fancy 1+ carat pink diamond with gia

[ohlala]

hi all!

i have a budget about 65,000 and i would like to purchase a fancy pink diamond above 1 carat. of course as lovely as possible. it looks like fancy intense would not be possible. but pink with some kind of modifier seems possible. in selecting...do you guys think the size is more important or the color?

does florescence in colored diamonds matter as much as it does in white diamonds? i also found that a lot of certificates for colored diamonds are half certificates. should i generally assume that the diamond is half certificate because it's below I2? If i looked at the stone and i don't see anything...then it shouldn't matter as much? also...it is best to buy a non-set stone so I can clearly look at the coloring and all?

anything else to watch out for? i am having a hard time right now because i find the price is all over the place because each one is so different...and the pictures online can be misleading in this day and age where you can modify the picture if you have any sites to recommend (either for purchase/price comparisons) or just to read up more info, i appreciate it! thanks!!


ohlala

 

[OreoRosies86]

You can get a nice sized pinkish brown diamond for your budget. Any pictures of what you've previewed?

 

[pinkjewel]

Welcome to Pricescope and your hunt for the perfect pink diamond!! You have an awesome budget, but size and color will be a trade off. In fancy colored diamonds color is king. However, you should get what you love. Some people prefer the more pastel shades of pink- and every pink diamond is different. Even diamonds with the same GIA or Argyle grade can vary greatly in their color. Modifiers with brownish pink and orangy pink will decrease the price, but generally purplish pinks will be priced the same as pinks. I would think you could get one carats with a modifier or even a fancy light pink in a carat size for your budget- but not fancy pink or fancy intense pink. A person who is used to setting pink diamonds will be able to set your stone to maximize the color. Argyle pinks seem to command a premium,too- if they have an inscription and certificate.

Just because a diamond only has a half report does not mean it is an I2 or worse. I have 2 pink diamonds with half reports and one is a VS2- but they are smaller-under 1/2 a carat. For a 1 carat stone I would want a full report. As the Argyle mine is dwindling the clarity seems to be diminishing,too. I personally like eye clean stones- but, again, clarity is going to affect value and you'll have to set your priorities.

Fluorescence does matter in pink diamonds- a lot!! Most argyle pinks have fluorescence, and many other pink diamonds have it as well. In some cases it won't matter, but I have seen several pink diamonds with strong blue fluorescence that basically lose their pink color when you take them out in the sun!! On the other hand I have a pink diamond with strong blue that shoots the most amazing purple sparks in the sunlight! So you do have to check each of them out.

OK- as to places to shop for a pink diamond. Leibish is a great on line Fancy colored diamond vendor and usually has a good inventory of pink diamonds and good return policy so you can see the diamond in person and decide if it's the one for you. They also get some of the Argyle tender each year. They have both loose stones and some already in settings. I'd also recommend talking with David at Diamonds by Lauren. He specializes in fancy colored diamonds and can look for what you want, although he doesn't have a lot of pink diamonds on his site right now (he's in New York). Again, he has both loose and set stones.

Let us know how your search goes!!

 

[pinkjewel]

Glancing at Leibish's website I ran across this ring you might like to take a look at. It's a 1.02 Fancy light pink, SI2, set in platinum and rose gold. They claim it faces up like a Fancy Intense Pink- and their descriptions are usually pretty reliable. It's also well under your budget at less than $43,000. They are also having a sale this month-so it would be even less!

 

[pinkjewel]

And if you'd like an Argyle with certificate this one is a gorgeous intense purplish pink- but size then goes to .49ct - also around $43,000.

 

[Niel]

hreres a cute one, ont a ct but close

http://www.fancydiamonds.net/view_diamonds/12584.htm#.UeHSdxzfJUw



or this one with some brown thats much larger

http://www.fancydiamonds.net/view_diamonds/5759.htm#.UeHT2hzfJUw

 

[ohlala]

thank you so much pinkjewel for the info!! my friend is offering me a fancy natural pink-purple that is pink looking. gia 1.04 carat half certificate at 67,000 usd. it is a half certificate. I am having a hard time seeing if this is a reasonable price as colored diamond are harder to compare. I guess the fun and pain of it is that no two diamonds are like.

how is the fact it is from argyl mine going to affect the cost? and how can we tell it is from there without the seller telling us?

