A pink gemstone! Wow, that sounds very beautiful and charming. This is a very rare gemstone.
In this guide, we shall look at:
- What is a pink gemstone?
- Where can you buy the best pink gemstone?
- The best pink gemstones you can find
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What are Pink Gemstones?
Looking for a gemstone that is not exactly red and at the same time not too white, then a pink gemstone is what you need.
Although the color pink is in most cases thought of as feminine, these gemstones are not just cute but also oozes some degree of soft and warm hue that blends in well with any white outfit.
This type and color of gemstones do not lock out men. There are several shades of pink that men can choose from and get at very affordable prices.
Where to Buy Pink Gemstones
Luck is on your side because pink gemstones are found in virtually every jewelry store you can think of. Just walk into any physical jewelry shop near you and request pink gemstones.
If you do not like walking from one store to the next, you are better off buying the gemstone on the internet from established stores like Brilliant Earth or Whiteflash. These retailers sell high-quality pieces and will deliver them right to your doorstep.
Types of Pink Gemstones
There is a wide range of pink gemstones and I have listed some of the commonest you will find below. I am sure one if not two of them will catch your attention.
- Pink Sapphire
- Pink Topaz
- Morganite
- Rose Quartz
- Rhodochrosite
- Pink Spinel
- Pink Diamond
- Pink Zircon
- Pink Tourmaline
Pink Gemstone Names and Pictures
1. Pink Sapphire
- Vitreous luster
- Very hard
- Price range between $700 and $1500
Pink sapphires are one of the cutest gemstones that for a long time have won the hearts of so many. You will find these gemstones in hues that fall in the range of translucent pink to purplish-pink or sometimes orangey pink. The value of the pink sapphire depends on the intensity of the hue. For example, the deeper the hue, the more valuable the stone is.
Pink sapphire is a member of the corundum family and its color is decided by the content of corundum in it. Sometimes, the corundum can be so much in the stone that you may confuse it for a ruby.
Most of the pink sapphires you will find in the market have inclusions. Generally, the best clarity grade you can find for this gemstone is anything between VS and VVS.
Standing at #9 on the Mohs scale of hardness, pink sapphire is very tough. In fact, this is the second toughest mineral after diamond. This hardness scores high points for the stone’s durability and making it good to wear every day.
Pink sapphires come at high prices, but that is not bad since they are great substitutes to pink diamonds. If you still love to have one of these cute gemstones as part of your collection but your budget does not allow it, consider getting a lab-created pink sapphire.
Pros
- Common diamond substitute
Cons
- Lab-created versions available too
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2. Pink Topaz
- Shiny
- Quite rare
- Undergoes heat treatment
- Costs between $700 and $4,000
Pink topaz is one of the kinds of topaz that is not commonly found. You can only find it in countable places globally.
The most common kinds of topaz you will find are blue, orange, and yellow topaz. Pink topaz is gotten from the topaz group known as “Imperial Topaz.”
It is not easy to find a natural or real pink topaz. If you are lucky to find it, it is highly likely that it was treated to improve on its color. Some jewelers use high amounts of heat to treat brown topaz resulting in very attractive pink shades of topaz.
Pink topaz lies at #8 on the Mohs scale. This makes it a good choice for daily wear. This gemstone is durable and has high brilliance too.
Pros
- Somewhat durable
- Rare
- Valuable
Cons
- Not easy to find a naturally colored gemstone
3. Morganite
- Unique gemstone
- Quite durable
- Costs between $200 and $800
Morganite is a unique gemstone that is commonly used by jewelers to add a soft feminine touch to different kinds of jewelry. This is one of the pink gemstones that most jewelers look for when making engagement rings.
Morganite belongs to the beryl family and is sometimes referred to as Rose Beryl or Pink Emerald. When it is green it is known as emerald and when blue aquamarine.
Different kinds of morganites get their colors from manganese and cesium found in the stone. This stone is somehow durable ranking at #8 on the hardness scale. It can work very well with most kinds of jewelry.
Rose pink is the commonest color of morganites. Although, you will also find other tinted versions that are expensive. Something interesting is that the more inclusions a morganite stone has, the higher the value.
Pros
- Not so durable
- Great choice for couples
Cons
- Not common in most types of jewelry
4. Rose Quartz
- Very plenty
- See-through gemstone
- Medium brilliance
Costs between
- $3 and $8 for every pound
Most people are familiar with quartz in its pure form, mostly colorless. Pink quartz has many shades ranging from pink to rose. Some varieties of these shades show the cat eye effect.
Rose quartz rates at #7 on the Mohs scale and comes in transparent colors. This gemstone is plenty in the market and is very affordable as well.
