Pink diamonds are truly alluring, rare gems. Sought after by many jewellery enthusiasts, collectors and celebrities, pink diamonds come in different hues, tones, colours and cuts, and they are quite exclusive.
Because they are so fascinating and out of the ordinary, considering them for an engagement ring is only natural – especially if you like to think outside the box. However, there are a few things you should know before making the decision to purchase one of these unique wonders of nature.
What are pink diamonds?
Pink diamonds are fancy coloured diamonds, which owe their colour to physical abnormalities – often referred to as chemical impurities. The pinkish colour in these diamonds is attributed to lower levels of nitrogen during the formation of the stone.
The largest producer of these gems is the Argyle mine in Western Australia, supplying 90% of the world’s pink diamonds. Despite this fact, they account for less than 0.1% of the mine’s annual diamond production. This gives you an idea of how rare and expensive these gems are.
Image via Pinterest
What makes them unique?
Well, they’re beautiful, they’re diamonds, and the fact that you don’t see them on every person’s finger is a pretty good indication that these gems are quite exclusive. Because, surprise! They also come with a price tag.
As we mentioned before, the Argyle mine is the largest producer of these diamonds worldwide, and still, only one carat out of every 100,000 carats mined turns out to be pink. This makes the amount of pink diamonds for sale in the market quite low.
In fact in May 2016 an extremely rare 15.38 carat pear-shaped pink diamond, called the ‘Unique Pink’, sold for $31.6 million at Sotheby’s in Geneva, making it the most expensive fancy vivid pink diamond ever to sell at auction.
But don’t quit on the dream just yet – it is still possible to find natural pink diamonds relatively cheap in comparison, at around AUD $4,000. They just may be not as big, clear or colour-intense.
Importance of clarity, colour and cut
Clarity
Clarity in a diamond is defined by the number and size of the inclusions this has. These inclusions are the diamond’s ‘birthmarks’, and develop while the gem is being formed. They can be used as a way to identify diamonds, like fingerprints.
As you can imagine, the clearer the diamond the more expensive it is. ‘Flawless’, the way in which completely clear diamonds are referred to, are extremely rare.
For pink diamonds, even though clarity is graded the same way as a colourless diamond, it’s not as important a characteristic as these gems are usually more flawed due to their colouring. However, to the naked eye most of these inclusions may not even be visible.
Colour
For pink diamonds (like in every other fancy coloured diamonds), the deeper or more intense the colour is, the more expensive it will be and the harder it will be to obtain. Unlike clarity, colour is an important value indicator when it comes to these pink stones.
Fancy ‘red’ diamonds, which are just an intense pink, are extremely rare to find and only a handful ever see the light of day.
Cut
Cut is also assessed differently when it comes to fancy coloured diamonds. When cutting a colourless diamond, the goal is to achieve as much brilliance as possible; for coloured diamonds, the aim is to maximise the colour intensity.
This means you might not find pink diamonds shaped in extravagant or daring cuts, but rather more traditional ones. However, the quality of the cut should always be ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’ grades, to guarantee as much sparkle as possible.
Pink diamond’s colour: hue, tone and saturation
As previously stated, the colour of a pink diamond is intrinsically linked to its value. The colouring in the gem has three main components on which it is evaluated: hue, tone and saturation.
Hue is the dominant colour of the diamond, tone is how much light or darkness the stone has and saturation is how strong the hue is.
The hue in pink diamonds is obviously pink. However, sometimes secondary hues can be found. If the secondary hue enhances the pink, such as purple or orange, then it adds value to the stone. On the other hand, if it the secondary hue doesn’t quite match the pink, such as brown or yellow, it will lower the diamond’s value.
Pink diamonds with no secondary hues are usually more expensive.
When it comes tone, generally the most valuable diamonds will not be either too light or too dark, as the hue cannot be appreciated as much at either of these extremes.
Image via Diamonds Geek
Tips for buying pink diamonds
If you’ve decided you want to go for one of these precious stones, there some precautions you should take before spending the dollars.
First of all, buy only certified diamonds by a trustworthy organisation. This could be the GIA (Gemological Institute of America), the AGS (American Gem Society Laboratories), the IGI (International Gemological Institute) or the HRD (Diamond High Council), among others. This will give you peace of mind that what you’re buying is a true natural pink diamond, and not a synthetic one.
Secondly, if the price sounds too good to be true, then it’s probably a synthetic diamonds created in a lab. The truth hurts, we know, but the fact is that these little gems are more expensive than colourless diamonds.
Pink diamonds do actually cost much, much more per carat than other stones, even among fancy coloured diamonds, as they are one of the rarest of hues. You’ll have to keep in mind that if you want a pink diamond bigger than 0.4 carats it will not only be hard to find, but it will cost you! So plan your budget accordingly.
But most importantly, you should always choose the right engagement ring for your significant other. After all, you want it to be their favourite ring for the rest of their life! And if that means you should consider a pink diamond engagement ring, then that’s what you need to do.
by Australian Diamond Brokers : August 12th 2016 Come visit our store or browse our website to find out more.