|
|
 |
| Pink, the Color of Love |
| Nov-12-2007 |
What do you associate with the color pink? Femininity? Tenderness? The fist of a baby? A mohair sweater? If you're like me, like most Americans, pink is the color of love. And since love and jewelry are so inexorably intertwined, we're fortunate to have so many pink gemstones from which to choose.
 The queen of the pinks is the diamond, unmatched for fire and durability. However, the color of most colored diamonds, including pink, yellow, brown, orange, blue, and green, aren't pure. Only the rarest are free of hints of gray or brown that muddles the hue. Diamonds with any amount of red are the rarest of all diamonds, so a fine pink is among the priciest stones in the world. If you find a pink diamond at a reasonable price, be very wary. It could have been be treated, or even coated to produce the color.
Happily, there other great gems with more satisfying color at a more reasonable price. One of the prettiest is the little-known kunzite, a pink gem with a hint of violet. Kinzite wasn't discovered until 1912, but quickly became popular when Tiffany & Co. began using it in art deco pieces. With kunzite, the depth of color changes depending on the viewing angle. In a well-cut stone, the deepest saturation appears with the stone face-up. The jewel is, however, somewhat fragile, and its nickname, "The Evening Stone", refers to its propensity to fade if exposed to strong sunlight.
Another popular choice is the pink sapphire. While we usually associate sapphires with the color blue, the gem takes on a rainbow of colors, including the red that we call rubies. While natural pinks are uncommon, man-made pink sapphires with deeply saturated color are readily available. This is a great choice if durability is an issue for you, as sapphires are second only to diamonds in hardness.
 Morganite is a member of the beryl family, which also includes emeralds and aquamarines. The pink stone was named after tycoon J.P. Morgan. Perhaps because of this, it never caught on with the American public, although the price, durability, and beauty of the stone suggests it deserves more recognition. Morganite is now being marketed under the name 'Pink Emerald'. Time will tell if this increases its appeal.
'The great imposter' is the nickname give to spinel because it comes in a variety of lovely colors that mimic more expensive gems. Natural pink spinel is rare, though, and priced accordingly. However, man-made spinel is readily available, inexpensive, and durable. If you're looking for great color without a great price tag, a pink spinel could suit the bill nicely.
My favorite pink stone, though, is the tourmaline. This gem comes in a full spectrum of deeply saturated colors, including a lovely pink. Pieces of excellent clarity are reasonably priced, and the gem is hard enough to stand up to daily wear. My wife sports a beautiful 5-carat oval that I mounted for her 10 years ago, and it still looks like new. If you want a large, durable pink, tourmaline is your best bet.
There are still more choices for pink stones; pink topaz, rose quartz and pink cubic zirconium, however, are all on the fragile side for rings.
The color of love makes a great choice for fine jewelry, and the variety of stones available puts a fine pink in almost anyone's price range. So think pink! |
|
|
Posted by Tom B at 12:52 PM - Link to this entry Share this entry |
| < Back to Diamonds Archives |
|
|
|
|
|
Ring