Pink diamonds occupy a very specific place in the jewellery world. They are extraordinarily rare, almost absurdly expensive, and genuinely beautiful in a way that is completely unlike any other gemstone. They are also somewhat mysterious - even the scientific community is not entirely certain what causes them to be pink in the first place.
Here is everything worth knowing about pink diamonds - mined, lab grown, and the pink stone alternatives worth knowing about. And at the end, three Ethica pieces that capture everything we love about pink tones in fine jewellery.
Why Are Pink Diamonds So Rare?
Most diamonds form under conditions of extreme heat and pressure deep within the earth, creating the pure carbon lattice structure that gives a colourless diamond its characteristic appearance. Pink diamonds form under those same conditions - but something else happens to them too.
The current scientific theory is that an additional extreme pressure event - possibly a seismic shock occurring after the diamond had already formed - distorts the crystal lattice in a way that causes it to absorb light differently, producing the pink colour we see. But this is still a theory. Nobody has been able to definitively prove what causes a diamond to turn pink, which is part of what makes them so fascinating.
What is certain is that this process is vanishingly rare. Pink diamonds account for a tiny fraction of total diamond production. The Argyle mine in Western Australia - which closed permanently in 2020 after producing the vast majority of the world's supply of pink diamonds - yielded approximately one pink diamond for every one million carats of rough diamond mined. One in a million, quite literally.
The closure of the Argyle mine in 2020 has made naturally occurring pink diamonds even rarer than they were before. Their value has increased significantly as a result - and is expected to continue rising.
How Are Pink Diamonds Graded?
Coloured diamonds are assessed by the same four Cs as colourless diamonds - cut, clarity, colour, and carat weight - but with three additional criteria that matter enormously for fancy coloured stones.
Hue
The primary and secondary colours visible in the stone. Pink diamonds can range from brown-pink to purple-pink. The most desirable are those that show pure pink tones with no secondary hue - no brown, no orange, no hint of another colour diluting the pink.
Saturation
How evenly the colour is distributed throughout the stone. A well-saturated pink diamond shows consistent, even colour across the entire stone without patches or irregularities.
Tone
How dark or light the colour appears. For pink diamonds, deeper and more vivid tones are rarer and therefore more valuable. The GIA uses a scale from Faint through to Fancy Vivid - and Fancy Vivid Pink is the most prized and most expensive classification of all.
The Most Expensive Pink Diamond in the World
The Pink Star is a 59.60 carat Fancy Vivid Pink diamond - the largest of its classification in the world. It was mined by De Beers in South Africa in 1999 and sold at Sotheby's in 2013 for 68 million Swiss Francs. The buyer defaulted on payment, and the diamond remained with the auction house until 2017, when it was sold again - this time for 71.2 million US dollars.
That is approximately 1.2 million dollars per carat. For context, a high quality one-carat white diamond retails at perhaps three to five thousand pounds. The rarity premium for a pink diamond of that quality is almost incomprehensible.
Lab Grown Pink Diamonds - How They Are Made
This is where things get genuinely interesting - and where lab grown pink diamonds diverge significantly from their mined equivalents.
For blue and yellow lab grown diamonds, colour is introduced during the growth process itself by adding trace elements to the environment. Boron produces blue. Nitrogen produces yellow. The colour is integral to the crystal structure as it forms.
Pink is different. In a lab grown pink diamond, a colourless diamond is grown first using CVD or HPHT technology. The pink is then introduced through a post-growth process called irradiation - the finished diamond is showered with electrons and neutrons, which alters its crystal lattice structure and creates the pink colour. This is followed by a process called annealing, where the diamond is heated to even out the colour distribution and produce a consistent, beautiful pink tone.
The result is a pink diamond that is chemically and physically identical to a mined pink diamond. The same hardness. The same refractive index. The same crystal structure. A trained gemmologist cannot tell them apart without specialist equipment.
One important note: pink lab grown diamonds are sensitive to extreme heat after the colour treatment process. A jeweller's torch applied directly to the stone can disrupt the colour. Always ensure your jeweller is aware that the stone is a treated pink diamond before any setting or resizing work is carried out.
Pink Sapphires and Padparadscha - The Alternative Worth Knowing About
If you love the romantic warmth of pink tones in fine jewellery but want something different to a pink diamond, two gemstones deserve serious consideration.
Pink Sapphires
Pink sapphires are a form of corundum - the same mineral family as blue sapphires and rubies - and sit at 9 on the Mohs scale, making them an excellent choice for everyday wear. Lab grown pink sapphires are chemically identical to mined ones, with vivid and consistent colour that is often more striking than their natural equivalents.
