What is the rarest diamond colour (and why does GIA not tell us)?

[hiratop]

What is the rarest diamond colour? The general answer you find on the web is "red", or "straight red". As far as I'm concerned this is nonsense.
It might have been true(r) before Argyle started producing reds and pinks but today it's demonstrably wrong. If one wants to buy a
straight red one can find dozens online. But straight violet, for example? Almost impossible to find.
GIA could easily communicate what the rarest colour is. The aggregated stats from their certs would directly provide that information.
But they refuse to release that data. It's against their policy. One wonders why. Are they afraid to shatter some myths and unduly influence
price finding on the markets? Backlash from dealers and collectors, even lawsuits (Collector: You told me this is the rarest colour and it is not!
Dealer: I had no idea, I'm sorry...)?
So what is the real rarest colour? I'd go for straight violet, then straight purple. But maybe it's actually some mixed colour that is the rarest.
Comments?

 

[Karl_K]

The correct answer is orange with no modifiers.

 

[Karl_K]

Argyle has been shut down and is considered played out so pinks and reds are going to go back to being super rare on the market.

 

[hiratop]

The correct answer is orange with no modifiers.

Very rare but not as rare as purple or violet. Unless one considers almost all GIA straight oranges to actually not to be straight oranges.

 

[oldminer]

GIA gets to see whatever is submitted, but they don't have any direct knowledge of what has been found when mining. We know certain colors command the most interest, but no one is really privy to the underlying supply. Obviously, this "free market" has been tinkered with for many decades, but it seems to satisfy consumers and vendors. The market is highly driven by what the consumer wants to purchase and the smartest way to handle that is to chase trends and fashion. When there is high demand, the supply tends to serve up a bit more and when demand goes down in one arena it goes up in another. The patient diamond dealer rides the tides and currents.

Everything truly desirable stays "rare" and things few people want are not given away, but just held back enough to keep them valuable when there is some demand.

 

[Texas Leaguer]

I was told once by a top researcher who worked at both GIA and AGS that she was always on the lookout for an orange. I believe her wish list was for pink and yellow modifiers but can't recall exactly. But I remember it gave me visions of padparascha, the rarest of the sapphire spectrum.

I took it to mean that she considered it the holy grail in fancy colored diamonds.

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

Having worn the orange on my hand I can say it is remarkable! I don't even like orange normally but in a diamond, wow. It's on my "someday" list with a modifier to make it possible

 

[hiratop]

Orange happens to be my favourite colour in general so an orange diamond is my favourite coloured diamond. Something like this is mouth watering indeed:

 

[RunningwithScissors]

I know an orange is no longer rare or pricey when it has a brown modifier. However, I've always loved and longed for a deep orange-brown diamond, the color of dried autumn leaves.

Sorry for the sidetrack! Just day dreaming about pretties.

 

[AnastasiaBeaverhausen]

I saw an orange diamond in a jeweler's display case in the Bay Area (CA). I swear it stood out from all the other gems they had. I naively asked if it was a garnet or maybe a sapphire. The SAs kindly informed me it was an orange diamond. I forget the price but it was at least 5 digits.

 

[AnastasiaBeaverhausen]

I know an orange is no longer rare or pricey when it has a brown modifier. However, I've always loved and longed for a deep orange-brown diamond, the color of dried autumn leaves.

Sorry for the sidetrack! Just day dreaming about pretties.

As I always say, I'm glad when my preferences don't align with trade ideals. I get to save money and have more options. Win-win!