Pink diamonds evoke a special sense of romance and luxury because they are extremely rare, beautiful and valuable. In fact, according to the Argyle Diamond Mine, a pink diamond can cost 20 times the price of an equivalent white diamond.
Pink diamonds are just one type of Natural Fancy Color Diamond, which are very rare. According to the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), of the millions of diamonds mined each year, only .001 percent can qualify as fancy colors, and only a handful can achieve the top grades of Intense and Vivid.
Unlike most colored diamonds, pink diamonds are thought to owe their hue to structural distortions created by extreme heat and pressure conditions during formation, rather than trace elements. The conditions required to create pink diamonds are so extraordinary that less than 0.15% of diamonds submitted to the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) possess a predominantly pink color.
Pink diamonds are already exceptionally rare, with fewer than 5% of all colored diamonds classified as predominantly pink.
Pink diamonds range in intensity from delicate and faint to intense and vivid, and in color from pure pink to orangey-pink, purplish-pink and brownish-pink.
But why are pink diamonds pink? Research from the GIA confirms that the color of 99.5% of pink diamonds comes from distortion in their crystal structure, not from trace elements, such as nitrogen, which causes yellow color in diamonds or boron, which causes blue. In pink diamonds containing nitrogen, the color is generally concentrated within parallel narrow bands called glide planes, lamellae, or pink/brown graining, depending upon the color.
“Pink diamonds are one of nature’s greatest surprises,” says Andre Vorster, a master diamond cutter and Senior Vice President at Eiseman Jewels. “Most colored diamonds get their color from trace elements of nitrogen, but pink diamonds are different. Their color comes from an incredibly rare change in the crystal structure as the diamond forms deep within the earth, creating that beautiful pink hue.”
He added, “That rare natural event is what makes pink diamonds so special—and so difficult to find. They are already incredibly scarce, but once you get to one carat and above, they become exceptionally rare. Every pink diamond is unique, and the larger the stone, the more extraordinary it becomes. The rarest are the diamonds that have pink with greater intensity in the hue and without foreign colors within the stone."
The Daria-i-Noor: One of the best-known examples of these gems is a table-cut light pink diamond that weighs an incredible 186 carats. It has been worn by a number of kings and was part of the United Kingdom's crown jewels until 1739, when the Persian army took it back to Iran.
The Noor-ul-Ain: Also known as "the light of the eye," this 60-carat oval brilliant-cut diamond is said to have been discovered in India's Golconda mines. It was the centerpiece in Iranian Empress Farah Pahlavi's wedding tiara, which she wore in 1958.
The Princie Diamond: This 34.65-carat fancy intense pink diamond was sold for a whopping $39,323,750 ($1,135,000 per carat) in 2013. The diamond was originally owned by Mir Osman Ali Khan, who sold the stone to Van Cleef & Arpels for $70,000 in 1960
The Graff Pink: Another exquisite, extremely rare pink diamond to sell at auction is the Graff Pink, a 24.78-carat fancy intense pink, VVS2 clarity, emerald-cut stone which sold for $46.16 million. Sold in November 2010
The Pink Star: A rare pink diamond dubbed the Pink Star recently became the world's most expensive gemstone to sell at auction for $71.2 million. The oval-cut, 59.6-carat jewel is the largest fancy vivid pink diamond categorized as “flawless” or “internally flawless” that the GIA has ever graded.
Pink diamonds have also long been a favorite among the glitterati, with undoubtedly their rise in popularity growing when Jennifer Lopez was gifted a gorgeous six-carat fancy intense pink diamond ring by Ben Affleck, when he proposed (the first time) in 2002. Since then, pink diamonds have been spotted on many celebs, including: Penelope Ann Miller when she donned her three-carat pink radiant cut diamond ring at the 2012 Academy Awards; the stunning pink pear cut diamond ring gifted to Anna Kournikova by musician Enrique Iglesias, valued at over $11 million today; Blake Lively’s engagement ring from husband Ryan Reynolds, featuring a 12-carat pink oval cut diamond on a custom pavé diamond band; Victoria Beckham’s pink champagne oval-shaped diamond ring, one of 15 engagement rings owned by the designer; and most recently, a staggering 30-carat pink cushion cut diamond ring worn by Lauren Sanchez Bezos.
To shop a stunning selection of pink diamond jewelry, visit Eiseman Jewels at NorthPark Center in Dallas.
Eiseman Jewels is the premier Dallas jeweler located in NorthPark Center. Family-owned jeweler in Dallas featuring jewelry and watches from luxury designers, plus repairs. The name Eiseman Jewels has always been synonymous with outstanding customer service and unprecedented style, quality and value. Named the finest independent jewelry store in the nation 2010 by National Jeweler, Eiseman Jewels has long been regarded as the Southwest's premier jeweler for...
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