Prettier in Pink: Complete Guide to Buying Pink Diamonds
Learn more about pink diamonds and take a closer look at pink diamonds sold in 2024.
Brief History of Pink Diamonds
Pink diamonds were first discovered in India during the early 17th century, in the Kollur mine within the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, which was part of the legendary Golconda kingdom. The famed Daria-i-Noor ("Sea of Light"), a pale pink diamond weighing about 186 carats, is one of the largest and most famous diamonds from this period. In the 20th century, Australia became the leading source of pink diamonds with the discovery of the Argyle mine in 1983, which produced over 90% of the world's supply of natural pink diamonds. However, the Argyle mine closed in 2020, significantly reducing the global supply. Argyle pink diamonds come with their own report and provenance certificate with their own color grading details. Pink diamonds are also found in India, South Africa, Canada, Russia and Brazil but primarily still come from Australia.
Unlike other colored diamonds, pink diamonds get their color from chemical disturbances in the earth during their formation process. The varied colors originate from trace elements that interfere with the carbon crystal formation within the diamond. There are no trace elements found in pink diamonds. Instead, the cause of the pink hue is thought to be caused by a distortion in the diamond’s crystal lattice, created by intense heat and great pressure after the stone’s formation in the earth. This distortion displaces many carbon atoms from their normal positions and alters the qualities of light reflected by the diamond – resulting in pink color.
Pink Diamond Color Grading System
Color is the most important factor when grading pink diamonds. The attributes for color include Hue or primary color and secondary color. Tone refers to the lightness or darkness of the diamond color. Pink diamonds can range from very light to dark tones with medium tones generally being the most desirable. Saturation measures the intensity of the color.
GIA Pink Diamond Color Grade Scale
- Faint
- Very Light
- Light
- Fancy Light
- Fancy
- Fancy Intense
- Fancy Vivid
- Fancy Deep
Pink diamonds often come with a secondary hue including: Purplish Pink (most popular), Brownish Pink, Orangish Pink, Reddish Pink, Grayish Pink and Yellowish Pink (very rare).
Pink diamonds are also graded on a clarity scale similar to white diamonds from Flawless to Included. Cut grading is also similar to white diamonds including the proportions, symmetry and polish. The most popular fancy shapes for pink diamonds include cushion, radiant, oval, and pear, as these enhance the color and minimize waste during cutting. Carat weight is also the same as white diamonds. Sotheby's recommends only buying pink diamonds with GIA certifications. Pink diamonds weighing more than 1 carat are very rare since only about 0.01% of all diamonds that are mined are naturally pink.
Favorite Pink Diamonds Sold at Sotheby's
Every year, Sotheby's has the opportunity to sell some of the rarest pink diamonds at often record breaking prices. Diamond collectors adore pink diamonds for their rarity but also what they represent including beauty, love and links to royalty and celebrity. The value of pink diamonds have also consistently appreciated over time with further acceleration caused by the 2020 closure of the Argyle mines.
Take a closer look at our favorite pink diamonds in 2024.
Fancy Intense Purplish Pink Diamond 7.00 Carats $3.4 million
Sotheby's sold an emerald cut fancy intense purplish pink diamond 7.00 carats, natural color and internally flawless for $4.3 million in December. Emerald cut pink diamonds are rare since there is less waste when cutting a diamond into a pear, radiant or cushion cut. Pink diamonds with Fancy Intense rating are also highly desired by collectors since the color is more saturated and deeper and more obvious pink hue.
Emerald Cut Fancy Orangy Pink Diamond 12.52 Carats $3.2 milion
Sotheby's sold an Fancy Orangy Pink Diamond for 2.8 million CHF ($3.2 million). The 12.52 carat emerald cut pink diamond sold for 4x the high estimate of 800,000 CHF. The GIA certificate states the pink diamond ring is Fancy Orangy Pink, Natural Color, VVS2 Clarity. Most pink diamonds are pear, radiant or cushion cut since it results in less waste during cutting. Few pink diamonds of this size are emerald cut since step cut diamonds require very high clarity to result in a beautiful finished diamond. This impressive pink diamond ring attracted seven bidders resulting in the impressive final price performance.
Round Very Light Pink Diamond Pendant 16.73 Carats $1.4 million
Sotheby's sold a Round Brilliant Cut Very Light Pink Diamond for 1.3 million CHF ($1.4 million) in November. The 16.73 carat pink diamond is Very Light Pink, Natural Color, VVS1 Clarity, Excellent Polish and Symmetry and a Type IIa diamond. The size of the pink diamond along with the Type IIa classification made this diamond highly prized.
