There is no doubt that diamonds are among the most coveted and sought after gemstones in the world. They come in all shapes, sizes and prices, but some diamonds are worth much more than others. If you are interested in high-end and luxury items, you should check out the most expensive diamonds in the world. These stones are really impressive, and incredibly expensive! Read on to learn more about these luxurious diamonds.
The most expensive diamonds in the world.
In this article we look at some of the most famous diamonds in the world. First, let's look at the reasons why these gems are so exorbitantly expensive.
Why are diamonds expensive?
The name derives from the ancient Greek wordAdamDiamonds are indestructible and known for their physical properties. Diamonds, with a rating of 10 on the Mohs hardness scale, are virtually impossible to break or scratch.
Surprisingly, the diamonds themselves are not that rare. In fact, they are one of the most commonly found gemstones.
However, only about 30% of mined diamonds are considered to be of gem quality. Diamond mining is a rather complicated and laborious process. A rough diamond must be cut and polished before it can be sold.
Another reason for the high price of diamonds is the market demand. De Beers Corporation created ad campaigns to convince men to spend two months' salary on a diamond engagement ring. Diamond is Forever has become one of the most popularfamous diamond quotesany moment
What are the 4 C's of diamonds?
o4 Diamond Grade Csare Csarediamondcut, color, clarity, and carat weight. The larger each of them is, the more expensive the diamond becomes.
19. Allnatt Diamond: $3.043 million
This 101.29 carat Fancy Vivid Yellow diamond is named after Commander Alfred Ernest Allnatt. He was a British art collector and businessman.
This unique diamond is believed to have come from one of De Beers Premier's mines in South Africa. After purchasing the diamond in the 1950s, Major Allnatt commissioned Cartier to create a flower-shaped setting for it.
colored diamondsover 100 carats are very rare and this is one of the largest yellow diamonds in the world. The gem, auctioned by Christie's Geneva in May 1996 for $3,043,496, originally weighed 102.07 carats and was classified as Fancy Intense Yellow.
After being sold to the SIBA Corporation, Allnatt Diamond was reclassified as Fancy Vivid Yellow.
18. The Sancy Diamond: $6 million
This 55.23 carat pale yellow diamond was originally named as an even larger diamond.Flanders ball. As a dowry for Valentina Visconti, who married Louis I, Duke of Orleans, the gemstone belonged to various royal figures.
King Manuel I of Portugal, Henry III. of France, Henry IV, King Jaime VI, Carlos I and Jaime II were owners of this historical jewel. Henry III was bald and hid it with a hat adorned with the Sancy diamond.
It takes its name from the Seigneur de Sancy, Nicolas de Harlay, who was a French diplomat and jewelery collector.
William Waldorf Astor bought The Sancy in 1906 and the Astor family owned the diamond until 1978 when they sold it to the Louvre in Paris. The Sancy is on display at the Apollo Gallery along with the Regent Diamond.
Although The Sancy has never been appraised, it is estimated to be worth at least $6 million.
17th Golden Jubilee Diamond: $12 million
At 545.67 carats and weighing 109.13 grams, the Golden Jubilee Diamond is the largest faceted cut diamond in the world. An unusual brown diamond with a golden hue.
It was discovered in 1985 at the Premier Mine in South Africa and was originally nicknamed "Unknown Brown". Because there were cracks inside, De Beers hired the famous diamond cutter Gabriel Tolkowsky to cut it.
They built an underground vibration chamber to process the diamond. Two years later, the original gemstone was reduced from 755.50 carats to 545.57 carats.
This huge diamond was bought by a team led by Thai businessman Henry Ho. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of King Bhumibol's coronation, the diamond was presented to his daughter, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, who presented it to the king.
16. The Heart of Eternity: $16 million
The heart of the eternity is an elegant 27.64 carat deep blue diamond. Discovered at the Premier Mine in South Africa, the only major source of blue diamonds in the world, it has a distinctive heart shape.
The Steinmetz Group diamond cut was later sold to the De Beers Group. In November 2000, The Heart of Eternity was one of the targets of the diamond heist from the Millennium Dome in London, UK. However, the conspiracy was thwarted by the Metropolitan Police.
The current owner of this rare blue diamond is unknown. However, there is a rumor that Floyd Mayweather bought the Heart of Eternity necklace for his ex-fiancée Shantel Jackson.
15. Archduke Joseph Diamond: $21.5 million
The Archduke Joseph is an elongated cushion-shaped colorless diamond and one of the most expensive colorless diamonds ever sold at auction. Named after Archduke Joseph August of Austria, whose family owned it for several years, this stunning gemstone was purchased by Molina Fine Jewelers of Phoenix.