 

[pinkjewel]

Personally, I would not buy a one carat pink diamond without a full GIA cert, unless the buyer is willing to either have the full cert done- or will refund your money if you have the full cert done and it doesn't meet an agreed upon criteria. It may have significant clarity issues or it may be fine. A pink/purple will generally bring a slightly lesser price than a purple pink- but not by much. Do you have a picture of the diamond? We can't really comment on price without seeing a photo as there are "pretty" shades of fancy pink/purple and not so pretty shades- and that goes for all fancy colored diamonds.

As to whether it is an Argyle that may be hard to tell as some have inscriptions and certificates, some have inscriptions only, some don't have anything. If the diamond you're looking at has an inscription you will need a 20x loupe and look for it on the girdle of the diamond. It is very, very tiny and hard to see!! An appraiser would be able to find it if it is there. If there is an Argyle certificate for it- you can then contact Argyle with the inscription number for verification. What is the date on the GIA cert for the diamond you're looking at?

eta- many sellers put a premium on Argyles with inscriptions and certs as they feel when the Argyle mine closes these will be worth more. It doesn't mean that a pink diamond from there is any better than a pink diamond from another mine.The Argyle mine has put out the most vivid shades of pink and I think that is where the value comes from in an Argyle diamond-the intense and vivid pinks- but the latter is just my personal opinion.

 

[ohlala]

again, thank you pinkjewel! have you been buying pink diamonds for awhile now? there is so much to consider. the more i read up about it, the more i think i shouldn't buy the first one i see.

i looked at it via a 10x loop and didn't see much. though she said there was a feather on the edge. it is already set on a ring. so it could be the setting that makes it look pretty pinkish/purple. i don't think she would be happy if i post a picture of it online. she said i can keep it for two days and think about it. if i want it, i can just wire her the money. otherwise, return it to her in two days when we meet up for dinner. i guess i can take it to an appraiser...but not sure where to find one that is knowledgable about pink diamonds.

how much does it cost to get a full certificate from a half cert? the gia was done in 2008.

looking at the ring...65,000usd doesn't get you much for pink diamonds.

how much of a hassle is returning a diamond online?

 

[pinkjewel]

Let's see- let me try to answer your questions in order.

No, I have only been buying pink diamonds for about the last 3 years. I WISH I had started sooner when prices were a tad more reasonable. BUT- I have researched everything I can find on them, look at them online everyday, look at them in person wherever I can find them, read books about them, etc. But, even with all that- I am NOT an expert- just a very enthusiastic lover of pink diamonds!!

Unfortunately since it is already set, it will be hard to see the inclusions. If you do send it to GIA they will require it to be out of the setting. I don't really remember the GIA prices, but you can look at GIA's website and see what they are, or maybe someone else will chime in. Weekends are sometimes pretty quiet on Pricescope. Even if you don't have an appraiser around you that specializes in FCD's (and there aren't many-lol), any diamond appraiser should be able to look at it for clarity issues- although since it is in the setting it may be difficult.
I really can't give you any more advice about the ring you're considering as there are just too many unknown variables.

$65,000 is a wonderful budget- I wish I had that!!!! Unfortunately, it won't buy the huge size it would buy in a colorless diamond. But a pink diamond is special. You just have to decide what's most important to you. You can get a smaller intense pink diamond- and small intense or vivid pinks pack a huge visual punch!! Or if you want to add a brown or orange modifier it will buy you a nice size pink diamond. I would not discount these as many times the modifying color is barely noticeable. Or you can get a good size light fancy pink and have someone set it to maximize color and some of these will look VERY pink. Again, you just need to decide what's most important to you. Size, color, cut? Also, many times a pear or an oval will look larger than their carat weight. On all of the pink diamonds you look at, check the size dimensions of the diamonds, rather than just carat weight.

As far as returning diamonds bought from an online vendor- that will depend on the vendor. Are you in the US? If so, it's easy with the vendors I mentioned. Leibish and DBL both have offices in New York, although New York is not Leibish's main office. If you are in another country-I don't know.

 

[chrono]

Colour is very important and whilst size is as well, I would prefer to give up a little in the size department to get a good balance of colour and size so I would put more emphasize in colour and slightly less so for size. Most pink diamonds tend to have blue fluorescence and as long as it does not affect the colour negatively, you are good to go. For the amount you are paying, I would insist on a full GIA lab report, never a half or brief report. I am not as fussy with clarity as long as it is eye clean. For other though, they prefer VS or SI.

