November 15th 2011 saw the sale by Sotherby’s auction house of Geneva, Switzerland, of a rare pear shaped yellow diamond. Currently referred to a as the ‘Sundrop Diamond’, the winning bidder has the rarely available opportunity to rename the diamond if they wish.

The largest diamond of it’s kind, weighing in at a mighty 110.3 Karats, the diamond has been graded by gemstone experts as ‘Fancy Vivid Yellow’- the highest grading. The jewel was sold by Cora International, a mining company which discovered the yellow diamond at one of their mines in South Africa in 2010.

Also sold at the Auction were a number of other important Gemstones, foremost amongst which was a suite of jewels comprising a necklace, brooch and earrings previously the property of the wife of the Ottoman Empire’s Sultan Abdul Hamid II in the 19th Century.

Despite the current economic climate the world market for high end luxury items remains healthy according to the head of Sotherby’s jewelry division David Bennett. Only last year Sotherby’s sold a 24.78 Karat ‘Fancy Intense’ pink diamond for a record $46 million.

A yellow diamond of this type and quality is one of a kind.

Sotherby’s Record Pink Diamond Auction

November 2010 saw the sale at auction by Sotherby’s of Geneva, Switzerland, of one of the Worlds rarest pink diamond gems, a 24.78 Karat ‘Fancy Intense Pink’ example, for a record breaking $46 Million!

One of the rarest colors, the pink diamond was described by the head of Sotherby’s jewelry division David Bennett as having an ‘emerald cut with gently rounded corners- a soft sensual feel’.  It is a unusually high clarity specimen, pronounced VVS2 by Gemological Institute of America. The color is described as a pure pink with no secondary hues.

The diamond was bought by top British diamond trader Laurence Graff after fierce bidding had pushed the price of the diamond far above the estimated $23 to $24 Million. Last sold by a New York dealer and kept in a private collection ever since, the diamond realized the highest ever amount bid for a jewel at auction.

‘There’s only one or two other diamonds I have seen like this in the 35 years i’ve been doing this job’ commented Bennett after the auction.

Pink diamond stones of this size and intensity of color are extremely rare.

They are the ultimate in feminine glamour and pizzazz! The soft pink color of these earrings compliments any skin color and tone. Long hair, short hair, blond, brunette or redhead, pink diamonds will sit happily on any head and simply radiate class and style.

When you are buying pink diamond earrings there are several factors to consider.

1. Your Budget… there is no point looking for very cheap pink diamond earrings, mainly because there are no cheap diamonds in reality and if that is what you want, perhaps pink sapphires or other pink stones would be a better choice. Secondly, it is worth noting that you should get the very best you can afford. These gems are equally beautifully mesmerizing and a solid investment. They are unlikely to decline but will most certainly appreciate in value.

2. The Style of the earrings. This is mainly determined by budget, as are all factors, but the pink diamond earrings you choose should suit the intended recipient’s looks and personality. Does she (or he) tend to favour small studs or larger hoops or drops or even chandelier style jewelry. Choosing a certain style makes a safe bet for a good choice. There is no point buying a style that she will look at occasionally and put back in the box, as they are not quite her style, however lovely they are… that would be a wasted opportunity. Diamonds should be worn!

3. The strength of pink you think she/he would like? It may be that she would be far happier with a pale pink than a bright one. Think again about her personality and the color of clothing she likes to wear. These are good indicators of the color saturation of the gem that is likely to be received with the most appreciation..! All within budget of course, there’s no point going bankrupt in the process!

4. Which cut of pink diamond to choose? – Princess cut is very popular for studs and rings. You cannot go wrong with this type. But you may like to consider dewdrop, heart shaped or other fancy cuts if the style of your piece and your pocket will allow.

5. Which metal to pick for the settings? – this is an easy choice. What is the main color of metal favored by the wearer-to-be! Don’t mix golds… if she/he likes white gold or platinum then that’s the one. Yellow gold is the most popular, simply for the reason that most people already own several pieces of yellow gold jewelry.

6. Remember the 4 ‘C’s…. this is carat (weight); clarity (based on purity and imperfections); color; (colorless or vivid bright colors) are the most valuable gems; cut (the quality and style of cut determine the better diamond)

Don’t over think the process; use your judgement and the known facts of the recipient to help you choose your pair of pink diamond earrings. Yes, it is an expensive purchase and you need to get it right, but it is not that difficult now that you have been shown exactly what to look for!

Acquiring pink diamond jewelry is both a wise investment and also a great joy to own in itself. These beautiful pink gems are exceptionally highly valued, particularly so if they fall within the fancy color spectrum on the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) scale. Fancy pink diamond jewels are quite rare with just one carat per million carats of raw white diamond extracted. Only 50 to 60 carats of pink gem are produced worldwide each year.

Once diamonds are cut, this reduces in quantity somewhat to become the finished pink diamond jewelry you will find for sale. You can also purchase pink diamond jewelry which is less valuable but still a very good choice for investment, which is the lighter or paler tone or shade of pink, below the fancy color spectrum. Just remember that the saturation of color determines the value. There are far more of these paler pinks but as they are not so desirable, they will be less costly.

