It is speculated that large purple diamonds can surpass even the reds when it comes to rarity (although this is not unanimously accepted among diamond experts and enthusiasts.)
Whichever the case, history has not seen a great many sizable purple stones of excellent caliber; and those that have been revealed, still hold many mysteries.
The Purple Orchid
Let’s start the list with a stone that took the world by storm with its appearance in the 2014 Hong Kong Jewelry and Gem Fair. While the mine of origin was never disclosed, the country of origin is known to be South Africa. The Purple Orchid started out as a 4 carat rough, and it was only after several months of careful cutting and polishing that its true potential started to shine, ultimately revealing its true inner beauty.
Ultimately, the stone was transformed into a truly magnificent 3.37 carat, cushion cut, VS2 clarity, Fancy Intense Pink Purple work of art. It goes without saying that purple diamonds of such caliber and weight are considered a true rarity in the world of naturally colored diamonds.
The Purple Orchid was eventually put up for auction during the 2014 Hong Kong Jewelry and Gem Fair. There it held a $4 million (approximately $1.2 million/carat) asking price; unfortunately, the winning bidder and final selling were never disclosed.
The Royal Purple Heart
Sporting a truly magnificent combination of color and cut, the royal purple heart stays true to its name. At 7.74 carats, it is the largest Fancy Vivid Purple diamond in existence, and arguably one of the most beautiful. Its perfect heart shape is attributed to the Julius Klein Diamond Corporation, who did an exceptional job in bringing out this stone’s true brilliance.
Unfortunately, not much else is known about this truly stunning piece of art, including its current owner, the original rough’s size, and its value. The country of origin is believed to be Russia, which as we saw in Part 1, is among the few countries capable of producing top-grade purple diamonds.
The Supreme Star
This peculiar and very unique stone was first brought to the public’s attention during 2002, in London, England. Until that time, the stone’s owner (who remains anonymous) believed that this was just an ordinary gem, until he went to get it appraised and found that, not only was his stone a diamond, it was also a diamond with a very rare (unique even) color combination; purple and red.
It is this unique combination of hues that has deemed this the “King of All Purple Diamonds” by most who see it. Another very interesting fact about this stone is that its color and saturation appear to change depending on the angle it is looked at, changing from a beautiful purple to a deep crimson.
Despite the stone’s existence being known for 16 years, there is still very little information disclosed about it. In fact, the country and mine of origin, the size of the rough, its characteristics (apart from its hue and cut, which is a “brilliant”), and value, all still remain a mystery. It is speculated that the diamond originated somewhere in the Amazon, over 25 years ago. Furthermore, gemologists believe that the diamond is between 2 to 5 carats, and the combination of its hue and cut can easily place it in the $4 million per carat category (with a potential to ultimately yield between $8-20 million in value).
Being a relatively new discovery, the diamond does not have much of a history associated with it, but it is hoped that this rare and unique stone will build up its own myths and legends as it passes down the lane of posterity.
And that concludes Part 2! If you enjoyed this article check out some other great reads from the list below. And as always feel free to follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
.svg){kind=icon}