Nathaniel Fried
A ping diamond engagement ring, did you say?
First of all, an engagement ring calls for a celebration. Congratulations!
An engagement ring is possibly one of the most prized possessions held dearly by a woman. A diamond engagement ring in particular is a coveted piece of jewellery.
Getting engaged is one of those great milestones of life that everyone has pictured and imagined. And when your imagination lets loose, you dream of every little detail and accessory.
Brides to be are very particular about the choice of engagement ring. As they should be, the engagement ring is going to be a conversation starter. So you have to be careful in your selection of the perfect ring. After all, this is the moment you have been dreaming about.
Of late, more couples are opting for something different, something unique to their personality and taste rather than choosing the run-off-the-mill engagement rings.
As more couples look towards unusual cuts, colours and designs in engagement rings, fancy coloured diamond engagement rings have become quite popular in the past couple of years.
Of these, the pink diamond engagement ring is one of the more popular choices. While the traditional white diamond rings are a safe choice, there is something quirky and interesting about the pink diamond engagement ring.
What are pink diamonds?
Pink diamonds are naturally found in the earth’s crust. They owe their unique colour to a combination of intense pressure and heat that cause some changes in the crystal lattice. This leads to the stones absorbing green light and reflecting a pink hue.
Since the occurrence of a pink diamond is very rare, these coloured diamonds are highly valued and sold at a premium rate, much higher than their white counterparts. In fact, even the structure of a white diamond is different from that of a pink diamond.
Since the colour pink often represents love, passion, energy and romance, the pink diamond is a popular contender for an engagement ring. Owing to a premium price per carat, the pink coloured diamond is a true luxury collectible.
Pink diamonds are also very rare and an investor’s delight because of the high appreciation in value over the years.
Mining of pink diamonds
The primary source for pink diamonds is the Argyle diamond mine in the East Kimberley region of remote Western Australia. Argyle is the largest diamond producer in the world by volume but it set to close down by 2020 due to a possible burn out.
Argyle Diamond Mine is now synonymous with pink diamonds since it produces over 90% of the world’s total supply.
The Argyle Mine also provides other naturally coloured diamonds including, red, blue and champagne coloured diamonds.
Pink Diamonds mined from Argyle mine are unique because of their ‘bubblegum’ hue that no other mines can match.
Colour hues of pink diamonds
The most expensive pink diamonds are the ones with the most intense colouring and deep hues.
But pink diamonds also have a secondary colour that impart them a unique character.
The secondary hues of pink diamonds include purple, gray, brown, orange and even brownish-purple. The most popular one is the purplish pink.
However, that is not the full range of pink diamond colours.
Since the intensity of the colour is an important grading criterion, you must understand how these hues work.
A faint purplish pink and a fancy deep purplish pink are in fact two different colours with two different values.
Pink diamonds are graded on an intensity scale from Faint to Fancy Vivid. Here’s what the GIA scale for the various grade looks like:
Faint Pink, Very Light Pink, Light Pink, Fancy Light Pink, Fancy Pink, Fancy Intense Pink, Fancy Deep Pink, Fancy Dark Pink and Fancy Vivid Pink
So, when you buy a pink diamond engagement ring, take note of the exact colour of the stone along with its intensity, secondary hues and the primary colour listed in the description.
Such as a stone could be a fancy light brownish pink or fancy orangy pink.
And since pink diamonds are one of the rarest, the prices tagged are unusually high.
Their value differs according to the colours and colour combinations of the stone.
For example, the purplish pink diamonds are more expensive than the brownish pink ones. The pricing gets steeper with the colour intensity level of pink tones in a diamond.
And now to answer the question, should you buy a pink diamond engagement ring?
Without a doubt! It will be the best investment decision you have ever made and the dazzling pink diamond engagement ring will be your heirloom jewellery piece for years to come.