They trimmed the diamond from its original 78.54 carats to 76.45 carats. Singer Celine Dion wore the diamond for a 2002 television special.
The Archduke Joseph Diamond was sold by Christie's in Geneva in November 2012 to an unknown bidder for $21.5 million.
14. The Perfect Pink: $23.17 million
The Perfect Pink is a rare pink diamond weighing 14.23 carats and is one of 18 pink diamonds that weighed over 10 carats at auction. Among those 18 diamonds, this was the only one classified as Fancy Intense Perfect Pink by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).
The Perfect Pink Diamond was sold to an unknown bidder at Christie's Hong Kong in 2010 for $23.17 million. This was almost 30% higher than his highest estimate.
Set in 18k gold and rose gold, this diamond is surrounded by two clear diamonds on either side.
13. Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond: $23.4 million
The Wittelsbacher is a 31.06 carat deep blue diamond with no internal flaws and was found at the Kollur mine in India. In 1664, Philip IV of Spain gave the Wittelsbach diamond to his daughter, the Infanta Margarita Teresa, when she became engaged to Emperor Leopold I of Austria.
In 1722, the diamond was given to the Wittelsbachs, rulers of the House of Bavaria, as part of a dowry. The Wittelsbach-Graff diamond, bought by jeweler Laurence Graff in 2008 for £16.4 million, wasn't always perfect.
Graff later admitted that three diamond cutters removed the diamond's flaws. This stunning diamond sold at Christie's for $23.4 million in 2010, but is now valued at $80 million.
12. The Blue Winston Diamond: $23.8 million
This blue diamond was sold by Harry Winston Inc. at Christie's Magnificent Jewelry Sale in Geneva in May 2014 for $23.8 million. The 13.22-carat diamond was originally called The Blue, but Harry Winston CEO Nayla Hayek renamed it.
Certified by the American Geological Survey as Fancy Vivid Blue with pristine clarity, Winston Blue is pear-shaped. It is flanked by two shield-shaped colorless diamonds.
11. The Orange Diamond: $35.5 million
One of the rarest types of gemstones, pure orange diamonds get their color from the elements nitrogen. simply nameddie orange, this pear-shaped stone weighs 14.82 carats.
Classified as the largest Fancy Vivid Orange diamond by the Gemological Institute of America at the time of writing, this rare stone sold for $35.5 million at Christie's Magnificent Jewelry Sale in Geneva in 2013.
10 The Prince: $39.3 million
Discovered over 300 years ago in the Golconda mines in India, the Princie diamond weighs 36.65 carats. Classified as Fancy Intense Pink, it turns an orange-red hue when exposed to ultraviolet light.
The diamond is named after Sayajirao Gaekwad, son of Sita Devi, Maharanee of Baroda. In 2013, the gemstone was sold to an anonymous telephone bidder at Christie's in New York.
9. The Pink Grave Diamond: $46.2 million
A rare 24.78-carat Vivid Pink diamond, The Graff is named for Laurence Graff, who purchased it at Sotheby's Magnificent Jewels Sale in Geneva in 2010.
Graff had 25 small natural flaws removed from the ring and the carat size was reduced from 24.78 carats to 23.88 carats. This changed the color from intense to vivid and the clarity of the stone to flawless internally.
Previously owned by American jeweler Harry Winston, this emerald-cut diamond is set in a ring.
8. Josephine's Blue Moon: $48.4 million
This 12.03 carat flawless blue diamond was found in January 2014 at the Cullinan mine in South Africa. It sold for $48.4 million at a Sotheby's auction in Geneva in November 2015.
The sale marked the first time a diamond sold for more than $4 million per carat. Only four of the 400 GIA graded blue diamonds were classified as brilliant blue.
The Blue Moon Diamond, as it was originally called, was renamed The Blue Moon of Josephine by the buyer, Hong Kong businessman Joseph Lau Luen Hung. He named the diamond after his daughter Josephine.
7. Oppenheimer's Blue Diamond: $57.5 million
When this rare diamond was sold in May 2016, TheOppenheimer Blue set a new world record for the highest price ever paid for a jewel at auction. This record was broken by Pink Star Diamond in April 2017.
This 14.62-carat brilliant blue diamond is named after its previous owner, Sir Philip Oppenheimer. The owner of the racehorse was a British diamond dealer and collector.
The large square diamond is set in an emerald in a platinum ring. On each side is a colorless trapezoidal diamond.
6. The Ruling Diamond: $61 million
When visiting the Louvre in Paris, look out for The Regent Diamond. Cushion-shaped gemstone A140.64 carats, The Regent is flawless on the inside. The magnificent diamond is rumored to have been discovered in 1698 by a slave at the Kollur mine in India.
