Diamond Coloring Pages

A diamond is mostly straight lines, and that is what makes it such a satisfying thing to color: every facet is its own small shape, and the same stone can be filled in one flat color or in a dozen shades of blue, white and gray until it seems to catch the light. These diamond coloring pages go from a single cut stone to whole scenes built around gems.

Some pages are about the stone itself. A large diamond rests on a tufted velvet cushion, tweezers lift a pear-cut diamond above a folded paper packet, a ring carries a row of round stones in claw settings, and one page is simply a square diamond seen from above with every facet drawn. A jeweled crown, a necklace coiled in a spiral on a beaded tray, drop earrings hanging from a little potted tree, an open jewelry box full of rings and necklaces, and a candle chandelier dripping with crystal drops fill the jewelry side of the collection.

Others follow gems from the ground to the workbench: a crystal cave along a dark seam of rock, a mine cart heaped with rough stones on its rails, a prospector swirling a pan in a river, two halves of a geode beside a crystal cluster, a jeweler setting stones with a loupe in his eye, and a young gem cutter holding a stone against a polishing wheel. Then come the stories: a treasure chest overflowing with gems, a castle gate with jewels set above the arch, a dragon curled asleep on its hoard, a baby dragon hugging a diamond as big as itself, a magpie flying home with a diamond in its beak, a mermaid laying out gems on a rock, a fairy sitting inside a giant crystal, a rabbit pushing a wheelbarrow of gems and a spider web hung with dewdrops like tiny jewels. A diamond mandala, a border of marquise stones and a page of repeating facets are there for anyone who wants pattern rather than a picture.

Why a diamond has so many sides

A rough diamond looks nothing like the stones on these pages. It comes out of the ground as a dull crystal, often shaped like two pyramids joined at their base, and it is the cutter who gives it its shape by grinding flat faces, called facets, onto it. The classic round cut has a flat top called the table, a sloping crown around it and a pointed underside called the pavilion. Light enters through the top, bounces off the facets underneath and comes back out, and that is where the sparkle comes from. The pear, marquise and square shapes on these pages are other cuts, chosen to suit the rough stone and the jewel it will go into.

Diamonds are made of carbon squeezed deep underground, and they are the hardest natural material known, which is why the only thing that can cut a diamond is another diamond. The grinding wheel on the gem cutter's page is coated with diamond dust for exactly that reason.

How to color a diamond so it sparkles

A diamond is colorless, so the trick is to color what it reflects. A few ideas that work with ordinary pencils or markers:

• Use three shades of one color. Pale blue, medium blue and gray are the classic choice. Put the darkest on the facets at the bottom and sides, the lightest near the top, and leave two or three small facets completely white.
• Keep neighbors different. Two facets side by side should never be the same shade. That contrast is what the eye reads as sparkle.
• Try colored gems. Rubies are red, sapphires blue, emeralds green, amethysts purple. The same facet method works for all of them with their own three shades.
• Make the background dark. A deep navy or black around the stone makes the pale facets look brighter, which is why jewelers show diamonds on dark velvet.

For the crystal cave and the geode, purple and pink are the natural colors of amethyst, and a white gel pen dot on each point adds a shine at the end.

From simple stones to busy treasure

The single stones and the crown are drawn large, with long straight lines that are easy to follow, and suit younger children who like shapes with clear edges. Quick to color, above the grid, begins with:

• Diamond facets
• Crystal rock
• Pear-cut diamond

The mandala, the facet patterns, the hoard and the treasure chest are full of small shapes and reward patience. Lots of detail begins with:

• Diamond pattern
• Jeweled castle gate
• Gem border

A treasure hunt afternoon

Diamonds make a good theme for a party or a rainy afternoon. Color a few of the stone pages, cut the gems out and hide them around the house for a treasure hunt, with the treasure chest page as the map of where the last one is. The crown page, colored in gold and cut along the band, becomes a paper crown for the winner. Glitter glue on the facets after coloring, left to dry flat, gives the finished pages a real shine.

Printing the diamonds

Every page is a free A4 PDF drawn at 300 dpi. A4 prints at full size, and on US Letter "fit to page" shrinks the drawing by about six percent so every facet stays on the paper. The printing guide shows the setting. Add to pack gathers the stones, the crown and the treasure into one file. More jewels and royalty are in the princess coloring pages and the castle coloring pages, a hoard worth guarding in the dragon coloring pages, and more patterns in the mandala coloring pages.