Most Popular Form Of Pink Diamond Jewelry:

The most popular pink diamond jewelry is the ring.  This is followed by earrings, necklaces and bracelets.  You can also buy pink diamonds loose.  This means you can have them set yourself in your own designs.  This is not as difficult or expensive as it sounds as the initial investment of the gemstone is the major part of the equation.   Setting loose pink diamonds in white or yellow gold or platinum fittings, for any type of pink diamond jewelry can be done by a jeweller or goldsmith quite quickly and easily once you have established the design.

There are many factors to consider when buying pink diamond jewelry. These factors have been explained in some detail on the pink diamond rings and pink diamond earrings pages of this site.

Who Wouldn’t Wear Pink Diamond Jewelry?

Pink diamond jewelry tends to be favored by women most of all, as it is ‘pink’ which is perceived by the western world as being a feminine color. However, men do wear pink gems too. Choosing these diamonds as studs or tie pins or even set in wedding bands, they can take on a more masculine appeal if the setting is designed that way.

Whatever you choose, one other thing to consider is of course your budget! Plus, it is important to follow the rules of suitability for the intended wearer of Pink Diamond Jewelry – as well as keeping in mind the 4 ‘C’s determining rating of the gems for clarity, color, cut and carat.

Pink diamond rings are simply amazing pieces of jewelry to own.    It is even more amazing when you know that the gem on your finger was formed up to 3 billion years ago.

It is becoming more popular to opt for colored diamonds rather than a tradition clear gemstones and pink diamond engagement rings and dress rings have been seen on the celebrity fingers of Jennifer Lopez and Victoria Beckham.

The largest pink diamond in the world is a 186 carat gem known as the Sea of Light (Darya-I-Noor) which forms part of the Iranian Crown Jewels. This is not a vivid pink gem, but a pale pink in comparison to the famous Steinmetz Pink, a 60 carat fancy vivid pink diamond which took 20 nail biting months of expert work to cut!

Natural Pink Diamonds are Very Rare!

For every million carats of rough white diamond mined, only one carat will be a fancy pink. Only 50 – 60 carats are mined each year, mainly from the Australian Argyle mine. These rarities can be sold for many thousands per carat.

Why Are They So Pink?

Pink diamonds get their color from an irregular crystal development when forming. This is a different process to blue and yellow diamonds which contained elements such as boron and nitrogen when forming which created their color.

Most pink diamonds are quite pale in color and the smaller the gem the harder it is to see the pink color.  Diamonds mined from Australia are usually pinker in tone  than those from India, Brazil or Africa and Australia produces 90% of all pink gems overall.

The Meaning Of Pink

Pink diamonds have a magical soft feminine appeal. Pink is the universal color of love, joy and happiness and signifies romance, charm, sugar and spice and all things nice!  It is a perfect choice for an engagement ring or eternity ring or as an ultimate gift for someone very special.

Different Classifications Of Pink’ness’  – Strength of Color

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has a 9 tier color rating system which runs from D to Z (Z being the pinkest) at which point a Z diamond will be known as a fancy colored diamond. Normally colorless diamonds are far more prized than colored, but when a diamond is a fancy color it then becomes just as valuable, sometimes, even more so than white. There are five color categories and subcategories within each. These are pink; purplish pink; brownish pink; orange pink; and pink champagne. It is a highly specialist procedure to determine the color grade of diamonds and is still practised manually by expert eyes.

Natural Enhanced Pink Diamonds

This is the process where a natural paler pink diamond is treated by a physical process to become pinker.  Few diamonds are suitable and the results can be unreliable.  However, it is still used frequently on gems which could benefit. Many pink diamond rings contain gems which have been subject to enhancement which is a safe recognised treatment.

Why Choose Pink Diamond Rings ?

Why get excited about pink diamonds, when you could go for topaz, or pink sapphires instead? The best pink sapphires are expensive, and do not possess the brightness and sparkle that pink diamonds have. Additionally, sapphires, although very hard crystals, are no match for the high durability and strength of diamonds – being the most robust form of carbon, they are almost indestructible in daily use, which provides their ‘diamonds are forever’ reputation!

Remember the 4 ‘C’s !

Carat = weight/mass of the diamond

Cut = the faceting of a raw diamond

Clarity = the purity of the diamond covering any defects and inclusions

Color = Colorless clear diamonds or fancy colors are the most valuable gemstones.

Pink Diamond Rings Styles:

The Solitaire: Solitaires (single stones) are classic styles, and the main choice for most women, especially as engagement rings. You will find some stunning designs and a good choice of styles, gemstone sizes and colors when opting for solitaire pink diamond rings. Rings are commonly mounted in quality sterling silver, yellow gold, white 14k gold or platinum.

3 and 5 Stone set: Three and five stone rings are also very popular as engagement rings and tend to contain a ‘principal gemstone’ flanked by two or four smaller stones. Jewels may be all pinks or mixed with white stones to produce a beautiful effect.

The Cluster: More often this is a dress ring, but will work beautifully as an engagement ring. A cluster consists of more than 5 stones usually similar sizes and can comprise many tiny gems, either all pinks, pink and white or multi colored effects.

Which ever type you finally choose, beautiful pink diamond rings are gorgeous items of jewellery, guaranteed to produce the ultimate ring envy and will provide a lifetime of joy and pleasure to the wearer.