The LEIBISH Prosperity Pink - 1.68ct Vivid Argyle Pink Diamond

Each year an exclusive collection of the best pink diamonds found are sold in the Argyle Pink Diamond Tender. This event is accessed by invitation only to some of the most highly regarded diamond companies in the world. In fact, simply acquiring the Argyle Pink Diamond Tender Catalogue and accessing the Argyle Pink Diamond Tender section of the Argyle website is considered quite prestigious in and of itself. LEIBISH has had the pleasure of taking part in this event for several years. Each participant is allotted a specific time frame alone with an Argyle representative and the full tender collection. Without knowing any of the other bids, each participant provides a single offer of the highest price they are willing to pay for each stone. The highest bid wins. LEIBISH was delighted to receive word that out of only 55 stones that were sold in the 2011 Argyle Pink Diamond Tender, they won six beautiful diamonds. This is consecutively after winning one stone in 2009 and another six stones in 2010. The six winning Argyle Diamonds of LEIBISH   The six winning bids of LEIBISH are shown below.   Lot # 11 - A 0.36-carat, Fancy Vivid Pink, SI2 , square emerald. Argyle graded 1PP, SI2, Inscription identification number 8166. Lot # 8 - A 0.42-carat, Fancy Deep Pink, SI2  square emerald. Inscription identification number 63029, a GIA graded and an Argyle graded 1P, P1. Lot # 21 -  A 0.65-carat, Fancy Intense Purplish Pink,  I1, emerald,. Argyle graded 2P, P1, Inscription identification number 14762.     Lot # 36 - A 0.66-carat, Fancy Vivid Pink, I1, oval. Argyle graded 3P, P1. Inscription identification number 15760.  Lot # 50 - A 0.80-carat, Fancy Red, I1 ,oval. Argyle graded 1PR, P1, Inscription identification number 43050.     Lot # 6 - A 1.71-carat, Radiant. Fancy Intense Purplish Pink, I1 , Argyle graded 3PP, P1. Inscription identification number 43044. This amazing stone was recently re-polished by LEIBISH to a 1.68-carat, Fancy Vivid Purplish Pink diamond. LEIBISH 1.68-carat, Fancy Vivid Purplish Pink    One of the highlights of the diamonds LEIBISH walked away with this year was lot #50, a remarkable 0.80 carat, Fancy RED, Oval-Shaped diamond. Shmulik Polnauer, GIA GG and LEIBISH’s Chief Buyer who participated in this year’s tender and won this stone, said, “I have seen a number of beautiful red stones during my career. I found the color of this diamond incredibly rich and immediately saw the stone had a fantastic make. There were not many pure red stones like this sold at the Argyle tenders in the past and this was the only Red stone sold in the tender this year. To me, this stone reflected power and contained a dominating, alluring affect.” Red diamonds are far and few. Another famous red diamond is the Hancock Red, a 0.95 carat, Purplish Red, Round-Shaped diamond that was sold at Christie's New York in April, 1987 for the record price of $880,000 ($926,000 per carat) to the Sultan of Brunei. Another one of the highlights LEIBISH walked away with was lot #6. This amazing 1.68-carat, Fancy Vivid Purplish Pink diamond was named the Leibish Prosperity Pink for its weight is considered extremely lucky by many of the Chinese persuasion. Shmulik Polnauer, LEIBISH's GG GIA Chief Buyer, louping the LEIBISH Prosperity Pink Diamond  Shmulik said "The exceptional size of the 1.68-carat stone with such pure vivid color saturation is in of and itself a rarity. We haven’t seen a vivid Argyle pink diamond over 1.5 carats for a long time in the market. The reddish color flashes and the exciting strawberry touch are unique markers of a real Australian Argyle Pink diamond. With its combined magic and lucky number 168, recognized by those of the Asian persuasion as a “Road to Prosperity,” we decided to call this amazing stone The Leibish Prosperity Pink Diamond." The Argyle Diamond Mine in the East Kimberly region of Western Australia is known to produce some of rarest and most beautiful diamonds in the market today.  As one of the world’s largest diamond suppliers, they produce approximately 20 million carats each year.  Diamonds were first seen in the area in 1979 when a geologist happened upon a diamond embedded in an anthill. Rio Tinto Limited jumped on the opportunity of a lifetime and in 1982 started mining the area. They were already fully operational only one year later. The Argyle Diamond Mines Joint Venture (ADMJV) produces close to 600 million stones each year, of which just one tenth of one percent found is actually pink.

