Chocolate Diamond Guide 

What is a Chocolate Diamond? What are Chocolate Diamonds?  Chocolate diamonds are low color or brown diamonds, long considered to be the poor stepsister of the beautiful, crystal clear 'traditional' white diamonds everyone knows and loves. Traditionally, low color diamonds have been viewed as less desirable and far less marketable than their clear diamond counterparts.

What Quality is a Chocolate Diamond?  Remember that the terms, low color, brown or chocolate diamond refer only to the diamond's color. As with white diamonds, there are also different factors to consider when purchasing a chocolate diamond. The remaining three Cs of the "Four Cs" of diamond quality (carat, clarity and cut) still play their role in measuring the value of a diamond.  Once you find a chocolate diamond in a color that suits you, remember to find out how it rates on the remaining three Cs.  It’s entirely possible for a high quality, low color (chocolate) diamond to carry a higher value than a lesser quality white diamond.

As with any other diamond jewelry purchase, the smart buyer would be wise to purchase certified chocolate diamond jewelry, which carries with it written provenance of diamond quality.   The majority of online jewelry retailers will very openly proclaim if they offer certified diamonds - it's a major selling point.  The most well-known and widely accepted certifications come from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), the American Gem Society (AGS), the International Gemological Institute (IGI) and European Gemological Laboratories (EGL).

The perceived value of chocolate diamonds has grown significantly in the last several years thanks to strong marketing campaigns which have essentially opened the consumer’s eyes to the beauty of chocolate diamond jewelry.  Consequently, the use of low color diamonds in fine jewelry designs has escalated and the desirability and demand for chocolate diamond jewelry has grown.

 The Evolution of the 'Chocolate Diamond'. The exclusive fine jewelry design house of Le Vian began to heavily market a line of brown diamond jewelry back in 2000, and for all intents and purposes, created a clamoring market for low-color/brown diamond jewelry where there once was none.

Le Vian’s marketing campaign built perceived value and desirability in their low color (C4-C6 on the Argyle Scale) – but otherwise high quality – diamond jewelry in part by branding their brown diamond jewelry line ‘Chocolate Diamonds’.

 
Where do Chocolate Diamonds Come From?  Chocolate diamonds are found in both Siberia and Africa, however the majority of the world's chocolate diamonds are mined at the Argyle Mine in Western Australia. Of the variety of diamonds mined at the Argyle Mine, approximately 95% are brown diamonds.

Though the Argyle Mine is the largest raw diamond producing mine in the world, only 5% of its diamond yield is considered, "gem quality." In addition to low color diamonds, the mine also produces white, pink, green and yellow diamonds.

 The Argyle Scale, the color scale upon which brown diamonds are measured, was developed by the Argyle Mine and is accepted as the industry standard for measuring the color of low-color (chocolate) diamonds.

Quick Shopping Note:  The term, "Chocolate Diamond," is a branded name belonging to Le Vian.  If you wish to widen the scope of your jewelry seach, try searching for terms like "brown diamonds."