Why Are Brown Diamonds Worth Less Than White Diamonds?

We like our diamonds the way that Elizabethan women liked their complexions. That is, as devoid of color as possible and without so much as a freckle or a blemish. 

In the diamond industry, these perceived blemishes are inclusions. 

For example, graphite clusters and inclusions can make a diamond appear black. And nitrogen will cause a yellow tint. Take that nitrogen and apply some heat and you have a brown diamond.

In “For Appearance’ Sake: The Historical Encyclopedia of Good Looks, Beauty, and Grooming,” Victoria Sherrow concluded that a preference for a pale appearance has correlated with class-consciousness. In other words, pale skin coincided with privilege. Darker skin, unfortunately, went hand in hand with manual labor and overexertion.

In “The Truth About Chocolate Diamonds,” Dodai Stewart asserted that “up until very recently, brown diamonds were not something anyone was interested in. Unless you just needed something hard and sharp, because you were running a factory.”

Is it a coincidence that brown diamonds have lower prices? Or that these so-called ugly diamonds were repurposed to do the dirty work? They became steel bits to drill through metal and part of saw blades to saw through wood. To put it plainly, their dark color went hand in hand with…manual labor.

The historically prized complexions of nearly translucent white women syncs up with the color grading of diamonds. Both systems follow eerily similar guidelines. The aesthetic of whiteness being interchangeable with value applies across all aspects of life. This is because white culture is the dominant culture.

The Diamond Colour Grading Scale was invented by the GIA or Gemological Institute of America in the 1950s. With the correct lighting, you view a diamond under great magnification. The diamond’s color is compared to a set of master stones. Depending on the color of the diamond, you can verify what letter grade it is and how much it is worth.

In the western world, jewelry has always been colonial. It’s kind of like a gun. It’s the white gaze that tells us what matters and what to pay attention to. In “Everything You Need To Know About Chocolate Diamonds,” Benjamin Khordipour gives us the facts. “Brown diamonds have always existed. They just haven’t been judged as worthy of inclusion on jewelry.” Moreover, in “Bravo for Brown Diamonds” the GIA referred to brown diamonds as the “ugly ducklings of the colored diamond world.”

It is worth noting there are no black or brown diamonds in the GIA master stone set. Every diamond that’s present is white and old, like members of a tiny corporate boardroom. The darkest diamond has faint hues of yellow, like blonde hair or straw.

In line with Jim Crow laws, brown diamonds are “separate but equal” and face segregation. And like the actual legal doctrine, “separate but equal” is not equal. Brown diamonds are worth significantly less.

Initially, because they were so undesirable a separate grading scale had to be created for them. This was known as the Argyle Grading Method. Today, brown diamonds are graded by the GIA against brown master stones.

With hip jewelers including brown diamonds in their designs, there is a rise in popularity. But the stigma of being brown is hard to erase. As Khordipour points out, “Because even the best chocolate diamonds are still brown diamonds, there is still a degree of snobbery present which sees them as the poor relations of colored diamonds.”

The general excuse that’s given is that brown diamonds are just so common, that they’re not worth much. Also, that they generally are of poor quality and thus are destined for industrial use. By poor quality, what’s being highlighted is that brown diamonds are full of inclusions. (It’s the inclusion of nitrogen that makes them brown.)

The same way that FOX News will highlight the worst examples of Black people and try to pass that off as the norm, the diamond industry has stereotyped brown diamonds as low-quality brown rocks.

That’s all fine and dandy, but brown diamonds often have the Three C’s: cut, clarity, and carat weight. And if they possess the holy trinity of diamond quality then why are they still of a lower rank? If we remove the excuses, the only difference at that point would be color. A brown diamond will cost far less than a colorless diamond with identical quality, clarity, and carat weight. I’ll repeat that, identical quality. And I think that says something about America. I think that says something about the world.

Brown diamonds have the same rating as a white diamond on the Mohs Hardness Scale. They are found deep under the Earth the same way white diamonds are found. They come in so many beautiful shades like chocolate, cognac, and champagne. And yet, they’re cheap. And yet, they’re called ugly. And yet they’re seen as fit for manual and menial labor.

The “aha!” moment for me, was when I realized that the reason that brown diamonds are worth less is bias. Being a Black person is no different than being a brown diamond. People look at you and assume you should be working hard in a factory somewhere. People view you as impure and less beautiful.

How is deciding that brown diamonds are worth 50% less than white diamonds any different than the Three-Fifths Compromise, where we used to count Black Americans as ⅗ of a person?

Historically white diamonds are worth more because they’re seen as purer. Why is white expensive and ecclesial and pure? Why is white right? Why is white the most beautiful color? What are we subjugating or devaluing by upholding that standard?

When we say that brown is not valuable or beautiful or worthy of display, is that truth or habit? We have to stop assuming old mentalities are timeless.

I am a brown diamond. I have been persecuted, stigmatized, and given a low appraisal. I have been fetishized and referred to as various liquors and desserts. But I don’t let subjective opinions affect my objective worth. I am a rarity.

The truth is that brown diamonds are as breathtaking as they are diverse. And like Black people, we have to stop pigeon-holing them and recognize their equality and beauty.

Image Credit: Marigold Events, Joe Escobar Diamonds