Rose, Blush & Peach: The Romantic Choice

Throughout the Elizabethan era, the colour pink was associated with feelings or emotions such as happiness or delight. Today, these connotations have flourished into feelings of love, compassion and romance. This charming colour is available in an extensive selection of shades, offering the wearer a delicate pop of feminine colour or a vivid and rich shade of fuchsia. 

Here, we explore the use of the colour pink throughout a selection of our most classic engagement ring styles, the use of pink precious gemstones and the popularity of pink, or rose, gold.

The Precious Choice: Pink or Rose Gold

Originally discovered in Russia in the 19^th Century, rose or pink gold has been considered a popular choice for jewellery ever since its initial discovery. It is most often used to set diamonds or pink-coloured gemstones due to its soft and warm shade which is known for complimenting most skin stones as well as the pink colouring of gemstones such as morganite. 

The metal, which can be referred to as either pink or rose gold, uses yellow gold, copper and silver to create its luxurious pink hue, the richer the copper the more vivid the pink tones throughout the metal. For example, there is approximately 75% yellow gold alloyed with 25% copper in order to create 18ct Rose Gold, which is explored further in our ‘Choosing Your Perfect Metal’ article. 

Today, pink or rose gold is ever increasing in popularity, with many individuals choosing rose gold as their perfect metal for their engagement ring.

If perhaps you were considering an element of pink within your jewellery collection, or more specifically your engagement ring, then it may be that you wish to explore a selection of pink precious stones rather than pink or rose gold. Throughout the gemstone spectrum there is an extensive selection of exceptional pink hues, from peach through to blush, from vivid fuchsia to pastel rose. These precious stones vary not only in their shade but also in their rarity and therefore value.

Pink Diamond

The pink diamond is one of the rarest diamond colours, with very few being discovered across the world. The Argyle mine, located in Australia, is renowned for being the largest diamond producer in the world, by volume, however only 1% of the total diamond production here were said to be fancy pink diamonds. It has been approximated that there is only one quality 1-carat fancy pink diamond for every 1 million carats of rough diamond uncovered.

Similarly, to white and other fancy diamonds, pink diamonds range from included to internally flawless. There is only one known pink diamond to be internally flawless, the Pink Star. Discovered in South Africa in 1999, the 59.60ct pink diamond was described as ‘one of the most impressive pink diamonds ever discovered’ by the GIA (Gemological Institute of America). This Pink Star is a diamond of the highest quality not only due to its internally flawless nature but its intense fancy vivid colour. It is estimated that this extraordinary stone was processed for over 20 months to create the perfect shape we see today. 

Pink Tourmaline 

The precious stone Tourmaline is available in an extensive selection colours, far more than most other gemstones, the most popular ones being pink, red, green, blue and multi-coloured. The popularity of tourmaline began when George Kunz, mineralogist and jeweller, sold a fine green tourmaline to Tiffany & Co. in New York in 1837. At this time, Tiffany & Co. focused on diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires, and here took the decision to expand into the modern market with an extended gemstone and colour selection.

Pink tourmalines are also known as rubellite tourmalines and feature deep pink shades. This colour range is often compared to that of a ruby however, tourmalines often display slightly more prominent flashes of pink. The rubellite tourmaline is considered one the most popular gemstones in the tourmaline family due to its rarity and vibrant colour.

Pink Sapphire

Traditionally sapphires are well known for their rich blue colour blue, they occur in a variety of vivid colours including yellow, orange, green, purple and pink. The colour within a pink sapphire can range from light to dark and rich, depending on the amount of chromium, with the later often being considered rarer and more valuable.

One example of a pink sapphire is a padparadscha sapphire, a unique variety of corundum which features hints of pink, orange and yellow. This particular type of sapphire is considered the rarest within the family and, arguably, the most attractive. Princess Eugenie received a beautiful padparascha sapphire engagement ring surrounded by a white diamond cluster, introducing yet another exquisite engagement ring to the Royal Family. 

If you are considering a coloured or precious stone for your or a loved one’s engagement ring sapphire is often a popular choice due not only to its colour spectrum but also their durability and suitability for every-day or long term wear.  Sapphires rank at 9 on the Mohs scale of hardness, making them the second most durable gemstone after diamonds. If you would like to explore sapphires, their durability and their spectrum of colours in more detail, our article ‘The Spectrum Of Sapphires’ offers further insight. 

Morganite

Morganite is the pink to peach variety of Beryl, often described as a salmon or pastel in colour. George Kunz proposed the name Morganite after his friend and customer J.P. Morgan for his financial support for the arts and sciences. J.P. Morgan was also kind enough to gift gems to the Natural History Museums in New York and Paris in 1910 for science and history.

Similarly, to most other beryl gemstones, such as aquamarine and emerald, morganite is an excellent precious stone for pieces of jewellery, dress rings or engagement rings. On the Mohs scale of hardness morganite ranks at 7.5-8, which means it is considered to be fairly resistant to scratching or damage.

Our jewellery collections include a vast array of beryl gemstones, set both with and without white or coloured diamonds, often available with coordinating suites. 

Kunzite

Kunzite, named after mineralogist and jeweller George Kunz, is a pink to violet version of silicate. The gemstone is often found to be quite a pale colour however, richer and natural pink shades increase both its value and rarity. This particular stone is featured across our bespoke design page, as well as throughout many of our earring and necklace collections, set both with and without diamonds.

Kunzite is known as a stone of emotion, one that connects with both the heart and the mind. For many, this emotional association makes this particular gemstone a perfect choice for an engagement ring. 

If you are looking for the perfect engagement ring, each of our showrooms would be delighted to welcome you and explore any of the above options in further detail.

For further information, please contact us here, or explore further features within Inside Prestons.