Colored Lab Grown Diamonds: How Blue, Pink, Yellow and Green Are Made, Priced and Chosen
Only a small fraction of mined diamonds come out of the ground with a real color, and the strong blues and pinks among them sell for more per carat than almost any other gem. A lab can grow the same colors on purpose. The result is a fancy color diamond, graded by the same laboratories on the same scale, at a price an ordinary budget can reach. This guide explains how each color is made, what the grades mean, what a colored lab grown diamond ring costs and how to choose one.
Colored Lab Grown Diamonds Are Real Diamonds
A colored lab grown diamond is crystal carbon, exactly like a colorless one: 10 on the Mohs hardness scale, the same white flash from the facets, the same care. The color comes from something inside the crystal, a trace element or a tiny flaw in the lattice called a color center, and these are the same causes that color natural fancy diamonds. A diamond tester reads a colored lab grown diamond as diamond, because it is one. Read more about how the stones themselves are grown in CVD vs HPHT lab grown diamonds.
How Each Color Is Made
Blue: Boron
A blue diamond contains a trace of boron. Boron atoms take the place of a few carbon atoms in the crystal and absorb the red end of the spectrum, so the stone looks blue. This is what colors the Hope diamond, and in nature such stones are extremely rare. In the lab, boron is added while the diamond grows, so the blue is part of the crystal and permanent. See our blue lab grown diamond engagement rings.
Yellow: Nitrogen
Yellow is the most common fancy color in nature and comes from nitrogen in the crystal. A small amount gives the faint tint that lowers a colorless diamond's grade on the D to Z scale; much more, held the right way, gives a saturated canary yellow that is graded on the fancy color scale instead. Lab grown yellows are grown with nitrogen in the crystal, so the color is permanent. See our yellow lab grown diamond engagement rings.
Pink: Color Centers
Natural pink diamonds get their color from distortions in the crystal that formed under pressure, not from an element, which is one reason they are so rare. Lab grown pinks are produced by creating color centers in the crystal in a controlled step after growth. The color is stable in everyday wear and cleaning. See our pink lab grown diamond engagement rings.
Green: Color Centers
In nature a green diamond forms when the stone lies next to radioactive minerals for millions of years, and most natural greens carry only a thin skin of color. Lab grown greens are produced by color centers created after growth, which gives an even green through the whole stone, a clear leaf green rather than the dark tone of an emerald. See our green lab grown diamond engagement rings.
Whatever the color, the IGI report that comes with the stone records the growth method and any post-growth treatment, so you always know how your diamond was made. Our IGI vs GIA guide explains what else the report shows.
What the Color Grades Mean
Colorless diamonds are graded from D to Z, where D is the whitest. Once a diamond has more color than Z it moves to the fancy color scale, where strong, even color is the goal. The scale runs Faint, Very Light, Light, Fancy Light, Fancy, Fancy Intense and Fancy Vivid, with Fancy Dark and Fancy Deep for darker stones. Our centre stones are graded Fancy Intense: a strong, clearly visible color that still shows plenty of sparkle. Clarity is graded as usual; ours are VVS1 to VVS2.
What a Colored Lab Grown Diamond Ring Costs
In nature the color decides the price: a blue or pink diamond costs many times more than a yellow of the same size. In the lab that gap disappears. At Bhumi Gems all four colors are priced the same, so the price depends only on the carat weight and the metal. Prices checked in October 2026.
| Colored centre stone | 925 sterling silver | 10K gold | 14K gold | Platinum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 ct | $647.49 | $1,147.49 | $1,347.49 | $1,477.49 |
| 2 ct | $1,322.49 | $1,822.49 | $2,022.49 | $2,182.49 |
| 3 ct | $1,997.49 | $2,497.49 | $2,697.49 | $2,887.49 |
Each extra carat adds $675, 18K gold is $200 more than 14K, and every design is offered from 1 to 10 carats. A colorless lab grown diamond of the same size costs less; compare in our lab grown diamond price guide.
Which Shape Shows Color Best
Color behaves differently from sparkle. A round brilliant is cut to return as much white light as possible, which can make a colored stone look a little lighter. Cushion and radiant cuts hold color in their depth and look slightly more saturated for the same grade, which is why most natural fancy color diamonds are cut this way. Elongated shapes, oval, pear and marquise, spread the color across the finger and look larger per carat. Across our sixty designs oval is the most common shape, followed by round, emerald, princess, pear, radiant, marquise, hexagon and cushion. Shape and setting are the same in every color, so settle on a design first and then compare its four color pages.
Which Metal Suits Each Color
- Blue: white gold or platinum keep it cool and crisp; yellow gold makes it look deeper by contrast.
- Pink: rose gold deepens the pink into one warm color; white gold or platinum make it look brighter; yellow gold gives a peach warmth.
- Yellow: yellow gold for the richest canary look; white gold or platinum to make the color stand out; rose gold for an apricot tone.
- Green: white gold or platinum for a crisp, clean look; yellow gold makes it lush and deeper.
Every ring is offered in 925 sterling silver, 10K, 14K or 18K gold in yellow, white or rose, or platinum. Yellow and rose on silver and platinum are plated finishes, and 14K gold or platinum is the practical choice for a ring worn every day. Each product page shows the ring in all three tones.
Caring for a Colored Lab Grown Diamond
Care is the same as for any diamond: warm water, mild soap and a soft brush, and a prong check once or twice a year. Blue and yellow are colored by elements inside the crystal and cannot fade. Pink and green color centers are stable in everyday wear and in normal cleaning, including ultrasonic cleaners. The one thing to avoid is very high heat, the kind a jeweler's torch produces during a resize, so tell any jeweler who works on the ring later that the stone is a colored lab grown diamond. We make every ring in your size before it ships, so no resizing is needed when it arrives.
Colored Lab Grown Diamond or Colored Moissanite?
Colored moissanite comes in blue, green, teal, champagne and grey at a lower price per carat, with more rainbow fire, and it is a good choice for a bold color on a small budget. A colored lab grown diamond gives the classic diamond look, the highest hardness of any gem and an IGI report that records the color grade. Our colored moissanite guide covers the moissanite side, and the colored moissanite rings are here.
Quick Answers
Are colored lab grown diamonds real diamonds?
Yes. They are crystal carbon with a hardness of 10, graded by the same laboratories as colorless diamonds. Only the color cause, boron, nitrogen or a color center, is added or created on purpose.
Do colored lab grown diamonds fade?
No. Blue and yellow are permanent parts of the crystal; pink and green color centers are stable in normal wear. Avoid very high heat during repairs.
Which colored diamond is the cheapest?
In our store all four colors cost the same. In nature, yellow is the most affordable fancy color and blue and pink are the most expensive.
Does a colored lab grown diamond come with a certificate?
Yes. Every colored centre stone comes with an IGI grading report, which records the color grade, clarity, measurements, growth method and any treatment, and every ring comes with a Bhumi Gems certificate of authenticity.
Can I get the same ring in a different color?
Yes. Each of the sixty designs is offered in blue, pink, yellow and green, and with a colorless centre in our lab grown diamond engagement rings. Browse all four colors in our colored lab grown diamond engagement rings.