Price might seem all over the place for various reasons - even with the fancy intense range, there are different modifiers and some might be closer to the light range and another might be closer to the vivid range.

What is the listed clarity of the stone you are considering? Being set in a ring, it is difficult to tell its true colour as the setting is done in such a manner as to play up the colour, either both by design and by metal colour, most often both. Without a picture, nobody can advise you whether it is priced reasonably, overpriced or a good deal since there are too many factors that cannot be described accurately with words alone. I would verify her company's return policy. Since we are talking of a sum greater than $25K, you cannot use USPS which insures up to $25K only. USPS will not accept loose stones. You either need an armoured vehicle service such as Brinks or FedEx (with your own 3rd party insurance).

https://www.pricescope.com/wiki/fancy-color-diamonds

 

[PinkyPie]

I highly recommend spending a good deal of time looking at pink diamonds (of all sizes, shapes, and intensity) on Leibish.com. Watch videos of the stones in action -- if available in the listing. For me color is king. I will always go smaller in carat in favor of the right color. My personal preference is orange as a secondary hue (orangy pink). A secondary color of brown does drive down the price (brownish pink) and in the right combination gives a gorgeous mauve color.

 

[athenaworth]

Wow, deleted. Sorry, I was in the wrong thread. Good luck with your purchase.

 

[ohlala]

hi all!

this site is so helpful and everyone here is so wonderful!!

this is a somewhat non-update i have not bought a pink diamond yet. i took y'alls advice and looked online at a lot of different pink diamonds and found i like the orangy, warm colors more than the violet cool colors. thankfully, those seem cheaper. but i'm not sure how it'll look wearing it...so i probably should check out some jewelers in my neighborhood and get a feel for myself. i really don't want the hassle of returning stuff online...especially for such a big ticket item. i think that is one of the reasons i'm taking it slow in ordering the diamond.

i've also started to slowly read different threads on this forum and found that i can get a lot bigger stone if i opted for pink sapphire, topaz, spinel, tourmaline or other pink gemstones. i prefer untreated, eye-clean stones and sparkly (though not artificially sparkly or metallic looking) stones. diamonds are not as treated...maybe just heat. the pictures of some spinels and garnets look artifical/metallic looking...is that because of the lighting conditions? also, i'm finding the price difference for these other gemstones even more confusing. it seems the cutting for these stones affect the look a lot too. feeling very overwhelmed looking at the different stones and sites...perhaps because of the shear quantity. in a way...my search for pink diamonds was less overwhelming because there aren't that many listed online that is above 1ct and orangy-brown... i only have to compare between 10~15 stones. i guess the limited choices is both a blessing and a curse as i found a ~2ct orangy-pink that was the right color...but the cut/style leaves something to be desired. i'm still thinking if i should get it, but i would rather find a stone that was the right cut! argh...

so i'm very tempted to buy a pink sapphire, topaz, spinel or some other gemstone instead of the diamond. i can get a lot more and probably at the exact color and cut i want. i could probably get one of each too. this can be a dangerous hobby...

 

[SB621]

hi all!

this site is so helpful and everyone here is so wonderful!!

this is a somewhat non-update i have not bought a pink diamond yet. i took y'alls advice and looked online at a lot of different pink diamonds and found i like the orangy, warm colors more than the violet cool colors. thankfully, those seem cheaper. but i'm not sure how it'll look wearing it...so i probably should check out some jewelers in my neighborhood and get a feel for myself. i really don't want the hassle of returning stuff online...especially for such a big ticket item. i think that is one of the reasons i'm taking it slow in ordering the diamond.

i've also started to slowly read different threads on this forum and found that i can get a lot bigger stone if i opted for pink sapphire, topaz, spinel, tourmaline or other pink gemstones. i prefer untreated, eye-clean stones and sparkly (though not artificially sparkly or metallic looking) stones. diamonds are not as treated...maybe just heat. the pictures of some spinels and garnets look artifical/metallic looking...is that because of the lighting conditions? also, i'm finding the price difference for these other gemstones even more confusing. it seems the cutting for these stones affect the look a lot too. feeling very overwhelmed looking at the different stones and sites...perhaps because of the shear quantity. in a way...my search for pink diamonds was less overwhelming because there aren't that many listed online that is above 1ct and orangy-brown... i only have to compare between 10~15 stones. i guess the limited choices is both a blessing and a curse as i found a ~2ct orangy-pink that was the right color...but the cut/style leaves something to be desired. i'm still thinking if i should get it, but i would rather find a stone that was the right cut! argh...

