Argyle Gems May Solve Mystery of Pink Diamonds

BBC News published an article that looks at the ever-growing popularity of pink diamonds. Interestingly, scientists are not sure how they get their color.

As quoted in the market news:

Other diamonds get their colour from chemical impurities that absorb light. Yellow diamonds contain traces of nitrogen, and blue diamonds contain boron. But no similar impurities have been found in pink diamonds, leading scientists to speculate that the colour may be the result of some kind of seismic shock that altered the stone’s molecular structure.

It’s now hoped that a cache of brown and pink diamonds from the Argyle mine in Western Australia may solve the mystery. The mine, owned by Rio Tinto, is the world’s largest source of pink diamonds, even though they’re so rare that only a few are produced each year.

As well as revealing what makes them pink, scientists hope that studying the diamonds will tell them more about the history of the planet.

Click here to read the full BBC News report.