Padparadscha Sapphires
The padparadscha sapphire is one of the most extraordinary gemstones in existence - a rare variety of sapphire that displays a unique combination of pink and orange, evoking the colour of a lotus blossom at sunset. Named from the Sanskrit for lotus blossom, the padparadscha is among the most sought-after coloured gemstones in the world.
Lab grown padparadscha sapphires from Chatham - the world's leading gemstone grower - replicate this extraordinary colour with complete fidelity, grown over approximately nine months using processes that mirror the natural geological environment. The result is a stone that is nature-identical in every meaningful sense.
Three Pink Ethica Pieces Worth Knowing About
If you have been drawn to the idea of pink in fine jewellery - whether a pink diamond, a pink sapphire, or the extraordinary padparadscha - here are three Ethica pieces that capture everything we love about this colour in different ways.
The Yasmin - £1,200 - In Stock
Named Yasmin - jasmine flower in Persian. A 2.39ct emerald radiant fancy pink moissanite in a striking Art Deco shoulder set design, set in 950 palladium. The independently certified fancy pink stone sits at the centre of a bold, architectural setting with channel set princess cut stones on the shoulders.
This is pink done with real confidence. Bold, vivid, and completely distinctive. Currently in stock and available to dispatch now.
The Victoria - £1,140 - In Stock
Named Victoria - victory in Latin. A 0.84ct oval Chatham padparadscha sapphire with round brilliant lab grown diamond accents, set in recycled 9k yellow gold. The Chatham padparadscha displays that iconic lotus blossom orange-pink hue - warm, ethereal, and genuinely unlike anything else.
The Victoria is a ring for someone who wants colour that is romantic and distinctive without being loud. The vintage-inspired silhouette and the warm yellow gold setting make the padparadscha glow beautifully. Currently in stock in size M.
Named Alana - precious in Latin. A Chatham lab created pink sapphire in an emerald radiant cut, flanked by moon cut lab grown diamond side stones, set in recycled 9k yellow gold.
What makes the Alana particularly extraordinary is the pleochroic nature of the centre stone - as the ring moves through different light, the pink sapphire reveals subtle shifts in colour, from a soft champagne tone to a warmer, more vivid pink. It is the kind of detail that rewards looking closely at a ring you are already in love with.
A trilogy design symbolising past, present, and future. Vintage-inspired, sustainably crafted, and deeply personal.
Why Lab Grown Pink Stones Make Sense
A mined pink diamond of significant size and quality is genuinely out of reach for the vast majority of people - and even those who can afford one are purchasing a stone with a deeply complicated supply chain and an environmental footprint that is difficult to reconcile with a modern understanding of ethical consumption.
A lab grown pink diamond, pink sapphire, or padparadscha sapphire offers the same beauty, the same physical and chemical properties, and the same visual impact - at a price point that is dramatically more accessible. More importantly, it comes with a supply chain that is short enough to actually understand and transparent enough to verify.
At Ethica Diamonds we work with lab grown coloured gemstones across our collection and can help you design something entirely bespoke around a pink stone if none of the above is quite right. A free consultation with Laura is always the right place to start.
Pink Diamond FAQs
Are lab grown pink diamonds real diamonds?
Yes. A lab grown pink diamond is chemically and physically identical to a mined pink diamond. It is a real diamond with a real pink colour. The only difference is how it was created.
Do lab grown pink diamonds fade?
The colour in a lab grown pink diamond is stable under normal wearing conditions. The caution around extreme heat applies during manufacturing and setting, not during everyday wear.
What is the difference between a pink diamond and a pink sapphire?
A pink diamond is pure carbon - the same material as a white diamond, just with a pink colour. A pink sapphire is corundum - the same mineral as a blue sapphire or ruby. Both are beautiful, durable, and excellent choices for fine jewellery. The pink diamond is rarer and more expensive; the pink sapphire offers extraordinary colour at a more accessible price point.
What is a padparadscha sapphire?
A padparadscha sapphire is a rare variety of sapphire displaying a unique combination of pink and orange tones, named after the lotus blossom in Sanskrit. It is one of the most sought-after coloured gemstones in the world. Lab grown padparadscha sapphires from Chatham are nature-identical and significantly more accessible than mined equivalents.
Enquire about a lab grown pink stone ring ->
Book a free consultation with our team at ethicadiamonds.com - in person in Newquay or virtually from anywhere in the UK.
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