Pink Diamond Engagement Rings

Pink diamond engagement rings, or more specifically pink diamonds, are the most popular color of all the fancy diamonds.

Maybe it has to do with the fact that pink is a variation of red and represents love or that natural red diamonds are the rarest and most expensive of all.

Or maybe it's because the color pink is traditionally thought of as the most feminine color. It might also have to do with the 6.1 carat pink diamond Jennifer Lopez received as an engagement ring from Ben Affleck, or the $1.8 million pink diamond ring that David Beckham bought his wife to apologize for his public indiscretion.

Whatever the reason, there is no denying that pink diamond engagement rings are spectacular, and so is their price!

Pink diamond rings are so much more expensive than the equivalent white diamond ring, so you better have a pretty big budget if you plan on buying one.

They aren't exactly sure what gives the pink diamond its color but they suspect it has to do with pressure below the earth's surface. Whatever the reason, a pink diamond ring is absolutely amazing and what most of us can only dream about owning.

Check out this vivid fancy pink diamond (at right) that sold at Sotheby's back in 2006 for $6.2 million. Now that's a ring!!!

Most of the world's pink diamonds come from the Argyle mine in Australia and each has a laser inscription that identifies its authenticity and origin and have sold for up to a cool million a carat. These diamonds are so rare that they expect the supply of the mine to run out within the next decade or so.

According to this article in The Australian "Supply is expected to dry up by 2019, making them up to 50 times more valuable than an equivalent white diamond."

While a few hundred years ago pink diamonds were found in India, Brazil and Tanzania, today Australia produces about 95 percent of the world's supply. So time is running out for those of you who will settle for nothing less than "natural" pink diamond engagement rings.

The GIA's (Gemological Institute of America) classifications for the most common pink diamond color groups range from purplish-pink, pink, to orange-pink. Natural fancy diamonds should always come with a GIA standard diamond grading report and a special  GIA Colored Diamond Identification and Origin Report, which is basically a color report and identifies the nature of the color and pink color grade.

Pink Diamond Engagement Rings: Cheaper Options

Color Enhanced Pink Diamonds:

Like all the other fancy colored diamonds, gemologists have been able to replicate the pink color (at least to some extent) in a laboratory using genuine white diamonds, irradiation, and heat pressure. These are real diamonds that have been enhanced by man and are pink to the eye. They are not a natural pink diamond and therefore much more affordable.

Synthetic Pink Diamonds (Lab Created, Man-Made Diamonds)

Synthetic here refers to the process rather than the stone because the final product contains the characteristic diamond crystal composition from actual carbon atoms—in other words, it's a real diamond.

The diamonds are grown in a lab under conditions which simulate the processes of nature that form a diamond. So you end up with a stone that has all the properties of a real diamond without taking hundreds of years to form. They can be made to resemble all the most popular fancy colors including pink.

Pink Gemstone Engagement Rings

If you like the look of pink diamond engagement rings but aren't terribly concerned about the stone itself, consider a pink sapphire engagement ring (yes, sapphires can also be pink as well as blue), or any other gemstone rings.

There are quite a few gemstone options for pink stones, we only mention sapphires because they, like rubies, emeralds, and diamonds are the only gemstones formally classified as precious, the others are considered semi-precious.

Pink diamond engagement rings are rare and expensive because a genuine natural pink diamond is one of the rarest things found on earth. If your budget won't allow for the real thing, consider the gemologist enhanced variety or one of the other precious gemstones that will give you the look you want at a fraction of the cost.

Like we say throughout this site.... "This is your engagement so go with what you love and what feels right for you!"