Pink diamonds are among the rarest of all the colors of diamonds, but some of them are even rarer than others. In general, colored diamonds with more intense and purer hues are more valuable, but size plays an important role as well. However, it really gets exciting when several rare traits appear in merely one stone. Here is a look at what are considered the rarest types of pink diamonds.   Size Just like colorless diamonds, the larger sized colored diamonds tend to stick out and become the rarest of that specific type. With colored diamonds it is even more uncommon to come across very large stones, particularly with pink diamonds. Therefore stones exceeding 20 or so carats are generally quite rare. If these diamonds display an intense color, they are all the more rare. Some pink diamonds of certain shapes do not even have to be that large to make them rare. The Williamson Pink, which now sits upon the Queen of England’s brooch, is a round brilliant 23.6-carat flawless pink diamond. It is one of the largest round pink diamonds in the world, along with the Martian Pink.    Color Another aspect that contributes to the rarity of a pink diamond is its color and color intensity. These are two separate factors. The former refers to the purity of the color. After all, a pink diamond can be a pure pink, but it can also contain traces of other hues. Ideally, a diamond should be as pure colored as possible. The second trait refers to the intensity of the color. Two diamonds can both display a pure pink color, but one can be a dark, intense pink, while the other can be a very light, pale pink. The more intense the color in a diamond, the rarer and the more valuable the diamond becomes. The Graff Pink, for instance, is only 24.78 carats but has a Fancy Intense Pink color intensity. This is the third to highest color intensity level available for pink diamonds. The Steinmetz Pink, which will likely replace the Graff Pink as the most expensive pink diamond ever to be sold at auction, has the best of both worlds. It is large, an impressive oval-shaped 59.6-carat stone, cut down from over 100 carats in the rough, and has a Fancy Vivid Pink color, the second to highest color intensity level there is. Pink Overtones  Clarity Most people who know anything about color diamonds vs. colorless diamonds know that despite the importance of clarity in diamonds, color is the most important factor for color diamonds. Though this fact remains true, it is always a contributing factor when a diamond is also internally flawless. The Steinmetz Pink, in addition to being a very big and intensely colored stone, is also internally flawless. The Pink Orchid, a 22.84 purplish-pink diamond, the Pink Sunrise Diamond, and the Graff Pink Supreme, are all internally flawless diamonds. Aside from the first stone, which is certainly a groundbreaking diamond, the diamonds are not extraordinarily large or intensely colored. Rather, their superb clarity is their claim to fame. Diamonds are complex items, and when you add the color element, it only complicates things further. Ideally, a truly rare pink diamond is one with the best qualities across all spectrums, and though some do come along from time to time, there is usually one spectacular component that makes a pink stone rare. Such diamonds are hard to come by and are therefore highly sought after. Unbelievable sums of money are shelled out in these circumstances and it can be quite astonishing for how much a pink diamond will be valued.   Argyle Diamonds When it comes to rare color diamonds that speak directly to the woman’s heart – an automatic correlation is made with the Natural Pink Diamond. This passionate and extremely feminine colored stone has the second highest market demand next to Yellow Diamonds. Furthermore, now that certain colors such as Yellow and Pink have been making more of a mainstream appearance their beauty and mesmerizing appearance is admired worldwide by both diamond enthusiasts and the general public. Different shapes and shades of Argyle pink color diamonds Regardless of their origin, many Pink diamonds are extremely beautiful and have been used in couture jewelry designs for decades. However, along with their pleasant appearance, those of the Argyle diamond mine are also considered wise investment opportunities. Emerald-cut Argyle Pink Diamonds Pink Diamond Production Josephine