The pink color of fancy pink diamonds
is actually a light red. Different
tone levels of pink can be thought
of as similar to the colors achieved
by gradually adding water to a red
paint. When brown or orange overtones
are present, the purity of the red
is lost and the color's beauty is
diminished.
A major cutting consideration
for many colored stones and fancy-colored
diamonds is the zoning of color in
the rough material. Many fancy-colored
diamonds are polished into fancy shapes
rather than round brilliants in an
effort to minimize weight loss to
the rough material, while simultaneously
making the color appear as deep as
possible. The cutter's skill is measured
by his ability to make the diamond's
color appear as deep and beautiful
as possible when viewed from above.
As long as imperfections do not severely
affect the beauty of the stone, color
is considered more important than
imperfections when establishing value.
The fancy pink diamond shown below
is from the Argyle mine in Australia.
Discovered in 1979, Argyle began commercially
significant production in 1983. Large-scale
development has continued since, and
by 1995 the mine accounted for 40
percent of total world diamond production.
|
Yet because
most of these diamonds are of low
quality, with many brownish diamonds,
Argyle accounts for only 5 percent
of world production in monetary terms.
Of the diamonds mined at Argyle,
the
rare fancy pinks are the most important.
Only small sizes are found there,
rarely exceeding 1.5 carats before
cutting, but these stones have had
an immeasurable effect in raising
consumer awareness of fancy-colored
diamonds since the 1980s. The Argyle
material has a characteristic purple-pink
color with strong bluish overtones.
Although the fancy pink diamond
as
shown in the photograph on the next
page is light in color, it has
a beautiful "cherry-blossom"
color. The balanced pink and white
mosaic pattern seen in this photograph
exemplifies the beauty of fancy pink
diamonds. This diamond's precise
source
cannot be determined, but it is probably
from India, Brazil, Tanzania, Zaire,
Angola, Russia (the Arkhangelsk mine
near the Finnish border), or the
Premier
mine in South Africa. |
