The Fancy Purple Diamonds the royalty and the power

A fancy purple diamond is almost as rare as a fancy red, and anyone who is privileged enough to ever behold one of these precious specimens should understand the momentousness of the occasion. Purple diamonds connote royalty, power, and the ultimate of elegance, having been prized by monarchs throughout the ages.

Set in yellow or white gold, and in any shape or size, purple diamonds are absolutely exquisite products of nature. These rarest of stones have been found in shades ranging from a pale lilac color to a deep royal purple, but are rarely ever found in sizes more than 2 carats.

Location

Fancy purple diamonds are found in tiny quantities in many countries such as India, Africa, and Canada, but they are mostly found in Russian mines. Pinkish purples have also been discovered in the Argyle Mine in Australia, which is slated to close in 2018.

Cause of Color

Like their fancy pink and fancy red counterparts, purple diamonds are classified in the Type II family of diamonds. Their coloring comes mainly from intense pressure during their formation. In a process known as Plastic Deformation, the diamond’s atomic structure is slightly distorted by graining, and light is reflected differently, resulting in the various shades of purple.

Pure purple diamonds are almost never discovered, and the vast majority of fancy purple diamonds contain secondary hues such as red, pink or orange. Fancy purple diamonds have only been found in a few intensity levels, including Light, Fancy Light, Fancy Intense, Fancy Vivid, and Fancy Deep.

Famous Purple Diamonds

Considering their extreme scarcity, it’s not surprising to note that there are only two purple diamonds that have made an impact on the world diamond industry.

The first is the Royal Purple Heart Diamond, the largest Fancy Vivid Purple diamond known to exist. The whereabouts and origins of this heart shaped, 7.34 carat masterpiece are shrouded in secrecy, although British Gemologist Michael Hing was given the opportunity to examine the stone in 2002, confirming the quality of the color, cut and clarity.

Even more mysterious is the so-called Supreme Purple Heart Diamond, a serious misnomer since the diamond is actually a round brilliant cut. Not much is known about the diamond, except that it weighs somewhere between 2 and 5 carats, and that it displays different colors when viewed from different angles. From one side the diamond appears to possess a deep red color, and from the other it displays deep purple!

Although not famous for its physical characteristics, the 8 carat purple diamond ring that basketball celebrity Kobe Bryant bought for his wife, Vanessa, earned world renown as well. Bryant bought the ring in 2004 as an appeasement gift for his wife Vanessa while he was facing rape charges.

Investing in Fancy Purple Diamonds

If you are looking to grow your investment portfolio, a fancy purple diamond in any size is one of the most secure and unique choices you could make. Because of the their incredible combination of rarity and beauty, the value of fancy purple diamonds only increases as time moves on.