so i'm very tempted to buy a pink sapphire, topaz, spinel or some other gemstone instead of the diamond. i can get a lot more and probably at the exact color and cut i want. i could probably get one of each too. this can be a dangerous hobby...

Just be forwarned that a sapphire, topza spinel etc will not sparkle like a dimaond and there will be a noticable difference between the two. As long as you are OK with that I'm all for collecting gemstones, but they are not really a true substitue for a dimaond if you want the bling factor.

 

[Niel]

If you're open to other stones I would totally look st sapphires or spinels. No harm in looking. Your budget is amazing and you could get some rediculous sapphires rubys or spinels with that budget.

 

[carmen1]

I understand where you are coming from, I first posted on here after making a deposit on a fancy yellow diamond and have since put that project permanently on hold as I ogle a rainbow of gemstones Considering you have a substantial budget and prefer the orangy-pink tones, I'd suggest looking at padparadscha sapphires perhaps?

 

[Niel]

I understand where you are coming from, I first posted on here after making a deposit on a fancy yellow diamond and have since put that project permanently on hold as I ogle a rainbow of gemstones Considering you have a substantial budget and prefer the orangy-pink tones, I'd suggest looking at padparadscha sapphires perhaps?

Holy cow I could only imagine the stunning pad you could get.... probably with some effort some precision cut beautify!

 

[chrono]

Although I love size, size isn't everything. Nothing beats a diamond, including coloured diamonds, in the sparkle department. You will never see the same dispersion and multi-coloured fire shooting out. The added benefit of an FCD is that you don't have to worry about treatment and durability.

Pink sapphire - It is an everyday wear stone so no worries there. Highly saturated sapphires tend to be diffused so just make sure you get it with a proper lab report. Diffusion is a very invasive but permanent treatment.
Pink topaz - most are treated because untreated pink topaz is truly rare. It's not an everyday wear stone but with care, can be worn very often.
Pink spinel - everyday wear, untreated so no worries.
Tourmaline - low RI and is a dust magnet so it will not be as sparkly as a spinel, topaz or sapphire. You have to accept the risk of irradiation since this is done to most hot pink tourmalines and is difficult to detect. Not an everyday stone, even if worn with care.
Garnet - Tend to be very shifty, often to a brownish colour indoors and isn't an everyday stone, even if worn with care. Mostly untreated.

The artificial or metallic look might be just a function of photography because other gems are not as sparkly. The super high saturation might make it appear a bit fakish compared to diamonds but this is normal. They will flash their main body colour of pink and you might get some orange or purple once a while but you will not see the blue, yellow, red and other colours as in a coloured diamond. Many tend to be lacking in cut as well. I think the first thing you need to do is decide what you want. Do you want an FCD or other stone? If other stone, do you want a sapphire, spinel or etc? Once you've decided on the gem type, PSers can help guide you in the right direction to make it less confusing.

 

[kgizo]

Chrono - why is tourmaline a dust magnet? Thanks.

 

[chrono]

Because it has pyroelectric properties.

 

[kgizo]

Chrono - I had to look that up. Does the color or heat treatment matter, or are all tourmalines basically dust magnets? Thanks.

 

[chrono]

I don't think colour or treatment matters.

 

[kenny]

I've bought 20 FCDs from Leibish and trust their photography, prices and policies.
I have also returned several diamonds to them at their location in NY, and there was never any hassle with a refund.
It was provided immediately via wire, since that is how I paid.
I can vouch for this vendor implicitly.

I'd strongly consider this one.
The brownish gives you lots more carat weight for your budget, but in this case I don't see much objectionable brown.
In fact it has a Padparadscha sapphire hue.

http://www.fancydiamonds.net/view_diamonds/5759.htm#.UhP2VxbA4qY



I also like that GIA graded it SI2, but the feather is the third least significant inclusion.
I don't like feathers, which are the diamond industry's pretty word for crack.
It looks likely that it is eye-clean, thought I'd ask Leibish.

