Million US dollars for pink diamond

Pink diamonds were especially interesting this year, attracting a record number of bids in 2013, with their prices exceeding USD 1 million per gem, Rio Tinto, the owner of Australian mine Argyle, said in a release.

Buyers were offered 64 red, pink and blue diamonds in 2013. Given that rare colored stones go on auction block only once a year, previews were held in Sydney, New York, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Perth earlier this year to allow clients and experts to see the gems.

Argyle Phoenix, a 1.56 carat gem and one of the three red diamonds offered for sale this year, has been sold for over USD 2 million to a jeweler in Singapore, which is the highest "per carat" price ever paid for a stone from Argyle mine.

A 2.51 carat Fancy Deep Pink diamond also fetched a price of over USD 2 million, and it was bought by a U.S. dealer.

A pink diamond is usually worth about 50 times more than a white diamond. It is not known how the diamonds acquire their rose tinge but it is thought to come from a molecular structure distortion as the jewel forms in the earth's crust or makes its way to the surface.