Pink Diamond

[Dawn61]

Looking for a small Gia pinkie. I was looking at these sites and found a few candidates. I did a search here and have read many posts but still need some help.

fancydiamonds.net has a good selection and prices are listed.
diamondsbylauren.com has very little pink inventory.
amgad.com does not list prices unless you email them.
Unfortunately Ice Store does not allow you to browse an inventory with listed prices either.

Are these vendors okay and which ones have I overlooked, and why are there so many radiant and pear shaped pinks? Do you think pink diamonds will go up in value in the future more than other colors? Someone said they are running out but I have a hard time believing everything salesmen say.

 

[dkodner]

Hi Dawn-

Colored diamonds are incredibly hard to buy site unseen. Slight variations can make huge value differences, and what you see on screen is rarely what it looks like to you in person. I can''t comment on the vendors, since I am one myself, but I would suggest also finding a local B&M store (an independent jeweler though, not a chain or mall store) and see what they can source for you. They should be able to be very competitive and you will get to see the stones in person. You want to make sure that what you think of as "pink" is what you are buying. A fancy purplish pink may look more like true pink then a plain fancy pink to you. I see that often. That''s something that is very hard to discern in a picture. You see a lot of radiants in colored diamonds because they "hold" the color well in that shape. Every diamond cutter is trying to get the highest yield (most weight) and the most color out of the crystal, so the radiant cut tends to lend itself to give them both. All colored diamonds have historically gone up in value over time. I have ready an average of 30% a year since the mid seventies. However, as of late, pinks and blues have gone up in value at a much greater rate. As the public has become more aware of colored diamonds in the last 5 years or so, the demand has grown with little change in supply, so prices have risen more. The production of pinks coming out of the Argyle mine has been declining, and it is widely discussed the the mine may close in the next few years. If that happens, and that is a big if, as there are a lot more considerations than how much pink they get, then you will see a huge spike in price of pinks and very little supply offered on the market. But that''s kind of like playing the stock market, you can have a lot of knowledge of what should happen, and then some outside force changes everything. My best advice is to do as much homework as you can, and buy what you think is beautiful, not what a piece of paper says. Congratulations and good luck in your search!

 

[chrono]

I am not as knowledgeable as David but have read that Radiant cuts tend to show more face up colour and this helps when it comes to coloured diamonds.

 

[T L]

I''m glad David chimed in on this thread, and a lot of people buy from his company and are very happy.

 

[DiamondFlame]

I hope no one is foolish enough to speculate on diamonds, pink or otherwise.

But its true color is the most important C in fancies. And the cut is often geared at maximising color saturation.
I feel the trickiest part about buying rare fancy colors is the pricing. I'd probably work out a budget range and get in touch with these vendors for some recommendations. I have worked with Diamonds By Lauren before and can vouch for David's customer service. It's true their inventory is limited but their rare fancies are hand selected, usually for value. Just let him know what you're looking for and he will let you know if they have anything suitable.

 

[Rockdiamond]

Thanks DF!

I agree with a lot of what dkodner said- but also disagree with some of it.

I don''t feel that the typical B&M will be able to round up a nice selection of pinks.
Possibly in a rare case a B&M carries fancy colors- but in general local jewelers are not well versed on colored diamonds.

I would also disagree that photos are not capable of showing what a colored diamond looks like. For sure a lot of photos are not accurate- but there are many photos that do give an excellent idea of what the diamond looks like.


Congratulations! Its so much fun buying a pink diamond!

 

[dkodner]

Hi David-

I won''t hijack Dawn''s thread in my defense of B&M stores, but I have to say, I am a B&M, and I have 10+ pinks in stock. There are a minimum of 10 B&M stores in my town that I know can have a good selection of natural pinks in a day or 2, and they know their stuff. The advantage is getting to see them with your own eyes, and the subtle differences each one will have. I do agree that you CAN take a photograph that is a good representation of color. But your computer monitor and your eyes will show the stone differently to different people. I have nothing against shopping for it both online and in person, that gives you the broadest selection. But if you can get good service, a good selection, and competitive prices at a local store, when shopping for a colored diamond, why would you not try that first. You get the best of all worlds.

Dawn-I am sorry if that was a little rant, you asked about shopping for pink diamonds and I have a personal passion for colored diamonds, so I wanted you to know why I recommended what I said. David I mean no personal offense, I think you do a very good job online with color, and I know you share my passion, these are just my personal views.

 

[Rockdiamond]

Hi All,
David- I think that this conversation is central to the topic- where to find pink diamonds- so hopefully it''s not a threadjack.

I am quite interested as we''re both in the biz and your experience is valuable!

I''ve visited literally thousands of stores in the US and abroad.
My experience is that very few carry fancy colored diamonds.
If they do, they may have a few yellows- but pinks?.....I have not seen a lot of stores carrying them.

Here on 47th street, there are some sellers carrying pinks.
But some of the sellers carrying them are ...shall we say, overly aggressive, and not all that interested in honest representation. 47th street is a world unto itself......