 

[ohlala]

I understand where you are coming from, I first posted on here after making a deposit on a fancy yellow diamond and have since put that project permanently on hold as I ogle a rainbow of gemstones

so easy to get lost ogling at all the other gemstones!! did you end up buying other gemstones?

 

[ohlala]

Although I love size, size isn't everything. Nothing beats a diamond, including coloured diamonds, in the sparkle department. You will never see the same dispersion and multi-coloured fire shooting out. The added benefit of an FCD is that you don't have to worry about treatment and durability.

Pink sapphire - It is an everyday wear stone so no worries there. Highly saturated sapphires tend to be diffused so just make sure you get it with a proper lab report. Diffusion is a very invasive but permanent treatment.
Pink topaz - most are treated because untreated pink topaz is truly rare. It's not an everyday wear stone but with care, can be worn very often.
Pink spinel - everyday wear, untreated so no worries.
Tourmaline - low RI and is a dust magnet so it will not be as sparkly as a spinel, topaz or sapphire. You have to accept the risk of irradiation since this is done to most hot pink tourmalines and is difficult to detect. Not an everyday stone, even if worn with care.
Garnet - Tend to be very shifty, often to a brownish colour indoors and isn't an everyday stone, even if worn with care. Mostly untreated.

The artificial or metallic look might be just a function of photography because other gems are not as sparkly. The super high saturation might make it appear a bit fakish compared to diamonds but this is normal. They will flash their main body colour of pink and you might get some orange or purple once a while but you will not see the blue, yellow, red and other colours as in a coloured diamond. Many tend to be lacking in cut as well. I think the first thing you need to do is decide what you want. Do you want an FCD or other stone? If other stone, do you want a sapphire, spinel or etc? Once you've decided on the gem type, PSers can help guide you in the right direction to make it less confusing.

thank you so much for the wealth of information! i read the different hardness levels so i have an idea which stones are harder on the moh scale...but i don't think i will wear any ring for everyday wear. for some strange reason, i just don't like the way sapphires look in the photos! it looks really artificial in all the photos i see.

i think after looking at all the different pictures and getting a little familiar with other gemstones, i'm having second thoughts about FCD. up until finding pricescope, i was only aware of FCDs, emeralds and sapphires (because bvlgari and vca use it in their jewelry). now that i know about other gemstones, i am looking at which i like better. i love all the pictures on pricescope so maybe that makes me wonder why i am just limiting myself to diamonds...

 

[ohlala]

I've bought 20 FCDs from Leibish and trust their photography, prices and policies.
I have also returned several diamonds to them at their location in NY, and there was never any hassle with a refund.
It was provided immediately via wire, since that is how I paid.
I can vouch for this vendor implicitly.

wow! 20 FCDs!!

thanks for helping me look! really appreciate it

the only thing is i don't live in the usa...so there is an import tax issue. it'll be a hassle on my end to get import tax refunded...not to mention i'm afraid of the item getting lost in the mail.

 

[ohlala]

I've bought 20 FCDs from Leibish and trust their photography, prices and policies.
I have also returned several diamonds to them at their location in NY, and there was never any hassle with a refund.
It was provided immediately via wire, since that is how I paid.
I can vouch for this vendor implicitly.

thanks kenny for your help and direction to the vendor! and i now feel like i've stumbled on another expensive hobby. i finally bought something and i took your advice and went pink with a brown modifier...to get the size. size verses color is a difficult tradeoff. we want it all! i'm not willing to put too much money out...but i suspect, as time goes by, people end up raising their minimun willing to spend on a stone

i'm now wondering what setting will bring out more of the pink. i noticed that a lot of settings have pinks surrounded by green melee diamonds or green diamonds surrounded by pink melees. because i'm not sure where i can find a setting with green melees, i wonder if the next best thing is just 18k yellow gold setting? i am not sure about rose gold for a brownish pink as i'm not sure if the rose gold will just bring out the brown...?

 

[kenny]

Congratulations.
I can't wait to see it and how you set it.

 

[ohlala]

Congratulations.
I can't wait to see it and how you set it.

thanks!

my problem is i'm not sure how to set it