Welcome back to the Diamonds Hatton Garden blog where we bring you the latest in our bespoke diamond jewellery, loose white diamonds and fancy coloured diamonds. As one of the UK’s leading suppliers of pink diamonds, we are constantly in awe at these gorgeous diamonds. Buried deep beneath the earth, the magnificent jewels have been highly desired and prized by cultures across the world. In today’s entry, we examine all you need to know about pink diamonds from their formation to what to look for when choosing a pink diamond and the history of this most special of diamonds.
How are pink diamonds formed?
As we have covered in our previous entry in our fancy coloured diamond series, fancy coloured diamonds form differently from white diamonds. Fancy coloured yellow diamonds, as covered in our post ‘All About Yellow Diamonds, are formed by the presence of nitrogen during their formation – the higher the concentration of nitrogen the deeper, or more vivid the yellow colour. Likewise, other coloured diamonds get their colour in a similar way, through the presence of other trace elements as they form deep beneath the earth’s surface. However, pink diamonds have a rather different story as to how they get their fabulous colour.
Unlike other coloured diamonds, trace elements have never been discovered in pink diamonds – thus making their colour a mystery. It is thought that the colour is created during the huge pressures and heat during its formation which causes the crystal lattice in the diamond to distort and change colour. As the crystal lattice distorts the carbon atoms are displaced which alters how the light is reflected within the diamond causing the stone to be seen as pink.
Where are pink diamonds found?
Natural fancy coloured pink diamonds can be found across the world including in Natural in Brazil, Russia, Siberia, South Africa, Tanzania and Canada. However, the most prized and highly valued of these gorgeous stones can be found at the Argyle Mine in Australia. The pink diamonds from the Argyle mine are considered to be the very finest in quality with the brightest hues, highest saturation and tones that make these luxurious stones so highly sought after. The pink diamonds mined here are cut and polished on site before being sold at tender. Pink diamonds are noted for their densely packed graining planes that produce the pink colour making the saturation the highest out of all the mines in the world.
How rare are pink diamonds and what do they cost?
To give you an idea of just how rare these diamonds are, it is estimated that for every 1 million carats of rough diamonds that the mine produces, just 1 carat is suitable to sell. The size of the pink diamonds produced at the Argyle mine are on average around 1 carat in size and roughly 40 to 50 carats are sold at auction annually. The price per carat for natural pink coloured diamonds can vary between $100,000 to over $1,000,000 per carat. Other factors such as the intensity of the colour, the cut and clarity, amongst other things, influence the price greatly.
How to buy pink diamonds
Buying a pink diamond can be one of the most enthralling experiences that one can have. The rarity, brilliant colours and story of the diamonds make an intoxicating mix. Read more in our guide how to buy pink diamonds
How are pink diamonds graded?
Pink diamonds, like all fancy coloured diamonds, are graded on their colour scale as which often mentions a mixture of another two or three colours which provide the overall colour of the diamond. The rarest of all pink diamonds are those which have a pure pink colour and other colour combinations such as purple, orange and brown are more common. The certificate that accompanies the diamond will describe the colour of the diamond and mention if there are secondary or tertiary colours within the mix. Not only is the colour itself graded but the intensity of the colour is an important factor which one must consider when purchasing a fancy coloured diamond. The colour intensity is the same across all fancy coloured diamonds and is as follows: faint, very light, light, fancy light, fancy, fancy intense, fancy deep and fancy vivid. The further down the list (closest to fancy vivid) the rarer the colour and thus more expensive.
What are the most expensive/famous pink diamonds?
The most famous pink diamonds are, without doubt, truly breathtaking due to both their size and their colour saturation. The most well known of all pink diamonds is the jaw-dropping 186 carat Daria-i-noor which was originally part of the crown jewels. Another pink diamond that has been highly desired is the Noor-ul-Ain, “the light of the eye”. This magnificent 60 carat pink diamond was the centrepiece in Iranian Empress Farah Pahlavi’s wedding tiara, which she donned in 1958. More recently, the 24.68 carat Graff Pink diamond, fancy intense pink, sold for a huge $46 million at a Sotheby’s auction in 2010 (the highest price for a pink diamond at auction). Other notable auctions and pink diamonds include the 12.04-carat Martian Pink fetched $17.4 million and the Rose of Dubai, a fancy pink pear-shaped diamond, which sold at $6 million in 2005 and weighed an astonishing 25.02 carats, the 59.60 carat oval cut Steinmetz Pink and the 56.71 carats. Table cut Shah Jahaan.
It goes without saying that pink diamonds are truly spectacular gems. If you are looking to buy fancy coloured pink diamonds contact our team via info@diamondshg.co.uk or +44 (0) 7951 060238 on to arrange a personal consultation where our teams will assist you in sourcing the very best pink diamonds for your requirements.