At Diamonds Hatton Garden it’s pink diamond week where we celebrate these most treasured of gemstones. As one of the UK’s leading loose diamonds and fancy coloured diamond sellers we share our expert and insider knowledge about all things pink diamond related to help you understand these stones better. Whether it is in a piece of bespoke jewellery, a diamond tennis bracelet or even a diamond engagement ring, pink diamonds are a versatile and wonderful choice to add to your piece of jewellery. In today’s blog post, present a guide on how to buy pink diamonds covering all you need to know about buying pink diamonds, what influences their value, what to look for and how to choose the right stones for your budget.
Firstly, What are pink diamonds? Pink diamonds are diamonds that have a variety of pink shades and tones, also known as saturation. Pink diamonds can be found across the world but the most desired are from the Argyle mine in Australia due to these particular diamonds having the highest colour saturation. Pink diamonds belong to a family of diamonds known as fancy coloured diamonds that come in remarkable colours including yellow, blue, red, orange and green amongst others.
How are pink diamonds graded?
As with white diamonds, pink diamonds have a grading system that helps the buyer to understand exactly what they are buying and the characteristics of the stones. Pink diamonds are graded in two, broadly speaking, ways: colour grading and, as you may be familiar with, the 4cs. For more information on the 4c,s read our what are the 4cs of diamonds blog.
Colour. What would the world be without it? More importantly, what would pink diamonds be without it? Pink diamonds are graded for colour which is often made up of secondary and tertiary tertiary colours meaning that they will have two or three shades that make up the overall colour of the diamond. Whilst pure pink diamonds exist it is more common to find, on the certificate, colours such as pink purple, pink brown and pink orange. This refers to the shades within the diamond itself. In addition to the colour make up of the diamond, there is also another colour grading chart used by jewellers and diamond dealers. This chart is a colour intensity chart which shows the saturation of colour within the diamond (it is also used for other colours of fancy coloured diamonds).
The colour intensities are as follows: faint, very light, light, fancy light, fancy, fancy intense, fancy deep and fancy vivid. When buying a pink diamond you will notice that the more intense the colour, the higher the per carat price.
Secondly, and something you may be more familiar with, in the way in which pink diamonds are graded is the 3 Cs of diamonds: cut, clarity, carat and, as we know, colour has its own grading system. When buying a pink diamond it is important to consider the cut, clarity and carat as they not only affect the overall price but also give an indication as to the value of what you are buying.
Carat
The carat of a diamond refers to the size of the stone. The word carat itself is derived from the term carob which was the original size used by diamond traders to measure diamonds many centuries ago, Nowadays, a single carat is equivalent to 0.2 grams. The carat weight of the diamond increases so does the price of the stone itself, this is because the larger the diamond the higher it is priced. When buying a pink diamond, it is important to think of the size you want in relation to your budget.
Clarity
The clarity of a diamond refers to how clear a diamond appears internally and should not be confused with the colour of a diamond. Nearly all diamonds contain blemishes (small imperfections) within the inside and outside of the stone. Imperfection on the inside of the stone are known as inclusions and those on the surface are known as blemishes. Clarity essentially refers to the level in which these inclusions or blemishes are present within a polished stone. The clarity of a diamond is graded on a 11 point scale and is measured by taking into the account the amount, size, colour, reflectivity, and position of every flaw visible under 10x magnification. The clarity scale is as follows:
Visible only under magnification: FL (Flawless), IF (Internally Flawless), VVS1 (Very, Very Slightly Included 1), VVS2(Very, Very Slightly Included 2), VS1 (Very Slightly Included 1), VS2 (Very Slightly Included 2), SI1 (Slightly Included 1),visible to the naked eye: SI2 (Very Slightly Included 2), I1(Inclusions 1), I2(Inclusions 2).
The better the clarity, closer to FL, the clearer the diamond and thus a higher price. Clarity is important within diamonds as it causes the fire or sparkle inside them. The clearer the diamond the more fire it is said to possess.
Cut & Shape
The cut of a regular diamond is of great importance to white diamonds as the cut causes, much like clarity and colour, the light to be refracted inside the diamond causing its sparkle. With fancy coloured diamonds, the cut is seen to maximise the intensity of the colour When buying a pink diamond it is important to look for polish and symmetry as they showcase the skill of the cutter and the overall look of the diamond. With coloured diamonds it is extremely rare to find a round shaped one. Simply because the shape does not lend itself to maximise the colour of the diamond. When buying a pink diamond, the most popular shapes you will come across will be radiant, pear and cushion as these shapes help to distribute the light and maximise the colour of the diamond.
What to look at before buying a pink diamond?
The most important thing, and we cannot stress this enough, to look at when buying a pink diamond is to check that it has a GIA (Gemological Institute of America) certificate. The GIA are the World’s foremost authority on the grading of diamonds and are internationally respected. Essentially, they set the standard in the grading of diamonds. The certificate will contain technical specifications relating to the diamond such as its cut, clarity, colour and other factors such as number, shape and measurements. Whilst other diamond grading authorities exist, the GIA is the most important one in the world and we would recommend that, when buying a pink diamond, you only consider GIA certified pink diamonds.
What are the price of pink diamonds?
Price with pink diamonds is related to the above gradings and colour. The larger the pink diamond the more expensive the stone will be. This is because the larger the stone the rarer it is. Indeed, pink diamonds are incredibly rare as it is and to find large ones is extremely rare. Likewise, prized for their colour, the intensity of the colour of a pink diamond, and all naturally fancy coloured diamonds, increases their price. This means that a 1 carat fancy deep will be more expensive than a 2 carat faint pink diamond.
As you can see, the buying a pink diamond has many elements to consider. We hope that our guide to buying pink diamonds has proven useful and that it can assist you on your journey into the fabulous world of pink diamonds.
Whenever buying pink diamonds it is important to have the facts to make an informed decision. At Diamonds Hatton Garden our family run jewellers have specialised in colour diamonds for generations and offer guidance and assistance to each client to amximise their budget and requirements. For more information and to book your consultation, contact our team via info@diamondshg.co.uk, on +44 (0) 7951 060238 or via https://diamondshattongarden.co.uk/contact-us/.