The pink diamond is beautiful and rare, and the most valuable of all the gemstones. There are pink diamonds in Brazil, South Africa and India. White diamonds have been thought of as the world’s most beautiful for years even though the pink variety have been around just as long. What has recently changed the way we look at these pink gems?
The discovery of the Argyle mine in Australia has had an impact on demand. The diamonds of this mine have a stunning intense pink color. This mine produces 95% of the world’s supply of pink diamonds. The thing is, only a small proportion of the Argyle mine’s diamonds are pink, in fact, the percentage of pink stones is less than 1%. That should give you an idea of how rare the pink diamond is. Just how much is one of these beauties worth?
There was an auction back in 1989 in New York where a 3.14-carat Argyle pink diamond went for about a million and a half dollars. In private transactions, Argyle pinks have gone for as much as a million dollars per carat.
The Argyle’s diamonds are superior due to their intense shades of pink. Those from other mines are usually lighter in color than the Argyles. And Argyle pinks come in a variety of shades.
At one end of the spectrum is a delicate pastel rose diamond. At the other end you have vigorous raspberry or full purplish-reds. The price of each carat will be affected by the color intensity. And there is a wide range of cuts for the Argyle pinks. By now you may be wishing you were wearing one of these stones on your finger, or around your neck. So where can you go to get an Argyle pink diamond?
Every year Argyle Diamonds has a special release. They sell pink diamonds by way of special bids, by invitation only, internationally by the Pink Diamond Tender. The world’s largest pink diamond is called Darya-I-Nur. It weighs 186 carats and is set in the Iranian crown jewels. This “ Sea of Light” diamond is 4x3 cm.
In 2003 a huge pink diamond was discovered in South Africa’s Tirisano Diamond Mine. This diamond is 13.7 carats in weight. It has been named the Tirisano Easter Diamond. It is priceless and turns fluorescent pink when an ultra violet light is shone on it.
Only the fabulously wealthy will ever own a pink diamond. What about people who don’t have seven figure incomes? Can they ever own a pink diamond? Maybe. There are cultured diamonds available in shades of pink. Scientists recreate the conditions of natural diamond formation to form diamonds (or other gems) in labs. The availability of this type of diamond is on the rise, although presently limited.
Scientists do not yet know for sure why some diamonds are pink. One explanation is that great geological pressure is applied to carbon for billions of years.
If you are not a kazillionaire but still appreciate the beauty of pink diamonds, look into the idea of purchasing a lab created one. They also look very nice.
By Laura Hogg