WHITELOGO

Fancy purple diamonds

One of the rarest diamonds in the world is also cloaked in mystery, with only scant information from where it came and no exact data as to exactly what it is worth.

About purple diamonds

The Purple Orchid is a fancy intense pink purple diamond, 3.37 carats in weight with VS2 clarity. Cut from a 4-carat rough stone, it first came to the market in Hong Kong in September 2014. The diamond’s then-owner, Leibish & Co., an Israeli firm specializing in colored diamonds, said that it was South African in origin, but did not reveal the name of the mine from which it was extracted. The asking price was set at $4 million, or $1.2 million per carat, but the final selling price and the name of the buyer were never disclosed.

photo of fancy intense pink purple diamond - Purple Orchid

The 3.37-carat Purple Orchid is a fancy intense pink purple diamond with VS2 clarity, which was cut from a 4-carat rough stone discovered at an undisclosed South African mine.

Natural fancy purple diamonds make up only two-tenths of 1 percent all fancy colored diamonds, meaning that, regardless of size, they generally are worth more per carat than most other diamonds in the fancy color range. Other common descriptors include orchid, plum, lilac, mauve, lavender and grape.

In general terms, it is possible to split natural purple diamonds into two categories, with the more commonly found stones actually violet diamonds, which are close to blue-grey on the color spectrum. The rarer stones are purple, with most having pink or red secondary colors. But there are purple color diamonds with no secondary color modifiers, and they are the rarest of them all.  Only a small percentage of the all the stones display vivid or dark intensities.

Source of purple color

The source of the color in purple diamonds are trace elements that include nitrogen, boron, and most importantly hydrogen. Scientists suggest that pure purple diamonds obtained their color as a result of unusual amounts of hydrogen being introduced during the natural formation process, but they are uncertain of the circumstances under which this occurred.

 

Which mines have purple diamonds?

In recent years, the Argyle mine in Western Australia has been the most prolific source of natural purple color diamonds, but other, such as South Africa, Brazil and Russia, are known to exist. In 2008, it was a reported that a newly discovered diamond resource in the James Bay region of Quebec in Canada had yielded nine purple stones.

Rare purple diamonds

Given their rarity, there are only few purple diamonds that can be considered famous. The Royal Purple Heart Diamond is a fancy vivid purple diamond weighing 7.34 carats and with a clarity grade of I-1. Its current owners are not publicly known. It may or may not be the largest polished natural purple diamond in existence

Even less information is available about the Supreme Purple Heart. Round in shape, despite its name, the Supreme Heart is said to weigh anywhere between 2 and 5 carats. It is said that its color changes, depending on the position from which it is viewed. When seen from one angle it appears deep purple, and from another angle it appears deep red.

In 2003 it was reported that Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant bought an 8-carat purple diamond ring for his wife, Vanessa, as an act of contrition by the basketball player, who at the time was facing rape charges brought against him by another woman. Bryant reportedly paid $4 million for the stone, which has never been shown publicly. However, if it was a true purple fancy colored diamond, it could claim the title as the largest such diamond known to exist.

photo of fancy Supreme Purple Heart - deep purple to red color diamond
Despite its name, the Supreme Purple Heart is round in shape, and is said to weigh between 2 and 5 carats. It exact hue depends upon the angle from which it is viewed, and ranges from deep purple to red.

MID House of Diamonds is of the world’s preeminent suppliers of loose fancy-colored diamonds, with a large and varied stock that includes purple stones. Because it is a world of which many diamond buyers are less familiar, with different pricing patterns and grading standards, MID invites you to speak with one of the fancy color experts on its team.

Other Fancy Colors

Natural Fancy Black

A close-up of a fancy black diamond, showcasing its unique dark hue and brilliance.

Natural Fancy Blue

A close-up of a vivid blue diamond, showcasing its rich color and captivating sparkle

Natural Fancy Yellow

Fancy Yellow diamond with a bright, vivid color

Natural Fancy Red

Natural Fancy Red

Natural Fancy Green

Natural Fancy Brown

Natural fancy brown diamond with rich tones

Natural Fancy Pink

Natural Fancy Pink Diamond Close-up Image
Learn more and visit MID Diamond Education Center
Fancy diamonds search
photo of fancy intense pink purple diamond - Purple Orchid

The 3.37-carat Purple Orchid is a fancy intense pink purple diamond with VS2 clarity, which was cut from a 4-carat rough stone discovered at an undisclosed South African mine.

photo of fancy Supreme Purple Heart - deep purple to red color diamond
Despite its name, the Supreme Purple Heart is round in shape, and is said to weigh between 2 and 5 carats. It exact hue depends upon the angle from which it is viewed, and ranges from deep purple to red.
Search