Pink Diamond Colour Chart

One of the most precious diamonds you can lay your eyes on is the pink diamond–they are considerably rarer than all other types of diamond, save for the red diamond. They are a gift from Mother Nature, and the exquisite colour of these beautiful stones offers an extra level of luxury and a distinctly feminine touch. A pink diamond engagement ring or pink diamond jewellery can be the most wonderful gift you could give.

Because pink diamonds are one of the most sought after diamonds, owing to their beauty and uniqueness, it pays to understand the different grades of stones. For example, it is important to distinguish red diamonds versus pink diamonds, learn about lab-created pink diamonds, and understand the complex system that assesses different types of diamonds.

The GIA System

The first system for categorising pink diamonds was established by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and was based on three factors—hue, tone and saturation. Hue was most closely related to the core colour, tone described how light or dark a stone was, and saturation measured the strength, depth, or intensity of the colour. While some gemologists adhere to this method of categorisation, this has mostly been replaced by the Argyle grading system.

Argyle Pink Diamond Grading System

The majority of the world’s pink diamonds are sourced from the Argyle mine in Western Australia, and experts are unanimous in their assertion that Argyle pink diamonds, as they are known, are the highest-quality stones on earth. While pink diamonds are also mined elsewhere, they are said to lack the beauty of an Argyle pink diamond. 

Argyle decided to create its own grading system for their diamonds, which is now the industry standard. Purveyors of these precious stones will seek the Argyle stamp to ensure quality. This system is based on the belief that it is the intensity and vividness of the Argyle diamond’s colour which sets it apart, as the depth of pink could vary from stone to stone. 

The system was created in such a way that each diamond is separated into four colour varieties which are labelled, in order of rarity, as: PP (purple pink), P (pink), PR (pink rose), and PC (pink champagne). Once the colour is determined, the scale gives another rating to the diamond. This rating represents the strength of the colour, on a scale of one to ten, with one being the deepest, most intense shade of the colour category. Therefore, a stone given a rating of 1PP would be in the rarest colour category and with the most intense form of this colour to exist. Such a stone would be one of the rarest and most valuable. Within the Argyle scale, the infinitely rare red diamond is also graded simply as ‘red’ or ‘purplish red,’ along with blue violet (BL1, BL2, BL3).

In Summary

Pink diamonds are otherworldly, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be understood. If you’re in the market for jewellery with pink diamonds, familiarise yourself with the colour chart and you’ll be able to get the stone that’s just right for you, or you can let the experts at Holloway Diamonds do the work for you–we’re ready to help!