Pink Diamond Engagement Rings: The Handy Guide Before You Buy

Pink Diamond Engagement Rings
and
Shopping Tips for Fancy Diamonds

Pink diamond engagement rings shine with the romantic luminous brilliance of some of the rarest diamonds in the world. If your heart has been captured by these beguiling fancy color diamonds, use the handy info below to find the perfect pink engagement ring of your dreams.

Here you will find the properties of pink diamonds, how fancy color diamonds are graded and certified, affordable alternatives to natural pink diamonds, where to find real loose pink diamonds plus essential shopping tips.

Fun Fast Facts About
Pink Diamonds!

The Darya-ye Noor Diamond is the largest pink diamond in the world - with an estimated 182 carats.

Many of today's natural pink diamonds are found in Australia.

Why are pink diamonds pink? That is still a mystery!

And if you have any questions about pink diamond engagement rings, just use the comment box at the end of the page to send in questions, comments, reviews or pics to share with future visitors!

Find GIA Certified Natural Fancy Pink Diamonds at Blue Nile!

Pink Diamond Properties

Natural pink diamonds have properties which are quite similar to colorless diamonds. Along with exceptional light refractive characteristics which contribute to dazzling flash and fire, these diamonds also have a perfect Moh's hardness rating of 10.0 - and pink diamond engagement rings will definitely hold up to the test of time.

The great mystery about pink diamonds is what causes the pink color. In other types of fancy color diamonds like yellow and blue diamonds, the color change is caused by impurities from other elements like nitrogen or boron.

Today, scientists are zeroing in on a theory to explain the great pink diamond mystery - which includes a disruption or imperfection in the crystal lattice of the diamond - but for now pink diamonds are still a puzzle waiting to be solved.

Certifying and Grading Pink Diamonds

Fancy color diamonds are weighed, mapped and graded just like colorless diamonds in terms of cut and clarity.

The main difference between a fancy color diamond certification and a colorless diamond certification is the color grade.

Only a few laboratories at this time specialize in issuing a separate color grade for fancy color diamonds - including the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and the International Gemological Institute (IGI).

The separate color grade is issued based on color characteristics including hue, tone and saturation. The labs will also examine the color to assess whether the color is natural or if the color has been artificially enhanced.

Because fancy color diamonds are valued so highly, if you are searching for pink diamond engagement rings made with natural pink diamonds it is best to stick with rings crafted with GIA or IGI certified fancy colored diamonds. Likewise for natural loose pink diamonds, play it safe and stay with GIA or IGI certified diamonds.

Cut and clarity grade parameters to look for in quality pink diamonds include:

A cut grade of Ideal/Excellent to Good
An eye clean clarity grade of SI2 and above

Values and Prices for Loose Pink Diamonds

Pink diamonds, along with blue diamonds, are some of the rarest of the fancy diamond colors – and as a result of their rarity, natural pink diamonds command some of the highest per carat prices.

Prices and values of loose natural pink diamonds will depend highly on the color followed by the carat size and clarity/cut grades.

The most desirable pink diamonds are a consistent pink color with secondary white flashes – and the value of these diamonds will increase as the color becomes darker and more saturated.

Pink diamonds are classified with a diamond color rating, from lightest to darkest as:

Light fancy pink
Fancy pink
Fancy intense pink
Fancy vivid pink

As an example of how color can affect the value of pink diamonds, a 1-carat light fancy pink diamond is on average around $70,000 and up while a comparable 1-carat fancy vivid pink diamond is on average around $200,000 and up.

Pink diamonds that have secondary brown colors, underlying brown tones, or a washed out pink color are priced the lowest - generally at around a few thousand dollars a carat.

Alternatives to Pink Diamond Engagement Rings

Unfortunately, pink engagement rings made with natural pink diamonds are priced above most couples' budgets. But luckily there are plenty of affordable alternatives that showcase a charming pink color without the sky high price tag!

1. Pink Color Enhanced Diamonds

Enhanced pink diamonds are colorless diamonds which have been treated to permanently change the color of the diamonds through heat/pressure treatments or irradiation. These are real diamonds, but they are priced much, much lower than natural pink diamonds.

2. Man-Made Synthetic Pink Diamonds

Man-made synthetic pink diamonds have the same exact physical and chemical characteristics as natural pink diamonds – the only difference is that they were made in a laboratory instead of in nature! (*Not to be confused with simulants like cubic zirconia which do not have the same physical or chemical characteristics as real diamonds).

These diamonds can be ordered loose and mounted by a jeweler, or sometimes it is possible to find a manufacturer of synthetic fancy color diamonds that will set the diamonds in a ring style of your choice too.

3. Pink Gemstones

A pink engagement ring can also display a durable yet exquisite pink gemstone. The three top pink gemstones which are strong enough to hold up to every day wear engagement rings include pink sapphire, pink watermelon tourmaline and rose quartz.

Pink sapphire is usually the highest priced of the three, but it also has the highest flash and fire qualities too - so if you are looking for eye catching pink radiance, sapphire is the ideal choice.

Pink tourmaline is quite magnificent too - and this abundant gemstone is available in a wide range of cuts and styles.

Last but not least is the lovely rose quartz - but you won't find tons of flash and fire here. Instead, rose quartz offers a classical and refined look for a very affordable price.

Shopping Tips for Pink Diamond Engagement Rings

Couples searching for pink diamond engagement rings crafted with real pink diamonds need to use the utmost caution - and the same goes for rings made with enhanced and synthetic pink diamonds too.

One way to ensure your protection as a buyer is to stick with pink engagement rings crafted with GIA or IGI certified diamonds. Keep in mind that synthetic lab created diamonds and color enhanced diamonds should come with these certifications too.

Blue Nile is an excellent resource for GIA certified natural pink fancy diamonds which can be purchased loose and set in a Blue Nile engagement ring of your choice or design.

Brilliant Earth maintains a beautiful selection of IGI certified synthetic lab created fancy pink diamonds, which can be purchased loose and set in a Brilliant Earth engagement ring style of your choice or crafted with the design-your-own-ring option.

If you are searching for estate, vintage or antique pink diamond engagement rings, these rings should come with an appraisal from a reputable unbiased third party like the American Gem Society (AGS). This is because mounted diamonds cannot go through the certification process, they must be loose to be certified.

Keep an eye out for retailers who are offering unenhanced pink diamonds at super low prices. Chances are the diamonds have been artificially enhanced – or they are selling loose pink diamonds with highly undesirable brown/yellow tones. (Even stones made with cut glass or cubic zirconia covered in a pink plastic-like coating have been found marketed as color enhanced diamonds, which is another reason why the GIA or IGI certification is so important).

As with any diamond purchase, double-check to make sure the retailer has a solid conflict-free diamond policy.

Most pink diamonds are sold loose - because they are valued so very highly. But a loose diamond can give you and your partner the opportunity to design a unique pink engagement ring with an experienced jeweler.

Good luck on your search for the perfect pink engagement ring! Hopefully the info here will help guide you to the ring of your dreams - and remember, if you have questions, comments, reviews or pics to share, just use the comment section below.

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