Pink Diamonds

Pink Diamonds – Basics

High quality pink diamonds command extremely high prices, second only to red diamonds – the rarest of all fancy colors. Over 90% of the world’s pink diamonds were supplied by Australia’s Argyle diamond mine, which closed in 2020, so they are only getting more valuable. Only 1 carat out of every 10,000 carats mined is a natural fancy colored diamond, making rarer colors with high saturation extremely valuable.

PriceScope Pointer: When it comes to fancy colored diamond (FCD) cutting you can throw away the normal cut-quality rules for D-Z colors. The goal with FCDs is cutting with angles which exaggerate the color present – which is opposite the goal for well-cut D-Z diamonds.

Before going on: Check out the PriceScope Diamond Buying Guide

Pink Diamonds Described

High profile pink diamonds have led several auctions in recent years. The 24.78 carat “Graff Pink” diamond sold at Sotheby’s for $46 million on November 16, 2010. In May 2011 Sotheby’s sold another large pink diamond for $10.84 million, a 10.99 carat fancy intense pink. While natural pink diamonds are costly and rare, pink diamonds of varying carat weights, hues and saturations are available.

The Graff Pink Diamond
(Image Source: Sotheby’s)

The Graff Pink

A fancy intense pink, the 24.78 carat “Graff Pink” sold at Sotheby’s for $46 million on November 16, 2010.

What are Pink Diamonds?

There is still a little mystery surrounding the cause of color in pink diamonds. The color is generally thought to be caused by colored graining, which results from structural irregularities in combination with an impurity. Distortions in the crystal structure are thought to be the cause of color for 99.5% of pink diamonds. Australia’s Argyle Diamond Mine produces most of the world’s pink diamonds, which are sold at the annual Pink Tender.

Pink Diamond Color Chart

Pink diamonds come in a spectrum of shades. The greater the saturation the higher the value. The GIA grades pink diamonds as follows:

Faint
Very Light
Light
Fancy Light
Fancy
Fancy Intense
Fancy Vivid, Fancy Deep, or Fancy Dark

Image courtesy of GIA

Common secondary colors in pink diamonds include brownish pink, orangish pink, and purplish pink. As is the case with all fancy color diamonds, pure pink colors are the most prized and thus the most expensive, particularly those which are heavily saturated with a rich color. Certain modifiers can create highly desirable diamonds and though more common, paler pinks are still rare and coveted in the diamond world. Natural fancy pinks are appreciably rare regardless of secondary colors and are priced accordingly.

Are Pink Diamonds Rare?

Natural, pink diamonds have been in high demand for the last two decades, and this rise in popularity has caused a rise in price. Aside from red diamonds (the rarest and most valuable fancy color), high-quality pink diamonds command the highest prices. Over 90% of the world’s pink diamonds were found in the Argyle mine, which closed in 2020, yet less than 1% of the mine’s output was comprised of pink diamonds.

Pink Diamond Gallery

10.99 carat pink diamond ring sold at Sotheby's in May 2011
(Image Source: Sotheby’s)
10.09 carat fancy vivid purple-pink diamond ring

Fancy Purplish Pink Diamond
(Image Source: PS Member, kenny)
.27ct fancy deep purplish pink diamond

(Image Source: SmallSparkle)
pink diamond halo ring

Pink diamond earrings sold at Christie's for $2 million in November 2011
(Image Source: Christie’s)
4.03ct and 4.01ct fancy pink diamond earrings

5 carat heart-shaped pink diamond sold at Sotheby's February 9, 2012
(Image Source: Sotheby’s
5 carat orangy-pink diamond

10.99 carat pink diamond ring sold at Sotheby's in May 2011
(Image Source: Sotheby’s
10.99 carat fancy intense pink diamond

Largest pink diamond ever mined in Canada, a 2.75ct fancy light pink
(Image Source: CNW Group/The Marquis Group)
Largest pink diamond mined in Canada, a 2.75 carat light pink.