The Argyle Diamond Mine is located in a remote corner of North West Australia and it produces over 90 percent of the world supply of pink diamonds and yet less that 1/10 of 1 percent is classified as Pink in color.
The pink diamonds comes in shades ranging from a pastel rose, such as the Pink Orchid to intense purple-reds of the Moussaieff Red, and the price is determined by the intensity of the color. Pink diamonds have sold for up to $1,000,000 a carat. Unlike the Type I diamonds that derived their color from impurities imbedded in the diamond, Pink diamonds are considered a Type II and get their color from a process known as Plastic Deformation.
Type II diamonds have very few if any nitrogen impurities in them. They get their coloration due to structural anomalies caused by Plastic Deformation during the crystal growth. The intense pressure changes the lattice structure of diamonds and has led to the formation of Pink, Red, and Brown colored diamonds.
Only 1 out of the top 66 largest diamonds in the world is pink. When Ben Affleck gave Jennifer Lopez a pink diamond solitaire engagement ring, traffic to web sites that had pink diamonds increased from 300 to 400 percent. Although not normally large in size they have become very popular and over the years many have become world famous.
Pink Panther
Probably the most famous pink diamond in the world was the Pink Panther Diamond that was made famous by the 1964 file release of The Pink Panther. Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau was on the trail of the jewel thief also known as The Pink Panther.
Darya-I-Nur
Darya-I-Nur diamond is believed to be the largest pink diamond in the world. The stone is estimated to weigh somewhere between 175 and 195 carats, and it is a light pink color. Its exact weight isn't known because its been mounted in its brooch setting for over 130 years. This stone is one of the most celebrated diamonds in the Iranian Crown Jewels and it is also one of the oldest stones known to man.
Steinmetz Pink
The Steinmetz Pink Diamond is classified as a vivid pink and is 59.60 carats in weight. This diamond was discovered in South Africa and is the largest Fancy Vivid Pink diamond in the world. This fantastic diamond was first shown to the public in 2003 in Monaco. A team of eight jewelers took 20 months to create this Internally Flawless diamond. They created over 50 models before cutting on the real diamond began.
With the new techniques in creating laboratory diamonds it will only be a matter of time before quality pink diamonds are available to the general public at an affordable price.
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