Naturally Colored Diamond Blog

Ten Things You Should Know About Pink Diamonds

Posted by Tony Cathaway on 11/2/15 9:30 AM

Pink diamonds are some of the most sought after and valuable stones for investment. You’ve certainly seen the news about some of the exorbitant auction prices, and opinion pieces from some of the most respected financial journals. As an alternative investment, pink diamonds are enjoying a steadily rising popularity. But as popular as they are, there are some things that don’t know about pink diamonds. Check out these facts, and then look into pink diamonds as adornment or investment for yourself. 

 

  1. Pink diamonds were historically found in India, Africa, and Brazil. Legendary old cut pink diamonds have graced the crown jewels of Iran, India, and France.
  2. Rio Tinto’s Argyle mine in Australia currently produces 90 percent of the world’s supply of pink diamonds, making pink diamonds the rarest of the rare. Even then, during their annual Pink Diamond Tender, there may only be a scant handful of stones deemed of high enough quality to be shown.
  3. Instead of the usual kimberlite pipe where most of the world’s diamonds are found, the pink diamonds at Argyle are sourced from a volcanic lamproite pipe.
  4. Argyle pink diamonds have a more complicated structure than white diamonds and can take 3 to 4 times as long to polish.
  5. The modern scanning process creates a 3-D model and identifies inclusions. This helps to minimize wastage by creating the best possible cut for the diamond surgeons to give the stone. Even then, cutting a diamond can take as long as a week. Or in the case of the Steinmetz Pink, 20 weeks.
  6. In terms of pink diamonds, different cultures around the world seem to desire different qualities in their stones. The Japanese prefer shades that mimic those of cherry blossoms, while the Chinese prefer deeper and bolder shades tending to red as symbols of good fortune.
  7. While Rio Tinto will not divulge the prices paid for the stones at the tender, they will confirm that prices have increased considerably from the time the tender was first staged.
  8. It’s not just pink diamonds that are exceedingly rare, but red diamonds as well. As is the case with pink diamonds, the Argyle mine is one of the few sources of the sought after gem. There are less than 40 known red diamonds in the entire world
  9. Less than 1% of the Argyle mine’s output are pink diamonds, in fact, 80 percent are beautiful brown diamonds. Of the total diamond output only 5 percent are considered to be of gem quality.
  10. Though the Argyle mine is expected to remain open until 2020, there are no other current consistent sources of quality pink diamonds. It is further estimated that only another 500 gem quality pinks remain to be discovered.

 

However, when it comes to diamonds, nobody has a crystal ball. The recent closure of the Ellendale mine in Australia, a producer of rare yellow diamonds, was prompted by an abrupt drop in the quality of stones being discovered. The mine was closed and the company placed into administration. The same thing could happen with Argyle, as it reaches the end of aboveground mining and goes further underground to price out those remaining gemstones.

 

Topics: Things to Know

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