Johnson, manager of Rio Tinto's Argyle Pink Diamonds, said that they produce over 90% of the worlds Pink diamonds. Although, as a result of these diamonds being so rare, it isn't easy for even the most revered diamond retailers to get their hands on these stones. There are very few companies around the world, Leibish & Co. included, that hold a relatively large stock of Argyle Pink Diamonds. Furthermore, in comparison to their ‘regular’ inventory of Pink stones, the Argyle collections are usually far and few. There is no question that even though only a handful of their diamond production is Pink, the Argyle Diamond mine produces most Pink diamonds in the market today. Other diamond mines around the world, such as those found in Brazil, Africa, Russia, and Canada, have produced less, but also the colors are not always as strong. The Argyle Diamond Mine  Argyle diamonds are recognized worldwide to have a more potent, or vivid colors. Reports have been written that state Argyle diamonds are known to be harder than diamonds mines elsewhere, but this is rather difficult to confirm. Above all, the value of an Argyle Diamond can sometimes reach double or even more than some that are strikingly similar, but known to have an origin of another mine. So what is so fantastic about Argyle diamonds, enough to make them so much more in demand than other pink stones? Well, their fantastic marketing power couldn't hurt!   Marketing Power I ‘take my hat off’ to the Argyle mine for their impeccable marketing accomplishments over the past decade. The Argyle mine managed to brand their pink diamond name so well that having an Argyle certificate and inscription will almost double the value of an already expensive stone. They also hold an annual Argyle Pink Diamond Tender which is known to produce the finest stones available in the market and prices that reach hundreds of thousands of dollars for diamonds less than two carats. Furthermore, the Argyle Diamond mine developed their own pink diamond color grading scale that was quickly recognized worldwide. Specifically for a Pink diamond an Argyle certificate is considered just as prestigious than the well known GIA who grades millions of diamonds and precious stones each year.   The Argyle Diamond Mine marketed their own brand so well over the past 15 years that they now grade certain diamonds on their own according their own color grades No one company can confirm with certainty that no other diamond mine will begin producing beautiful pinks in the future, but even if one was found today, it wouldn't take them approximately seven years until they were operational. What can be said with certainty is that as a result of fantastic marketing techniques and the magnificent material found, there is no doubt that Argyle Pink diamonds now retain the most value per carat.  

The oval shaped, 59.60 carat (100 carat rough), Fancy Vivid Pink, Internally Flawless (IF) Steinmetz Pink is the largest Fancy Vivid Pink diamond in the world. The Fancy Vivid grading and the incredibly IF clarity, in addition to its remarkable 59 carat size make the Steinmetz Pink quite possibly the finest pink diamond in the world at present. It was mined by De Beers in 1999 in South Africa, and weighed 132.5 carat in the rough.  As a result of its exceptional rarity, the Steinmetz Group took a very cautious 20 months to polish it, and it was unveiled in Monaco to the public in May 2003. In 2007, the Steinmetz pink was mounted as a ring, sold to a private buyer, and renamed the Pink Star. In November 2013, the Pink Star was sold at auction to a buyer on behalf of a consortium, named Isaac Wolf, who later defaulted on the purchase. The diamond was subsequently bought by Sotheby's to uphold the purchase.   The Cutting and Polishing Process Fifty models were worked on before the cutting of the rough diamond even began. One wrong move and the priceless, incomparable diamond would have shattered. The diamond’s facet pattern is very unique, a stunning oval shaped mixed-cut diamond with a step-cut crown and a brilliant-cut pavilion. The intricate cut helps display the vivid pink color of the diamond extremely well.    A Tour de Force The Steinmetz Pink went on display in the summer of 2003 as part of the exhibit in the Smithsonian Institute of Washington, D.C. entitled The Splendor of Diamonds, which also featured the Millennium Star, the Heart of Eternity, the Allnatt, the Pumpkin, the Moussaieff Red, and the Ocean Dream. At the opening of the exhibit, the Steinmetz Pink was mounted on a pendant and modeled by actress Jenna Elfman.    The Present Day  Since it's third sale in 2013, the Steinmetz Pink, now the Pink Dream, is located at Sotheby's and will probably be sold again at auction in the near future.   The History of its Names 1999–2007: The Steinmetz Pink2007–2013: The Pink Starfrom 2013: The Pink Dream   Shop the collection of LEIBISH Natural Fancy Pink Diamonds