What city are you in David?

For sure, if it''s possible to walk in a buy a stone, as opposed to buying online, a lot of folks would prefer to do that.
Another aspect I''ve found to be true, when comparing B&M versus online is that a B&M is likely to have a higher price.
They deserve a higher price as they are offering a different and more costly service, having a store- but pricewise I''ve found that very few B&M''s can compare to aggressive online sellers.


Even putting together stones to show would seem to be a challenge for many jewelers.
Since pinks are pretty rare, a lot of the cutters who have them are less willing to give out selections on memo....at least that''s what I find......

 

[LD]

Please excuse the ignorance of a Brit but what on earth is B&M????? I''ve racked my brains but have no clue! Can somebody do the subtitles for me please?

 

[cellentani]

Date: 6/21/2009 11:52:52 AM
Author: LovingDiamonds
Please excuse the ignorance of a Brit but what on earth is B&M????? I''ve racked my brains but have no clue! Can somebody do the subtitles for me please?

Hi LD! B&M = Brick and Mortar, a non-internet, local retail store.

 

[LD]

Date: 6/21/2009 1:05:51 PM
Author: cellentani

Date: 6/21/2009 11:52:52 AM
Author: LovingDiamonds
Please excuse the ignorance of a Brit but what on earth is B&M????? I''ve racked my brains but have no clue! Can somebody do the subtitles for me please?

Hi LD! B&M = Brick and Mortar, a non-internet, local retail store.

Thanks so much Cellentani - never in a million years would I have worked that out!

 

[Rockdiamond]

Sorry LD- I should have been more clear!

Dawn, a few other points you raised:
In terms of shape- I agree with David that yield is a huge motivation to cutters when deciding what shape to cut to.
But I have seen quite a few Emerald Cuts, Cushions, Heart Shapes and other shapes in natural pink diamonds.
I find that radiants are more rare, as they require the cutter to make a symmetrical stone. I think I've actually seen more emerald and Asscher than radiant cuts in pinks. But there are so few that it's hard to make generalizations.

I agree with David that prices for Pinks have gone up at a faster clip than colorless in general.

Anyone telling you they are "running out"of pink diamonds is using hard sales tactics IMO.
They are hard to come by, but I have seen a steady supply for many years- even if it's a trickle, it's steady.

 

[dkodner]

David- I''m in St. Louis, a typical midwestern US city, so I have to think, although I have no real basis for this conclusion, that we are just like most mid sized cities across the country. Although without a doubt, 47th Street is a world unto itself....

It''s true that most will not have many pinks, if any at all, in stock when you walk through the door, but when you ask, they can get them, and I think the same holds true for internet dealers. There are only maybe a dozen websites that show pink diamonds on their website, and even a few (maybe more) of those would have to have a pink sent from someone else if they got a call for what they had listed. When I say B&M''s (I didn''t know what it meant when I first read it either) can show a nice collection, is that the one''s I refer to here in St. Louis, could make a few phone calls and get them in as quickly as any internet store. If you have a good reputation and a good batting average (tend to sell what you bring in) there are plenty of cutters and dealers who will happily memo pinks.

I think it used to be the case 5 years ago that there was a big price discrepancy between online and B&M, but I don''t think that is so true anymore. The jewelers I know who are still successful have changed their pricing on diamonds to be much closer if not the same to what you find online. We have changed our business model to be competitive and have found different ways to keep our margins good enough to cover the extra overhead of a physical store. The ones who have not are finding it much more difficult to stay in business. In specific to colored diamonds, it is much easier for a B&M to be competitive to internet dealers if they want to, as there is typically a better margin for color since the supply is so low.

The conversation about running out of pinks has gone on pretty actively in the last five years. There are always stories about how the Argyle mine is close to ending production. I had heard early in ''08 that the mine would close for sure at the end of 2010. Then Argyle announced at the beginning of ''09 that they were slowing production due to the economic climate, but the mine expansion would be finished by the end of 2010, and that should keep them in production until 2018. What happens is, as we all often see, someone hears part of a conversation, or reads something on the internet, takes it as absolute fact, and then spouts it out to their customers as absolute truth....we seem to see that a lot in the world of politics as well....

I agree with David that it is really hard to say one shape in particular is common in specifically pinks. There is such little material, that they are limited by the type of rough and even under more pressure to get the highest yield, that you see all kinds of shapes out there. My finest pink is a kind of trillion shape, but kind of pear shape, but kind of neither, but it is still a dreamy stone.

Dawn- I would take from this thread that what you are buying is very rare and special, almost as special as the occasion it is representing. So take your time, check out all available venues, as there is not just one way to shop for a pink diamond. Your original list is a great starting place, but you should find a jeweler you feel a good connection and level of trust with, whether that be online or through a local store, and let them help you through the process to find what is perfect for you. I hope you truly love and admire whatever you end up with for many years to come.