A highly polished pink quartz gives off full luster and shines making it look beautiful. You will find this stone often cut in cabochon or another smooth cut. This gemstone best suits necklaces, bracelets, and other unique jewelry pieces.
Pros
- Cheap
- Not so hard
Cons
- Too cheap to value
5. Rhodochrosite
- Has a cleavage
- Too soft
- Banded structure
- Costs between $200 and $500
Rhodochrosite is an attractive stone that has traces of manganese carbonate.
When pure, rhodochrosite’s color is rose-red. In some instances, this color may have white to grey strips. You will also find faint shades of pink.
This gemstone has banded streaks meaning extra skills are needed to cut to avoid cracking the stone. Most jewelers prefer cabochon cuts because facets do not give great stone results for making different pieces of jewelry.
This stone is very soft rating at 3,5 to 4 on the Mohs scale. This means it can be scratched easily. With this in mind, rhodochrosites are not the best choice of gemstones for everyday jewelry that is subjected to wear and tear.
Pros
- Uniquely attractive
Cons
- Breaks/chips easily
- Not suitable for jewelry
- Not faceted
6. Pink Spinel
- Rarely found
- Countable lab-created versions in the market
- A bit durable
- Unique inclusions
- Costs between $200 and $1,500
Like most other people, you probably have never heard about the pink spinel. This stone is rare because it was only discovered recently as a stone of its own. For many years, jewelers confused pink spinels with rubies and pink sapphires.
If you look at a pink spinel closely, you will notice that it has very few inclusions, The ones that have normally are in the form of needle-like rutile inclusions. This is a valued phenomenon in the gemstone world referred to as asterism.
Pink spinel has a very high refractive index as well as dispersion, making it show high brilliance and fire. Faceting enhances these stone properties.
This gemstone is used in making any type of jewelry since it is durable at #8 on the Mohs scale. As a warning, make sure you keep this stone away from heat as it is highly prone to losing its color when exposed to heat. You can find both genuine and synthetic pink spinels in the market.
Pros
- Most contain no inclusions when seen by the naked eye
- Long-lasting
- Used in all jewelry types
Cons
- Exposure to heat leads to loss of color
7. Pink Diamond
- Great light dispersion and fire
- High refractive index
- Very rare
- Costs between $1.5 million and $6 million
Most of the gemstones we have on this list get their colors from mineral traces that get trapped when the gemstone is forming. With pink diamonds, that does not happen.
This gemstone gets its different shades of hue from pure carbon chemical composition. The pink hue in diamonds is gotten from the plastic deformation inside the crystals.
This is one of the gems that are wearable. It also has additional grey, brown, orange, and purple undertones. Pink diamonds that have the darkest pink shades are very valuable with a 1-carat stone costing about $4 million.
Pink diamonds are very expensive and may not be the best choice of gem for an average shopper. For less expensive stones, try checking out the lab-grown versions of pink diamonds.
Pros
- Unique gemstone
- Great for jewelry that sends a statement
Cons
- Very costly
- Very rare
8. Pink Zircon
- Diamond substitute
- Clean to the eye
- Highly brilliant
- Costs between $50 and $150
If you have been in the jewelry industry for a while, you probably already know that zircon is the best alternative to diamonds. However, this gemstone should not be confused with cubic zirconia which is a synthetic and less expensive option.
Zircon comes in a variety of hues, the most common and sought being blue zircon. There are also different shades of pink zircon that have great brilliance compared to a diamond.
When measured against the Mohs scale of hardness, pink zircon stands at 6 to 7.5, meaning its durability is medium.
This stone is not exactly break-resistant but it can be used to make fine jewelry. most pink aircon gemstones are eye-clean with very few to no inclusions at all.
Pros
- Plenty
- Somehow affordable
Cons
- Mostly confused with cubic zirconia
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9. Pink Tourmaline
- Not so durable
- Good brilliance
- Varieties of heat-treated gemstones available
- Costs between $300 and $900
Think about a gemstone that exists in all rainbow colors, then a tourmaline comes to your mind. Of all these color variations, pink is the most common.
These gemstones are plenty in the market and can be found both online and in brick-and-mortar stores. Like most other gemstones, the price of a pink tourmaline will depend on how intense the hue is.
When it comes to durability, the pink tourmaline is medium since it measures about 7 to 7.5 on the scale of hardness. Most jewelers cut this gem into facets to give the stone maximum brilliance.
You can use pink tourmaline on any type of jewelry but you need to be extra careful with some of them. This gem has some blemishes. However, the blemishes are acceptable in the stones that have dark colors.
For the optical properties to be improved, pink tourmalines have to be heat-treated though not all of them.
Pros
- Readily available
- Suitable for any jewelry
Cons
- Some types are expensive