – Z scale. Diamonds that feature less or no closer find themselves close to the D mark, which is recognised as the near perfectly colourless. With respect to chocolate diamonds a new C- scale has developed.

Its origins have been attributed to the great mining company Rio Tinto, and the way it works is that brown diamonds with varying levels of colour, in the brown range, are classified according to the quality that goes from C- 1 to C – 7 range. With varying levels of hue that vary in terms of the vibrancy of the colour. According to industry standards, only those diamonds that fall between C - 4 to C -7 range are considered authentic chocolate or cognac diamonds. These select gemstones are the real deal and are much rarer than even top-quality white or colourless diamonds.

Chocolate Diamond Jewellery

Now this is an interesting point to consider since the market for chocolate diamonds is still a developing one and there their wider acceptance is still in the early stages. So when it comes to opting for chocolate diamonds and their related variants in the brown diamond family: champagne and cognac diamonds are still rather new. What is certain however is that brown diamonds along with other more exotic gemstone options are capturing a smaller but growing segment of the market for fine jewellery. Clearly, chocolate diamonds are not for everyone. Especially when it comes to top jewels like diamond engagement rings. However, they are nonetheless a growing market.