When it comes to coloured gemstones, pink is the way to go: from diamonds to sapphires, luxury maisons like Dior and Louis Vuitton are capitalising on the ‘divas’ of the jewellery world

Rare pink gemstones are fast becoming the darlings of luxury jewellery as the colour is linked to spirituality and creativity, something that resonates with consumers seeking deeper meaning

Pink gemstones can be considered the “divas” of the jewellery world, thanks to their playful and vivid appearance, which is typically associated with themes of romance, femininity and royalty.

While gemstones such as emeralds and sapphires have been traditionally considered more “elegant” choices for jewellery design, high jewellery maisons – including the likes of Mellerio, Louis Vuitton and Dior – are increasingly featuring pink and purple-hued stones in their latest collections.

Rose quartz, morganite, and pink-hued rubies and spinels are encouraging the acceptance of these playful shades, but what else has influenced the growing interest in these gemstones?

One factor is surely that pink is one of the rarer naturally occurring shades in gemstones and that exclusivity is attractive to consumers. Diamonds, for example, develop a purely pink colour – ranging from faint to fancy vivid shades – due to distortions in their crystal structure caused by intense depth and pressure during formation, according to the Gemological Institute of America. That quality – undisturbed by secondary hues from trace elements – makes them highly sought after

“Even if it’s a one-carat diamond, it has significant value as it takes millions of years to produce,” says Rahila Refaaq, gemologist and founder of Hong Kong jewellery label Zaha et Cetera.

First discovered in India in the 17th century, pink diamonds have also been found in Brazil, Tanzania, Indonesia, Canada and South Africa, although today the gems are growing increasingly hard to find.

The Argyle mine in Western Australia, which produced over 90 per cent of the world’s pink diamonds, shut down in November 2020.

“Pink diamonds account for only 0.1 per cent of the 20 million carats of diamonds that are mined from the earth each year,” says Stewart Young, Bonhams’ director of jewellery and head of department, Asia.

This lack of supply has contributed to the global demand for pink gemstones, as demonstrated by offerings in the auction space. A Phillips Geneva auction in May 2024 saw a rare 1.56-carat red diamond, the Argyle Phoenix, sell for US$4.2 million to diamond maison Graff; Christie’s New York sold the Eden Rose, a 10.20-carat fancy intense pink diamond, for US$13.3 million in June 2024; and the top lot from Bonhams’ Hong Kong Jewels and Jadeite sale in November 2024 was a 30.10-carat very light pink, round brilliant-cut diamond, which sold for US$2.6 million.