Colored diamonds are incredibly highly valued not only because of their unprecedented rarity, but also because of their beauty. The pink diamond is one of the most incredible phenomena, the rarest variety among all colored diamonds. Scientists still do not for certain know the true reasons for such a coloring of stones.
This secret not only does not stop, but also spurs the interest of investors, traders, jewelers. Demand for these stones at the largest auctions in the world only grows over the years.
Scientific hypotheses
Scientists know that the reason for coloring nuggets in different colors is the presence of chemical impurities. They absorb light, accumulate it and give the diamond one color or another. For example, the yellow diamond owes its color to nitrogen molecules, and the blue color is due to boron. But why the diamond is pink, no one knows. The fact is that it does not have any impurities in its composition; its formula completely coincides with the formula of transparent diamonds of pure water. This led scientists to the idea that the unique color is the result of a seismic effect that the rock was exposed to at some point. According to this hypothesis, seismic activity is the reason why the molecular structure of a diamond changes , which gives it a characteristic color. The theory of seismic impact has not yet been scientifically confirmed, numerous studies are ongoing, but so far it has not been possible to say exactly why the diamond is pink. And this unique stone continues to delight and attract those who are at least somewhat alien to jewelry and mineralogy.
Production
Diamond, the pink shade of which remains unique even with the development of modern technology, is mined in western Australia. The largest mine in the world is the Argyle mine. And even in this field, he remains a rare find. In all, the prospectors manage to find several diamonds of this shade per year.
Trying to discover the secret of pink diamonds, experts are looking for answers to many questions. Some of them are even related to the history of the origin and development of our planet.
It is known that the formation of most diamonds began billions of years ago. Exploring these stones, you can learn a lot about the history of the Earth, because they are a kind of "time capsule."
Research
Australian pink diamonds have been studied in detail at the molecular level. Trying to detect the presence of impurities that affect the pink color of diamond, scientists subject the stones to mass spectrometric analysis. As a result of studies, impurities were not detected. Spectrometric measurements of this conclusion fully confirmed.
Another interesting experiment was conducted. The diamond was exposed to a focused ion beam, as a result of which a recess was made on its surface. Scientists have extracted silver from it, which is also subjected to research. The result was the discovery that the pink diamond is not completely, but fragmented. Geologists call this phenomenon twin planes and claim that they are the result of volcanic activity.
Record holders
Only a couple of decades ago, only geologists were interested in these stones. Jewelers did not consider pink diamonds any interesting.
Today everything has changed. The record holder for cost is Graff Pink - a pink diamond, the photo of which is famous all over the world. Its weight exceeds 24 carats, which is a real miracle. After all, quite rare stones are practically never so huge.
It was sold in Geneva in 2010 at the Sotheby's auction for $ 46 million. Today it is considered one of the most expensive gemstones in the world.
The absolute record holder is the Pink Star stone framed in a ring. Its weight is 59.6 carats, and the price for which the buyer agreed to buy it at the Sotheby's auction reached 83 million dollars. This made him the most expensive stone in history. However, later it became known that the buyer did not pay for the purchase, and the auction bought the unique diamond back for $ 72 million.
The most expensive pink diamond jewelry
Products with colored diamonds are also among the ten most expensive rings in the world with precious stones.
Among them is a wedding ring with a pink diamond by Anna Kournikova, donated to her by star groom Enrique Iglesias. It is crowned with a drop-shaped stone weighing 11 carats. Experts estimate the ring at $ 6 million.
Graff's Vivid Pink is a famous gold ring decorated with a pair of transparent and one 5-carat pink diamonds. The color of the stone is very delicate, with mother-of-pearl tints, and a unique cut emphasizes its richness and depth. The cost of this ring is 10.8 million dollars.
Superb Pink is a 14.23-carat rectangular diamond. It was sold at Christie's auction for $ 23.2 million. The gem is framed in a white gold ring, and its deep color sets off a pair of transparent diamonds with a total weight of 3.4 carats.
Pink Clark is another record holder ring that once belonged to Huggett Marcel Clark, an American millionaire. In 2012, it was sold at Christie's auction for $ 15.7 million. Unique pink cushion-cut diamond framed in gold. The new owner of the legendary ring was Brett Stettner, the owner of the house Stettner Investment Diamonds.
The famous gem with the sonorous name "Martian Pink" weighing 17 carats has a rare round shape and stunning cut. This stone at Christie’s auction was acquired by an anonymous buyer for $ 17.4 million.
Pink diamonds in jewelry
Not all such stones leave auctions for fabulous amounts. Famous jewelry houses offer customers wonderful jewelry, framing unique diamonds in a decent setting. Such stones are often used by such famous jewelers as Tiffany, Chopard, Cartier, Bulgari.
It is believed that only precious metals of the highest standard are suitable for these stones, so jewelers combine platinum, white or pink gold with diamonds.
But even if there is a very small stone of a unique shade in the ring, its cost will amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars per carat. This is due to the huge purchase price for the rarest pink diamonds.
Prospects
Experts say that jewelry with a real natural pink diamond is not just a beautiful thing and not just a status acquisition, but also a competent investment.
These stones will grow in value. A special jump in demand for pink diamonds and diamonds occurred after the statement by Rio Tino, the owner of Australian copies, that he intends to close the mines by 2019.