Jermyn Street: Home of Quintessentially British Menswear
7th April 2016
Words by Florence Paul
Natural pink diamonds are unrivalled in rarity and femininity. Varying in colour from the palest blush to soft rose to more vivid hues and worth up to 20 times more than their white-diamond sisters, they have been described as the most portable form of wealth on the planet. Incredibly, it is unclear how pink diamonds get their colour. It is believed that when the diamond is forced to the earth’s surface, its crystal structure is somehow altered. It is this deformation that forces the stone to absorb light differently and emit the pink hue. To appreciate the rarity of pink diamonds, of every 1 million carats of rough diamonds produced by the Argyle Mine in Australia, where most of the world’s pink diamonds come from, just one carat is suitable to sell. Already elusive, the frenzy for pink diamonds is compounded by the fact that this mine may well be depleted by 2020.
The phenomenon of coloured diamonds becoming so popular, particularly pink ones, only really began in the 1990s. Having said that, many of the world’s most famous diamond-loving women — from Her Majesty the Queen to Jennifer Lopez — own famous pink diamonds. In November 2015, Christie’s Geneva set a new auction record when selling a 16.08 carats cushion-shaped, fancy vivid pink diamond for US$28.5 million (£20 million), making it more than US$1.77 million (£1.3 million) per carat. Only three pure vivid pink diamonds over 10 carats have appeared for sale in the past 250 years, one of which now called the “Graff Pink”, was sold in 2010 for US$46.2 million (£30 million) — it is an astonishing 24.78 carats.
Ritz Fine Jewellery has always celebrated coloured diamonds and the exceptional pink diamond necklace is the highlight of the latest collection. This necklace is made from 123 round brilliant cut diamonds, set in fine white gold. Designed to form an elegant, softly curving “V” of white diamonds, it perfectly presents at its focus the 6.44 carat fancy purplish pink oval diamond set in rose gold — undoubtedly a rare and exquisite piece. Pink diamonds evoke a sense of romance and luxury — and for good reason. Valued for their rarity, they truly are one of the world’s natural wonders, intensely beautiful and everlasting heirlooms.
