A miracle of nature, pink diamonds always cause a bit of a stir in the world of gem lovers. Pink diamonds get their coveted color as a result of a rare, natural distortion of the crystal lattice in the stone as it forms deep in the earth's crust. But the mystery of the origin of rare pink diamonds has not yet been fully revealed...
Pink diamonds are found sporadically all over the world, the very first were discovered in India (the famous Golconda mines), in Africa, Russia, but only in Australia, the Argyle mine “produced” the largest number of pink diamonds.
This year, a 108-carat pink diamond was produced from a mine in Lesotho.
This rare gemstone is one of the largest pink diamonds ever discovered.
Ring The Sakura
Violet pink diamond ring, 15,81 carats. Sold for HK$223 in 412.
In the world of pink diamonds, size is of particular importance: large rough stones are almost impossible to find and extremely difficult to cut.
The stone is also prized for its clarity: while most pink diamonds have little inclusion content and can appear cloudy, Sakura received a Flawless internal grade; The pink-violet color is well balanced and highly saturated - an exceptional shade, similar to the color of cherry blossoms.
The Vivid Pink
Fancy hot pink diamond, 5,00 carats. Sold for $10 in 776.
This pink stone is flanked on both sides by diamonds in a shield shape, designed by Graff.
It sold for double its low estimate, reaching the highest price per carat ever paid for a pink diamond at the time ($2). This record is in 155.
Grand Mazarin
Light pink brilliant cut diamond, 19,07 carats. Sold for $14 in 461.
This square-shaped diamond of a special light pink color was presented by Cardinal Mazarin to Louis XIV in 1661.
It then spent 225 years as part of the French Crown Jewels, passing through the hands of four kings, four queens, two emperors and two empresses before its sale in 1887.
“It was incredible to hold such an important piece of French royal history in my hands,” recalls a Christie's jewelry specialist.
Clark Pink
Purple pink Fancy Vivid cushion cut diamond, 9,00 carats. Sold for $15 in 762.
This unique purple-pink diamond, which has been in storage since the 1940s, is set in a Belle Epoque ring made by Dreicer & Co. It was previously owned by reclusive heiress Huguette Clarke.
She was one of America's most mysterious characters, her life the subject of gossip. Huguette Clarke, who died aged 104, was reputedly the fourth richest woman in the country.
Martian Pink
Bright pink brilliant cut diamond 12,04 carats. Sold for $17 in 395.
Set on an 18-karat gold band by renowned New York jeweler Harry "King of Diamonds" Winston, the ring was named "Mars Pink" by his son Ronald, inspired by the 1976 launch of the US satellite that photographed Mars.
The Martian has been certified to contain virtually no nitrogen in its crystal structure, and unlike most pink diamonds, which have shades of purple, orange or gray, it has absolutely no trace of any secondary color.
As a result, it sold for more than double its low estimate when it went under the hammer in Hong Kong in 2012.
Diamond Fancy Vivid Pink
Pear-shaped stone weighing 9,14 carats. Sold for $18 in 174.
Only a few mines in the world produce pink diamonds, and of those diamonds that are cut and polished, only one in about 10 million will be of a color clear enough to be graded Fancy Vivid.
The Perfect Pink
Rectangular deep pink diamond, weighing 14,23 carats. Sold for $23 in 165.
At the time of its sale in 2010, it was one of only 18 pink diamonds over 10 carats to ever appear at auction.
Perfect pink. Gorgeous diamond color!
Sweet Josephine
Hot pink cushion cut diamond weighing 16,08 carats. Sold for $28 in 523.
This ring, set in a double diamond setting, set a new world record price for a pink diamond when it was sold at Christie's Geneva in 2015. Owned by an American family for 15 years before the sale, the stone was at the time the largest cushion-shaped diamond classified as a Fancy Vivid Pink ever to come to auction.
After the sale, the diamond, which sold for about $5,5 million more than its lower estimate, was named after the new owner's seven-year-old daughter.
Princie (Prince)
Fancy rich pink cushion cut diamond, weighing 34,65 carats. Sold for $39 in 323.
This pink diamond was discovered about 300 years ago in India and originally belonged to the Nizams of Hyderabad.
It was first put up for auction in 1960, where it was purchased for £46 by Van Cleef & Arpels. The diamond was immediately named "Prince", and the house held a christening of the stone in its Paris showroom.
Of the seven million diamonds that have passed through the Gemological Institute of America, no more than 40 have shown a rare orange glow when examined under ultraviolet light, and the Princie is the largest of them. This fluorescent quality indicates the origin of the stone from the Golconda mines in India.
As the largest fancy rich pink Golconda diamond ever graded by GIA, it is no surprise that it sold for nearly $40 million when it appeared at auction in New York in 2013, making it the most expensive pink diamond ever sold at Christie's - until the sale of the "Pink Heritage".
Pink Legacy
A bright pink rectangular cut diamond weighing 18,96 carats. Sold for $50 in 660.
This spectacular Fancy Vivid Pink stone set the world record price per carat for any pink diamond.
Renamed "Winston's Pink Legacy" by new owner Harry Winston, the diamond is notable for both its rich, evenly balanced pink color and its size.
In fact, only one in 1 diamonds have a color deep enough to qualify as Fancy Vivid, and diamonds over 000 carats are virtually unknown.
As Rahul Kadakia, global head of jewelry at Christie's, said at the time: “You can see this color in a pink diamond of less than one carat. But it's almost 19 carats, and it's as pink as it gets. It's incredible."
