Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, right? Well, maybe not for everyone, but there’s no denying that these shiny rocks are some of the most valuable and sought-after things on the planet. Diamonds come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, but some of them are so rare and exquisite that they fetch astronomical prices at auctions and private sales. In this article, we’ll take a look at the 10 most expensive diamonds in the world, and find out what makes them so special and pricey.
The Orange Diamond: $35.5 million
Let’s start with a splash of color. The Orange Diamond is a stunning gem that has a pure orange hue, which is extremely rare among diamonds. This diamond is four times bigger than the average orange diamond, and it’s the largest and most expensive one ever sold. It weighs 14.62 carats and has a pear shape. It was sold for $35.5 million at Christie’s Geneva in 2013, setting a new record for the price per carat for a colored diamond.
The Princie Diamond: $39.3 million
The Princie Diamond is a pink beauty that has a long and fascinating history. It was discovered in the Golconda mines of India, which are famous for producing some of the finest diamonds in the world. It weighs 34.65 carats and has a cushion cut. It was once owned by the royal family of Hyderabad, and later by the Nizam of Hyderabad, who was the richest man in the world at the time. The diamond was named after the 14-year-old Prince of Baroda, who attended a party at the Paris branch of Van Cleef & Arpels in 1960. The diamond was sold for $39.3 million at Christie’s New York in 2013, but it has been involved in a legal dispute ever since, as some descendants of the Italian senator who owned it claim that it was unlawfully sold.
The Lesotho Legend: $40 million
The Lesotho Legend is a massive and flawless diamond that was discovered in 2018 in the Kingdom of Lesotho, a small country in southern Africa. The rough diamond weighed 910 carats and was the fifth-largest diamond ever found. It was cut into a 302.37-carat emerald-shaped diamond that is colorless and has the highest clarity grade. It was sold for $40 million to an anonymous buyer in Belgium, who plans to polish and cut it into smaller pieces.
The Graff Pink: $46.2 million
The Graff Pink is a dazzling diamond that has a rare fancy intense pink color and a rectangular step cut. It weighs 24.78 carats and has a VVS2 clarity grade, which means it has very few inclusions. It was once owned by the American jeweler Harry Winston, who sold it to a private collector in the 1950s. It remained hidden from the public eye for decades until it was bought by the British billionaire Laurence Graff in 2010. He paid $46.2 million for it at Sotheby’s Geneva, making it the most expensive diamond ever sold at the time. He then had it recut to 23.88 carats and improved its clarity to flawless.
The Blue Moon of Josephine: $48.4 million
The Blue Moon of Josephine is a breathtaking diamond that has a vivid blue color and a cushion cut. It weighs 12.03 carats and has a flawless clarity grade. It was cut from a 29.62-carat rough diamond that was found in the Cullinan mine in South Africa in 2014. It was sold for $48.4 million at Sotheby’s Geneva in 2015, setting a new world record for the price per carat for any diamond. The buyer was the Hong Kong tycoon Joseph Lau, who named it after his seven-year-old daughter Josephine. He also bought another pink diamond for $28.5 million and named it Sweet Josephine.
The Pink Star: $71.2 million
The Pink Star is a magnificent diamond that has a vivid pink color and an oval shape. It weighs 59.60 carats and has an internally flawless clarity grade. It was cut from a 132.5-carat rough diamond that was mined in South Africa in 1999. It was sold for $71.2 million at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in 2017, breaking the record for the most expensive diamond ever sold at auction. The buyer was the Chow Tai Fook jewelry company, which was renamed CTF Pink.
The Hope Diamond: $250 million
The Hope Diamond is one of the most famous and mysterious diamonds in the world. It has a deep blue color and a cushion antique brilliant cut. It weighs 45.52 carats and has a VS1 clarity grade. It also has a unique property of glowing red under ultraviolet light. It was originally part of a larger diamond called the French Blue, which was stolen during the French Revolution. It was later recut and sold to various owners, including King George IV of England, Henry Philip Hope, Pierre Cartier, and Harry Winston. It is said to be cursed, as many of its owners suffered misfortunes and tragedies. It is now on display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and is valued at $250 million.
The De Beers Centenary Diamond: $100 million
The De Beers Centenary Diamond is a stunning diamond that is colorless and has a modified heart shape. It weighs 273.85 carats and has a flawless clarity grade. It was cut from a 599-carat rough diamond that was discovered in the Premier mine of South Africa in 1986. It was named the Centenary Diamond to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the De Beers company. It took three years to cut and polish it, and it was unveiled in 1991. It was sold to an anonymous buyer in 1996, and its estimated value is $100 million.
The Cullinan Diamond: $400 million
The Cullinan Diamond is the largest gem-quality diamond ever found. It weighed 3,106.75 carats and had a rough octahedral shape. It was discovered in the Premier mine of South Africa in 1905. It was named after the owner of the mine, Sir Thomas Cullinan. It was presented to King Edward VII of England as a birthday gift, and he had it cut into nine large diamonds and 96 smaller ones. The largest of them is the Cullinan I, also known as the Great Star of Africa, which weighs 530.4 carats and has a pear shape. It is mounted on the head of the Sceptre with the Cross, one of the British Crown Jewels. The second largest is the Cullinan II, also known as the Lesser Star of Africa, which weighs 317.4 carats and has a cushion shape. It is mounted on the front of the Imperial State Crown, another British Crown Jewel. The other seven diamonds are also part of the royal collection, and some of them are worn by Queen Elizabeth II as brooches, pendants, and rings. The total value of the Cullinan Diamond and its offspring is estimated at $400 million.
The Koh-i-Noor: Priceless
The Koh-i-Noor is the most legendary and controversial diamond in the world. It has an oval shape and weighs 105.6 carats. It has a long and bloody history, as it was fought over by various rulers and empires in India, Persia, Afghanistan, and Britain. It was originally mined in the Kollur mine of India, and it was first mentioned in a text from 1304. It was then owned by various sultans, shahs, maharajas, and kings, who often took it by force or deception. It was also said to bring bad luck to men who wore it, but good luck to women. It was eventually seized by the British East India Company in 1849 and presented to Queen Victoria as a spoil of war. It was then recut and polished, and mounted on the Queen’s Crown, which is worn by Queen Elizabeth II on special occasions. It is now part of the British Crown Jewels and is on display at the Tower of London. The Koh-i-Noor is considered to be priceless, and its ownership is still disputed by several countries, including India, Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan.
