Cameron Diaz wore earrings containing them to the Oscars; Jennifer Lopez’s brilliant engagement ring started a rage for them; and almost every woman with style wants at least one. Pink diamonds are ‘thought to symbolize romance, desire, and treasure’ according to the Bangkok Post.
Colored diamonds, such as yellow and pink, are more valuable than white diamonds and pink are considered the best. Prized because of their extreme rarity, pink diamonds have become a favorite amongst celebrities and the very wealthy.
Originally pink diamonds were found in India, Brazil and Africa. These were usually either light pink or pink champagne, i.e. diamonds with flashes of pink. Rare and beautiful, the largest was the 175 carat Darya-i-Nur discovered in 1642. This was part of India’s crown jewels before it was taken by the invading Persian army to Iran.
The discovery of what became the Argyle mine in Western Australia with their more intense pink color changed diamond mining forever. Now 95% of the world’s pink diamonds are mined here.
The luxurious pink diamonds generally attract prices which are at least twenty times higher than white diamonds. Some have sold for $1 million a carat! They are judged by the hue, tone and intensity of their color. The darker colored diamonds are the most expensive – the pink diamond which is almost red is the costliest. The range at the Argyle mine is from 1 to 8 – 8 is the lightest.
Diamonds from the Argyle mine have become very popular recently. This is not only because the pink is more intense, but also because diamonds from Australia have an ethical advantage. Some diamonds from Africa have been ‘blood diamonds’ - these are mined by exploited workers and often used to fund civil wars. Other diamonds have been used to fund terrorism.
We may look at Lugash princess Dala’s pink diamond in The Pink Panther (1964) enviously but we can’t all afford one! Luckily there are cheaper alternatives like a Rolex bejeweled with diamonds. These are pink sapphires and pink tourmalines. Pink sapphires are hard gems suitable for daily use and range in color like the pink diamonds. Their price depends on the intensity of their color. Pink tourmalines are even cheaper. As a pink diamond ring starts at $10,000.00 it’s certainly worth looking at these alternatives.
November 25th, 2008 at 5:45 am
Pink diamonds are really beautiful, even though I am not made about the colour pink they are stunning