Fancy Orangy Pink Diamond 5.02 Carats $684,000
In December Sotheby's sold a cut cornered rectangular mixed cut fancy orangy pink diamond 5.02 carats for $684,000. The diamond is natural color, VVS1 clarity and classified as a Type IIa diamond. The diamond is set in 18 karat pink gold with 0.55 carats of accenting white diamonds that are F-G color and VS clarity.
Pear Shaped Fancy Pink-Purple Diamond 3.06 Carats $500,000
Sotheby's sold a Pear Shaped Fancy Pink-Purple Diamond for 445,500 CHF ($500,000) in May. The 3.06 pink diamond GIA report states the diamond is Natural Color, VS2 Clarity.
Pear Shaped Very Light Pink Diamond 10.19 carats $430,000
Sotheby's sold a pear shaped very light pink diamond for 3,360,000 HKD ($430,000) in October. The pink diamond is 10.19 carats and the GIA report states the diamond is also Natural Color, SI1 Clarity. Pink diamonds that are over 10 carats are very rare and desirable by collectors.
Round Light Pink Diamond Pendant 2.56 Carats $420,000
Sotheby's sold a 2.56 carat round pink diamond for 372,000 CHF ($420,000) in November. The GIA report states the diamond is Light Pink, Natural Color, VS1 Clarity. Five bidders drove the price of the this pink diamond pendant to 4.6x the high estimate of 80,000 CHF.
Heart Shaped Fancy Brown Pink Diamond 10.13 Carats $360,000
Sotheby's sold a Heart Shaped Fancy Brown Pink Diamond for $360,000 in June. The GIA report states the diamond is 10.13 Carats Fancy Brown-Pink, Natural Color, SI1 clarity. Heart shaped diamonds tend to be one of the least popular shapes while the lower quality SI1 clarity and brown secondary hue all impacted the price of this pink diamond despite the impressive size.
Oval Fancy Intense Purplish Pink Diamond Ring
Sotheby's is selling an Oval Fancy Intense Purplish Pink diamond weighing 2.62 carats. The ring is accompanied by GIA report no. 2181310221 dated August 29, 2021 stating that the diamond is Fancy Intense Purplish Pink, Natural color, I1 clarity. The pink diamond ring features an Oval Fancy Intense Purplish Pink diamond, flanked by a pair of trapezoid-shaped diamonds. The flanking diamonds weigh a total of approximately 0.85 carat, are approximately G-H color, VS clarity. The ring is being offered at No Reserve in our Gem Drop Sotheby's Sealed Auction in December.
Pink Diamond Price
The price of natural pink diamonds varies widely but in general are priced significantly higher than comparable clarity and carat weight white diamonds. Only about 0.01% of all diamonds that are mined are naturally pink. The closing of the Argyle mine in 2020 has significantly reducing the global supply, resulting in higher prices for top quality pink diamonds of all sizes.
The most expensive pink diamond to ever sell was sold by Sotheby's in 2017 for $71 million. The Pink Star is a 59.60 Carat Internally Flawless Fancy Vivid Pink diamond. Mined by De Beers in Africa in 1999, the 132.5-carat rough diamond was meticulously cut and polished over a period of two years and transformed into a stunning gemstone, thanks to Diacore. The five most expensive pink diamonds sold at Sotheby's have ranged in price from $71 million to $27 million.
Pink diamonds at the lower end of the color grade around 1 carat are often priced between $15,000 to $20,000. Pink diamonds around 1 carat at the high end of the color grade can start close to $30,000. Sotheby's sold a Fancy Vivid Purplish Pink Diamond 0.88 Carats, Natural Color, I1 Clarity for $35,000 in 2024. The price for pink diamonds 2 carats and above can range widely but generally start at over $100,000 for diamonds on the medium to lower quality grading scale and can exceed $400,000 for higher quality grade pink diamonds.
Buy and Selling Pink Diamonds at Sotheby's
Sotheby's often has impressive pink diamonds available at auction, including fancy intense and fancy pink diamonds. If you don't want to wait until the next auction, Sotheby's also has a curated selection of high quality pink diamonds available for immediate purchase. If you would like to source a special High Jewelry pink diamond ring or other pink diamond jewelry, a salon specialist would be happy to assist. Sotheby's also provides custom high jewelry services and custom engagement ring services with loose pink diamonds. Sotheby's is able to source rare and impressive pink diamonds from its global supplier network so contact a salon associate or specialist for more details. Sotheby's is always sourcing the most exquisite pink diamonds.
- Explore upcoming jewelry auctions in New York, London, Switzerland, Paris, and Hong Kong.
- Contact a Salon Associate in New York, Zurich or Hong Kong to schedule an appointment.
- Speak to a Jewelry Specialist about selling a Pink Diamond.
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