FYI
Pursing Pink Diamond Perfection
Gail Bonaparte
What makes fancy pink diamonds so highly prized?
Pink is the ultimate feminine color and synonymous with the world-famous doll launched in 1959. It is a color that reminds us of tenderness and romance. Pink comes in many shades, from the softest whisper of a pink hue to the shout of a strong, powerful hot pink hue. What makes fancy pink diamonds so rare is the depth of color, combined with the brilliance and sparkle that natural diamonds are known for, making them standout, and not be mistaken for other pink gemstones.
Diamonds are one of the ultimate ways to show and honor devotion to a significant other, as well as celebrate achievements. Fancy pink diamonds are most certainly the pinnacle of the fancy-colored diamond spectrum. Diamonds are seen as the physical representation of the love and commitment that people make to each other when they decide to become a family and create future generations. As the world’s hardest mineral, it is a fitting symbol of pure and enduring love.
In conversation with Mike Nekta, of NektaNewYork.Com in NYC’s Diamond District, I asked him what makes pink diamonds so special to his customers? His response was that “Fancy pink diamonds are highly sought after for their attractive color, historically commanding high prices. Despite this, both natural and lab-grown options are now available, with even affluent buyers opting for lab-grown diamonds due to their beauty and value. My website’s section on fancy pink diamonds receives the most traffic, highlighting their popularity and the growing preference for lab-grown versions.”
At his NYC location, Mike offers “Three fancy pink diamond options for every lifestyle: Natural pink – small, pricey, great resale and investment; Color-treated – earth-mined with a GIA laboratory-grown colored diamond report, enhanced color, and better value; Lab-grown fancy pink – bought for appearance.”
WHAT GIVES FANCY PINK DIAMONDS THEIR DISTINCT COLOR?
There were many theories on how pink diamonds were formed but I trust the 2008-2016 study done by GIA on over 90,000 primarily pink diamonds. Over 99% of the pink diamonds submitted to GIA confirmed by gemological testing that their color comes from the crystal distortion during the formation of the diamond. If the pink diamond contained nitrogen, the pink color came from the parallel lines also known as glide planes. These glide planes are integral to diamond cutters because they use them to orient the diamond in such a way that they display the most saturationof color in the pink diamond’s face-up view, which gives it the most pleasing hue. The fancy shapes, which are any shape other than round, particularly lend themselves to the best display of color due to having a large table (center) facet where the color is most visible.
Carat weight for fancy pink diamonds is very important. Less than half of fancy pink diamonds submitted to GIA’s laboratory weigh more than one carat. So, although color is the most important of the 4 C’s with fancy pink diamonds, the carat weight is also a very important factor and must be taken into consideration more than clarity.
Pink diamonds are in a class by themselves. No other color can truly compete with a fancy pink diamond. A small percentage of the world’s diamonds qualify as pink and even less are in the category of fancy pink with a true pink hue (initial perception of the color). Even when the color saturation is weak and the tone is light, it would still be considered a fancy-colored diamond if the color is visible in the face-up view. Larger fancy-colored diamonds are rare and the more intense the fancy color, the more valuable the fancy-colored diamonds. Highly saturated pure fancy pink and purplish pink diamonds, especially in the larger carat weights, are very rare and considered collector’s items. The lighter the color (hue) of the fancy pink diamond, the more difficult it often becomes for the eye to see a modifying color in the less saturated color grades of Fancy Light, and Fancy.
Did you know that pink is de-saturated red? It is one of the reasons why fancy pink diamonds command such a high price tag due to being in the same family color of the ultra-rare and very expensive fancy colored red diamond.
Made by Malyia
14K rose gold & platinum ring with 0.57ct pear shape diamond & 0.59ct pear shape natural pink diamond
MSRP $31,750
madebymalyia.com
“Eve” 18K with 15ct emerald cut fancy vivid orangy pink diamond ring, 18k
MSRP $225,000
WHERE DO FANCY PINK DIAMONDS COME FROM?
For over three decades, the Argyle Mines in Australia created a consistent and reliable stream of pink and fancy pink diamonds in the trade. Purple, blue, champagne, and cognaccolored diamonds were also sourced from the Argyle Mine. Additionally, very rare red diamonds also came from this Mine. For many years, the Argyle Mine produced nearly 90% of the fancy pink diamonds supplied to the world. Since the Argyle mine closed in 2020, the scarcity of the top-quality fancy pink diamonds has caused the already high price to increase. Pink and other fancy colored diamonds are found in Brazil, Canada, Russia, and other regions of the world.
HOW ARE FANCY PINK DIAMONDS COLOR GRADED?
While the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) color grading scale for colorless diamonds is evaluated on the absence of color in the diamond, the opposite is true for fancy pink colored diamonds. They are valued on how much color is present in the diamond to qualify it as fancy, how pure is the pink hue, and how saturated is the color. GIA created the Fancy colored diamond color grading scale that exists for all fancy colored diamonds: Fancy Light, Fancy, Fancy Intense, Fancy Deep, Fancy Vivid and Fancy Dark.
Often, there is a modifying or secondary color in the fancy pink diamond that may enhance the look of the diamond, while still showcasing the desirable pink hue resulting in orange pink, purplish pink, grayish pink, and brownish pink.
The stronger and purer pink, the greater the value that is given to the fancy pink diamond. Not all pink diamonds would fit the criteria outlined by GIA’s standards as a fancy pink diamond. In the jewelry trade, terms such as light pink, faint pink, baby pink, cotton candy pink, or very light pink diamonds are color descriptions that are sometimes mentioned; those terms may describe pink diamonds but not do fit the GIA criteria for fancy pink diamonds. Therefore, the pricing should reflect that difference and not be in the same realm as fancy pink diamond pricing.
Fancy pink diamonds are very rare. The larger the carat, the price increases exponentially and that especially includes the larger pink diamonds that are coveted by collectors and for investment purposes. Natural or earth-mined pink diamonds are among the rarest of the fancy diamond colors and typically comes with a very hefty price tag, going for as much $2 Million dollars per carat for the fancy pink diamonds that fall into the fancy intense, fancy deep, and fancy vivid color grades. If you want a fancy pink diamond and the cost is prohibitive, try an “AADG” © (Alternative and Affordable Dream Gemstone). Pink sapphires, pink tourmaline, and pink topaz are excellent alternatives and will give you the size that you desire, pink that suits your personal taste, and the price will certainly not break the bank.
“Roza”18K & platinum with 10ct pear FI purplish pink diamond
MSRP $300,000
“Rebecca” 14K with 4ct fancy vivid pink radiant cut diamond ring
MSRP $43,000
Nekta New York
nektanewyork.com | 212.921.4647
