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Diamonds have long been synonymous with luxury, romance and power. A crystalized wonder that is forged deep within the Earth and gets created over the timespan of billions of years, diamonds are among the most precious treasures cherished by everyone. Among all the countless gems that adorn rings, crowns and royal regalia, a rare few transcend mere opulence to become legends in their own right, and diamonds are one of them. Some of the most expensive diamonds in the world are jewels that are only prized for their staggering beauty and flawless composition but also for their history, mystique and the astronomical prices that they command at auction and private sales.
With each of the most expensive diamonds carrying extraordinary stories and tales of royal inheritance, along with dramatic discoveries and mysterious ownerships, these jewels are ever so precious. From the hauntingly beautiful Hope Diamond, that is rumoured to be cursed to the Pink Star, which shattered records with a price tag of over $70 million, these diamonds are more than often just mineral masterpieces. Icons of human fascination and the relentless pursuit of perfection, the costliest diamonds in the world are often valued for their size, colour, and storied past. Here’s for you to explore a glittering realm of the most expensive diamonds in the world, which even though very few can afford, all can admire.
Unveil the world’s most expensive diamonds ever sold or valued, exploring what makes them so precious
1. The Hope Diamond
The cursed blue of the legends, the Hope Diamond is wrapped in whispers of doom and drenched royal mystery. More than just a gem, the Hope Diamond is among the most costly diamonds in the world boasting of a tale that is carved in deep blue. Weighing 45.52 carats, this dazzling deep blue diamond is famed not just for its rare colour, but also for its mythical curse that supposedly haunts its owners. Originating from India’s legendary Golconda mines, this diamond has changed royal and aristocratic hands from Louis XIV to English heiress before ending up in the Smithsonian. With a value estimated at $250 million, the Hope Diamond is as much a legend as it is a luxury.
2. Koh-i-Noor
As controversial as it is captivating, the Koh-i-Noor diamond literally translates to “Mountain of Light” in Persian. Among the most expensive diamonds, it has been at the heart of centuries of empire and conquest. Weighing 105.6 carats in its current form, Koh-i-Noor is believed to have been mined over 500 years ago in India. Passed through the hands of Mughal emperors, Persian shahs and the British monarch, this colourless oval cut diamond now sits in the British Crown jewels. Though considered to be priceless, estimates place its value upwards of $500 million.
3. The Pink Star
A rose of rarity, the Pink Star blushes with the most surreal intensity. The largest known diamond of its kind, this diamond weighs 59.60 carats and boasts of a fancy and vivid pink colour. An internally flawless gem, the Pink Star was mined by De Beers in Africa. Originally of 132.5 carats before being sculpted to perfection over two years, in 2017, this diamond shattered the auction records by fetching $71.2 million at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong. A rare, radiant and refined diamond, the Pink Star is the crown jewel of coloured diamonds, which is perfect in size, saturation and scintillation.
4. The Cullinan Diamond
Discovered in South Africa in 1905, the Cullinan diamond was so massive that it truly stunned the world. Among the costliest diamonds in the world, it weighs a whopping 3,106 carats, which makes it the largest gem quality diamond found ever. The Cullinan was ultimately split into 9 major stones and 96 smaller ones. The largest cut, the Cullinan I or the “Great Star of Africa”, weighs 530.2 carats and is set in the British royal scepter. With just this fragment valued over $400 million, the Cullinan diamond remains the colossal monarch of the diamond world, and a geological miracle turned imperial symbol.
5. The Graff Pink
Elegant, rare and utterly hypnotic, the Graff Pink is 24.78 carat fancy intense pink diamond that was once described as the ‘one of the greatest diamonds ever discovered’. Set in a platinum ring and flanked by two white diamonds, its intense yet soft pink hue mesmerizes connoisseurs. Purchased by diamond tycoon, Laurence Graff for $46 million, this emerald cut stone exemplifies the intersection of rarity and refinement. Its price and prestige have only soared since, as pink diamonds of this size become nearly extinct with the closing of the Argyle mine.
6. The Oppenheimer Blue
A diamond of extraordinary grace and prestige, the Oppenheimer Blue is a 14.62 carat fancy vivid blue emerald cut diamond that is named after its former owner, Sir Philip Oppenheimer of the De Beers dynasty. Boasting of clean lines and an icy blue hue, this is among the most expensive diamonds that has captured the imagination of collectors, selling for $57.7 million at a 2016 auction.