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CHAPTER XIII
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COLORED DIAMONDS
From
what cause, therefore, do colours arise in Nature? It is nothing but
the disposition of bodies to reflect the rays of a certain order and to
absorb all the rest.
Voltaire
In the diamond trade they are called "fancies," the rare stones of well-marked colors. They may be red, pea green, apple green, rose, violet-blue, pale sapphire blue, absinthe green, golden brown, orange, yellow, and every color and combination of colors extant. They are beautiful to behold, and a critical discussion of them would seem at first to be pedantic. The fact is, however, the color of a diamond is one of the most controversial subjects in the gem world. Sometimes you can turn peaceful, good-humored men of the trade into raging gladiators by asking the simple question:
What, precisely, is the perfect color of a diamond?
Is it white? Or is it blue-white? And if it is either, does that mean the colored stone is not perfect?
This
may appear to be introducing fine points, split hairs, minor nuances,
and petty variations. But watch the man of the trade as at first he
shrugs his shoulders, then waves his hands wildly, then shakes his head
bewilderedly. Perhaps he will exclaim, when the storm has subsided:
Why, the blue-white stone is the perfect diamond! Or he may say that a
pure white stone is perfect.
(212)
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