Unlike those that get color from impurities, red diamonds are pure carbon and extremely rare, estimated to have only 20 – 30 specimens in the world .
Diamonds come in many shapes, sizes, and colors, from dramatic pinks to ancient black ones thought to have formed in outer space. Among them, red diamonds are often the most appreciated and considered the rarest, estimated to only exist in the world 20-30 specimens, IFL Science reported on June 13.
Red diamonds are sought after for their beauty, mystery and rarity. (Photo: Levon Avagyan).
The majority of red diamonds are found in South Africa, Australia and Brazil . They get this rare color thanks to an unusual point in their formation. Unlike diamonds that derive their color from chemical impurities, such as nitrogen in the diamond’s structure, red diamonds are actually pure carbon . Rubies are a well-known red gemstone, but they derive their color from corundum and chromium , not carbon.
The exact formation process of red diamonds remains a controversial mystery in geologists. Some experts think the red color comes from plastic deformation, when pressure below the Earth’s surface changes the diamond’s molecular structure, according to Diamond Rocks London company. Another explanation, says The Diamond Pro, is that deformations in the soil contribute to the red color.
The result of this process is that most red diamonds are quite small in size , only about half a carat to a carat. Even so, they are among the most expensive diamonds in the world, with prices usually around a million dollars per carat. This type of diamond is so rare that, between 1957 and 1987, no pure red diamond was graded by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).
The world’s largest red diamond, the Red Shield or Moussaieff Red , was discovered in Brazil in 1989 and sold for million in 2021. The Red Shield weighs 5.11 carats, or about .6 million for per carat.