He hid the diamond in bandages from a self-inflicted leg wound, but was killed by an English sea captain who sold the diamond to an Indian merchant. It was then sold to Thomas Pitt, the British Governor of Madras, and was named the Pitt Diamond.
The French regent Philippe II, Duke of Orleans, acquired the diamond in 1717. It adorned the crown of Louis XV. during his coronation in 1722 and later used to decorate a hat worn by Marie Antoinette.
The Regent Diamond is now the property of the French state and has been on display in the Louvre since 1887. Considered the most beautiful diamond in the world, it fluoresces bluish.
5. Pink Star Diamond CTF: $71.2 million
The rough stone was discovered in 1999 at one of De Beers' South African diamond mines and purchased by the Steinmetz Group. The 59.6 carat gemstone was then polished by 8 polishers over the course of 20 months.
Formerly known as Steinmetz Pink, The Pink Star was created by Dr. Henry Cheng Kar-Shun, President of Chow Tai Fook Jewelry, named after his late father.
The natural color diamond has a Fancy Vivid Pink gradation and is flawless on the inside.
4. De Beers Centennial Diamond: $100 million
This massive 273.85 carat gemstone is the third largest diamond found at the Premier Mine in South Africa. Only the Cullinan I and II diamonds are larger.
The Centenary Diamond was mined in 1988 and originally weighed 599 carats before Gabi Tolkowsky and her team cut it into a heart shape in a vibration-free chamber. It is classified as a D color, the highest quality for colorless diamonds.
Although the purchase price and owner of the diamond are unknown, De Beers has insured this gemstone for more than $100 million.
3. The Hope Diamond: $250 million
This expensive diamond has a rare blue color due to traces of boron. The gemstone, which weighs 45.52 carats, comes from the Kollur mine in India.
The date of discovery is unknown, but ownership records for this rare diamond go back more than 400 years. In 1949, American jeweler Harry Winston purchased the Hope Diamond and donated it to the US National Museum of Natural History in 1958.
Since then, the diamond has been on display at the museum, a branch of the Smithsonian Institution. The value is estimated at 200 to 350 million dollars.
If The Hope Diamond sounds familiar, it's because the rare gem was the inspiration for The Heart of the Ocean in the movie Titanic.
2. The Cullinan Diamond: More than $400 million
The Cullinan diamond is the highest quality rough diamond ever discovered and today is actually a collection of 105 stones of different cuts. The massive diamond, which originally weighed a staggering 3,106.75 carats, was found in 1905 at the Premier No. 2 mine in Cullinan, South Africa.
Named after the mine's president, Thomas Cullinan, the rough diamond was cut into 9 large stones totaling 1,055.89 carats and 96 rough elements and smaller gemstones.
Also known as the Great Star of Africa, Cullinan I is the largest gemstone at 530.4 carats. This is the largest cut diamond in the world.
Owned by Queen Elizabeth II, the Cullinan I is part of the Sovereign's Spectrum, while the Cullinan II is part of the Imperial State Crown. You can see both in the House of Jewels in the Tower of London.
If the Cullinan rough were discovered today, it could have a potential value of more than $400 million. This priceless diamond has not been recently appraised.
1. Diamond of the Mountain of Light (Koh-I-Noor): Priceless
Koh-I-Noor is considered the most expensive diamond in the world and is also known as "The Mountain of Light". Weighing 105.6 carats, this colorless gemstone is now one of the British crown jewels.
The Koh I Noor Diamond, the centerpiece of the Queen Mother's crown, is seen by millions of visitors to the Tower of London each year. The Kohinoor Diamond is often said to be cursed as many male owners have unexpectedly lost power or life and as a result only women have worn it since 1849.
The gemstone is believed to come from India and was part of the Mughal peacock throne. It was later controversially transferred to Queen Victoria when the British annexed Punjab. Prince Albert had the gemstone cut as an oval brilliant by Coster Diamonds.
Although the Koh-i-Noor diamond is considered priceless, all of the crown jewels are valued at over a billion dollars.
Conclusion: the most expensive diamonds in the world
What makes a diamond expensive? There are several factors, including the 4 C's of diamonds:Carats, Cut, ClaritymiKor.
But there are other considerations as well, such as where the diamond was mined and its rarity. And then there are the really rare and exceptional diamonds that can sell for millions of dollars.
Whether you're looking for an engagement ring or just curious about the price of diamonds, we hope this article has given you an idea of the most expensive diamonds in the world.
If a diamond is out of your price range, consider buying one of the slightly cheaper gems likeZirconoMoissanitwhich both have an impressive shine.
Check out our others for more information on diamond prices and buying tips.style element.
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