One of the main reasons gemstones are appreciated so much is the fact that they are rare. Thus, the rarer the stone, the more desirable it becomes. Beauty is a factor as well, of course, but without the rarity element, they wouldn’t have as much of a status. There are gemstones that are more valuable than others, otherwise known as precious gemstones.Diamonds are one of the four types of precious gemstones. While the colorless variety is familiar to most, color diamonds are not as well known. Among the many different colors of fancy color diamonds, there are certain hues that are more common and others that are less common.Pink diamonds happen to be among the rarer colors, but they are also some of the most popular diamonds. Color diamonds are found in one pure hue and with a number of colors. While the former sort is generally more prestigious and expensive, quite a few color combinations can be highly in demand as well. One of these combinations of secondary colors is the purple-pink combo. Purple pink diamonds can take many forms depending on the amount of each color that is present within the stone. Let us take a look at the various possibilities and what that means for each stone. LEIBISH  0.31 carat, Fancy Deep Purplish Pink Diamond, 1P, Radiant Shape   Purplish or Purple as a Secondary Color Every diamond color has different possibilities when it comes to secondary colors. Some of the options for pink diamonds include purplish and purple. Secondary colors do not just consist of standard colors such as red, orange, yellow, green blue, purple, brown, etc., but rather, they include shades of each color that are classified by “ish” or “y.” For this reason, one of the possible secondary colors for a pink diamond is purplish. This is different from purple, as it is not seen as strongly as the color classified as purple. So to summarize, possible color combinations for pink diamonds involving the purple color can be referred to as “purplish pink” and “purple pink,” just to name a few.   LEIBISH 0.23 carat, Fancy Intense Purplish Pink Diamond, 6PP, Round Shape   Brownish or Brown as Another Secondary Color Another possibility for a purple pink diamond’s secondary color is one with the brown color: either brownish or brown. A pink diamond can have brownish or brown as its sole secondary color, or in addition to a purple color. In the first case, a possible diamond could be a brown pink diamond and in the second case it could be a brownish purple pink diamond. Each color affects the overall color of the stone and can make it look less or more “pink.” LEIBISH 0.46 carat, Fancy Deep Brown Pink Diamond, Pear Shape   Pink as a Secondary Color for Purple Diamonds Purple pink diamonds can refer to diamonds with both colors present within the stone. It can also be a title consisting of purple as the modifier and pink as the subject. Meaning, technically, a purple pink diamond is primarily a pink stone with a purple secondary color. Diamonds described as a pink purple stone may have both colors, but can predominantly display a purple color. Such stones could be referred to as a pink purple diamond or a pinkish purple diamond.   Purple Pink Diamond Shapes Like all color diamonds, purple pink diamonds can take many shapes but are preferred in the cushion or radiant shape in order to maximize the color visibility. Other common shapes include round, pear, heart, oval, emerald, and marquise, but they can also be cut into princess and asscher shapes.  LEIBISH 0.30 carat, Fancy Vivid Pink Diamond, 1BP, Round Shape LEIBISH has a splendid collection of purple pink diamonds, both loose and set in jewelry settings. Our stones are of high quality and range greatly in size. You can find a 0.50-carat Fancy Light Purplish Pink Round Diamond as well as a 3.24-carat Fancy Pink Purple Cushion Diamond.