The red diamonds found in Australia, primarily from the now-closed Argyle Diamond Mine in Western Australia, are the world's rarest and most valuable coloured diamonds, known for their intense purplish-red hues caused by lattice distortions from immense pressure, making them highly prized, with examples like the Argyle Cardinal selling for record prices per carat.
The Argyle mine is unique in producing a dependable supply of rare pink to red diamonds. Diamonds have also been found in the Ellendale area of Western Australia.
Indubitably beautiful and increasingly rare, natural pink diamonds are among the most treasured types of diamond currently available. Unique in its colouring and composition, the Argyle pink diamond is exceedingly rare and takes its name from the now defunct Argyle mine in Western Australia.
Although all natural fancy coloured diamonds are extremely rare, none are more so than the red diamond. Found mostly in Africa, Australia and Brazil, red diamonds are so rare that only around twenty to thirty true red diamonds are known to exist and most are less than half a carat in size.
It is currently owned by Moussaieff Jewellers Ltd. The Moussaieff Red was displayed in 2003 as part of the Smithsonian Institution's "The Splendor of Diamonds" exhibit, alongside The De Beers Millennium Star and The Heart of Eternity.
With red diamonds, however, the largest one in existence is only 5.11 carats, named The Moussaieff Red. Discovered in the 1990s in the Minas Gerais region of Brazil, a source of natural color diamonds for hundreds of years, The Moussaieff Red was 13.90 carats in its rough form.
The Aquamarine name comes from the Latin word for seawater and is said to calm waves and keep sailors safe at sea. It is sometimes referred to as a poor man's diamond because of the pale color.
While all diamonds are unique, certain forms of diamonds are especially uncommon. In general, colored diamonds are very sparse, red diamonds being the rarest of them all.
Only 5 red diamonds are known to exceed 5 carats in weight, the largest being 5.11 carats. Only a handful of red diamonds are discovered on an annual basis throughout the world, and most of them do not exceed 1 carat.
A 1-carat diamond in Australia generally costs between A$2,000 and A$20,000+, but can range from under $1,100 for lower-grade stones to over $18,000 for high-quality, well-cut diamonds, with the price heavily influenced by the "4 Cs": Cut, Colour, Clarity, and Carat, plus the diamond's shape and if it's natural or lab-grown (lab-grown being much cheaper). For example, you might find a lower-clarity, M-color oval for around $1,000, while a D-color, VVS1 princess cut could be over $11,000.
I3 diamond clarity represents the lowest grade of diamond clarity available.
Australia's rarest natural phenomena
Natural black diamonds are still rare, only being found in very few locations including Brazil and Central Africa.
As one of the most famous diamonds in the world, the Pink Star continues to be a symbol of opulence and rarity. Its current owners, Chow Tai Fook Enterprises, have yet to announce any plans to resell the diamond However, it remains a prized asset in their impressive collection of high-value gemstones.
Red diamonds are among the most expensive gemstones on Earth. Prices typically start at approximately $300,000 per carat for diamonds with modifying tones. Pure Fancy Red diamonds can easily surpass $1 million per carat, depending on quality and size.
It's called the Winston Red Diamond, and what makes it so exceptional is the nature of its redness. Designated as a “fancy red” by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), a global authority on gems, it's one of the largest of its kind ever found.
The cheapest color diamonds tend to be light yellow and brown diamonds. These can often be found at lower price points compared to colorless diamonds.
TANZANITE: ONE THOUSAND TIMES RARER THAN A DIAMOND.
Who should not wear ruby gemstones? Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn, Aquarius, Libra, Capricorn, and Pisces ascendants should never wear rubies. This is because of the Sun's position and its enmity with these planetary positions.
The cause of the extremely rare deep red color of certain diamonds is not understood, but might be related to defects in the crystals' atomic structure. The DeYoung Red Diamond is one of the largest known natural red diamonds.
Over its 350-year history, the Hope Diamond has become one of the most famous cursed diamonds. After being stolen and recut, it is said to have contributed to the downfall and death of its owners. Discovered in India in 1673, it was originally a 115-carat blue diamond.
No, a jeweler generally cannot tell if a diamond is lab-grown just by looking at it with the naked eye; they need specialized, lab-grade equipment like GIA iD100 or X-ray luminescence (XRL) testers to detect subtle differences in growth patterns, impurities, or fluorescence, as lab-grown diamonds share the same chemical and optical properties as natural diamonds. While some jewelers have machines to test, professional grading labs (like GIA) use advanced methods to identify them, often relying on laser inscriptions and grading reports for confirmation.
A 20-carat diamond is quite large, weighing 4 grams (0.2 grams per carat) and appearing roughly the size of a U.S. dime to a bit larger, with dimensions around 20-22 mm long for an oval or about 20-21 mm in diameter for a round cut, though size varies significantly with shape and cut quality.