Pretty in Pink! - Pink Gemstone Comparison Guide

Love, romance, passion, affection, and charm - the color pink evokes many intense feelings associated with relationships, marriage, and love. What better color to represent the love and bond between you and your significant other than pink!

Luckily, there are many pink gemstones that provide a world of design opportunity:

• Diamond
• Spinel
• Garnet
• Rhodolite Garnet
• Mahenge Malaya Garnet
• Lotus Garnet
• Sapphire
• Morganite
• Tourmaline
• Rose Quartz
• Ruby
• Imperial Topaz
• Zircon
• Etc.

These stones come in a wide range of colors, durability, and prices.

Pink Gemstones Comparison Chart	Color Description	Moh's Hardness Scale	Price
Diamond	Light pink	10	$$$$$
Sapphire	Any shade	9	$$$
Ruby	Vibrant pinkish-red	9	$$$
Rose Quartz	Light cloudy pink	7	$
Garnet	Purple-pink (Rhodolite), light pink (Mahenge Malaya), peach (Lotus)	6.5-7.5	$$
Spinel	Any shade	8	$$
Morganite	Light pink with peachy tones	7.5-8	$$
Zircon	Rosy to pinkish-orange	6-7.5	$$
Tourmaline	Blush pink to vivid/hot pink	7-7.5	$$

 

Diamonds

Pink diamonds are one of the rarest and most sought after gemstones in the world. Natural pink diamonds were almost exclusively found and mined in the Argyle Mine of Australia, which closed in 2020. Pink is the second rarest diamond color behind red and made up less than 1% of the Argyle's Mine output. Not only are pink diamonds already extremely rare in nature, but the mine now being closed means that pink diamonds are now an even more rare commodity. These stones are popular among celebrities and have been sported by the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Blake Lively, etc. Diamond is also the hardest mineral on Earth, meaning that it is the most durable option of all the pink gemstones. We are proud to offer pink diamonds like the one below in the Staghead Mine in collaboration with our partner Misfit Diamonds.

Sapphires & Rubies

While many people only associate sapphires with royal blue, they actually come in every color of the rainbow! Sapphires are made up of the very hard mineral corundum and are one of our favorite gemstones to use in custom ring designs! Sapphires are a great option for pink lovers because they come in every shade and hue. Here is just a sample of the pink sapphires from the Staghead Mine: 

 

Padparadscha Sapphires

A specific type of pink sapphire is especially rare and desirable - Padparadscha sapphires. We know - it sounds like jibberish. But "Padparadscha" (pronounced pad-par-rah-jah) means "lotus" and refers to the peachy pink color of the stone that resembles a lotus flower. While many people do not know about Padparadscha sapphires, it is a favorite among gem collectors and jewelry connoisseurs. The middle and bottom right sapphires in the collage above are Padparadscha sapphires.

Rubies

Sapphires of more pinkish-red color are actually referred to as rubies. Yep - rubies are just red sapphires! Both are made up of the mineral corundum, but the corundum of a ruby contains trace amounts of chromium that give it the ox-blood red color. Rubies are known for their fluorescent glow that is brought out by UV light. In fact, sometimes the fluorescence of rubies can even be seen just in the sunlight - they quite literally glow in the sun. Ruby is a great option if you are looking for a more sustainable pink gemstone choice because we typically use lab-grown rubies. They are chemically and physically the same as natural rubies, just created in a sped up process. Our "Rhea" ring shown below features an oval cut lab-created reddish-pink ruby center stone.

 

Garnets

For many people, the image that comes to mind when we mention "garnet" is a deep red colored stone. However, January's birthstone can actually come in any color, including pink! Rhodolite, Mahenge Malaya, and lotus garnets are all pink varieties of garnet.

Mahenge Malaya Garnets

Mahenge Malaya garnets are a mixture of spessartite and pyrope and are mined in the Mahenge region of Tanzania. They are known for their pink or peach coloring that makes them "outcasts" from the other garnets mined in the area. In fact, "malaia" is a Swahili word meaning "outcast." The orange hue comes from the manganese in spessartite while magnesium in pyrope accounts for the reddish-pink color. Below is a beautiful 1.74ct round cut Mahenge Malaya garnet.

Rhodolite Garnets

Rhodolite garnets have a darker pink hue with hints of red and purple that give the stone a wine-like appearance. This is caused by the makeup of Rhodolite garnets - a mixture of almandine (aluminum silicate) and pyrope (magnesium). This custom ring shown below features a beautiful oval cut Rhodolite garnet.

Lotus Garnets

Like Mahenge Malaya garnets, lotus garnets are also mined in the Mahenge Region of Tanzania. Lotus garnets were first discovered in 2015 and have a pinkish orange color similar to that of a lotus flower, hence their name. In fact, lotus garnets are a great alternative to the highly desirable Padparadscha sapphires. They are members of three garnet families: pyrope, almandine, and spessartine. What makes lotus garnets so special is that they have slight color-changing abilities, showcasing a beautiful slight red fluorescence in the sunlight. 

Spinel

At Staghead Designs, we believe spinel is one of the most underrated gemstone options on the market. Not only is it a relatively affordable stone with beautiful shine, but it is a very durable gemstone. It comes in many colors including many different shades of pink that range from pinkish purples to hot pink to pale peach. In Burma, spinel crystals are considered so beautiful and smooth that they are said to be "polished by spirits." Historically, it was often confused for rubies or sapphires and was frequently worn by monarchs and rulers around the world. More recently, spinel was designated as one of the August birthstones. Because of spinel's hardness, it often is available in very unique cuts such as our "Delle" kite cut fancy spinel Mine Stone below.

Morganite

Hailing from Brazil, morganite is a member of the beryl family along with aquamarine and emerald and is known for its pastel peach or pale pink color caused by manganese. It is one of the more popular pink gemstone options for engagement rings for its beautiful color, relative affordability, and good durability. We offer many custom morganite engagement ring options and are often able to swap center stones in other custom ring designs to morganite. Below is our "Roslyn" design engagement ring with an oval cut morganite center stone.

 

Zircon

Unfortunately, zircon is often confused with cubic zirconia - an inexpensive synthetic gemstone often used in costume jewelry or other inexpensive jewelry pieces. However, zircon is actually a natural gemstone, December birthstone, and the oldest mineral found on Earth. It has incredible fire and sparkle that rivals diamond and is loved by fine jewelry collectors. It comes in many colors and pink zircon typically has a rosy pinkish-orange appearance like our "Janis" Mine Stone seen below.

Tourmaline

Tourmaline is one of October's colorful birthstones. Tourmaline comes in every color including combinations of color, such as our "Queen of Hearts" pinkish-red and green watermelon tourmaline Mine Stone seen below. 

It's wide array of color possibilities mixed with its good durability make tourmaline a great choice for anyone looking for a pink gemstone option for a custom ring!

 

Conclusion

Pink is a color representative of love and passion and is a beautiful choice for anyone looking for a unique alternative to traditional white diamonds. There are a plethora of fantastic pink gemstone options, and combining these with our hundreds of custom wedding ring designs provides for endless possibilities for ring designs. In fact, if you don't see the perfect ring design in our collections on our site, you can always reach out to our designers to design your own personalized ring from scratch! Choose from 14K white, yellow, or rose gold to compliment or contrast your pink gemstone - rose gold helps bring out the warmth and peachiness of pink stones, yellow gold provides a bright contrast, and white gold provides a neutral base that allows the stone to shine. No matter your gemstone, design, & gold color choice, you're sure to look "pretty in pink!"