Sought the world over but only found in a few select places, pink diamonds have captured the attention and the obsession of many of the world’s most selective jewellers and collectors. But why? What makes them unique amongst all of the gems the planet has to offer?

At Pink Kimberley, we’re proud to count ourselves amongst those who’ve fallen in love with these unique gems. Combined with our decades of experience in gems and our specific expertise in pink diamonds, we think we’re well positioned to explain what makes these stones so valuable to so many people.

Understanding what makes pink diamond so special means understanding why diamonds in general are valued so highly. Diamond is one of four precious stones alongside ruby, sapphire and emerald, in contrast to all other crystals used in jewellery which are called semi-precious. A distinction as old as Ancient Greece, precious stones differ from semi-precious stones by (usually) being rarer, more valuable and possessing unique aesthetic properties such as a mixture of rich colour with translucence and an ability to catch the light (except for colourless diamonds).

Determining a stone’s value rests on much more than whether it is an amethyst, diamond or sapphire. Figuring this out is a complex process, requiring close examination of the individual stone by a professional appraiser. Depending on the type of stone being appraised, the background of the appraiser and for what purpose the stone is being appraised, one of several grading systems could be used.

For diamonds, the international standard is considered to be the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), who developed the commonly-known Four C’s system in 1953 – Carat, Cut, Colour and Clarity. However, this system is limited only to diamonds falling within a very narrow colour range from colourless to pale yellow and brown. Anything outside of this range is considered a fancy colour diamond and needs to be graded according to a separate system.

Fancy colour stones have their value determined by their colour far more than a colourless stone. Diamonds of a certain colour can be valued at substantially higher levels than colourless stones, even where the latter stone is larger and clearer than the former.

Amongst the coloured diamonds of the world, there are a few that are noted for their extraordinary rarity. Stone colours such as red, blue and pink are extremely rare in naturally occurring diamonds, making good quality examples of these stones hot commodities on the global jewellery market.

Pink diamonds in particular are sought for their exceptional colour, with the finest examples coming from the Argyle mine in Western Australia. Pink diamonds from the Argyle were regularly valued at twice that of a comparable stone from another mine, speaking to the incredible colour and clarity of diamonds found at this site. These stones are graded according to a system developed by the Argyle itself, allocating each common colour family an initialisation (e.g. PP for Purplish Pink, BL for Blue Violet) followed by a number denoting its intensity from one to nine in descending order.

Unfortunately, the Argyle was closed in November of 2020 after further exploration was deemed uneconomical. With annual pink diamond supplies from the Argyle never rising much higher than a few hundred thousand carats, the already limited supply of pink diamonds is set to tighten even further. The intense interest that these stones attract will most likely mean that we’ll see diminishing numbers in circulation over the following years as the remaining diamonds from the Argyle are sold and collectors recognise the value of holding onto their current stones.

The result is massive demand on a product with ever-reducing supply. If you’re looking to add an investment to your portfolio or to offer an heirloom to your family that will only rise in value, consider speaking to the team at Pink Kimberley about acquiring your own pink diamond.

Browser our stunning Pink Diamond collections including engagement rings, pendants, bracelets and earrings.