1. THE KOH-I-NOOR—priceless prize
Topping our list of the most expensive diamonds in the world is the legendary Koh-I-Noor. Weighing a trifle of 105.6 ct, the most expensive diamond in the world is oval in shape. Steeped in mystery and legend, this stone is said to have been quarried in India in the 1300s.
The controversy surrounding this stone lies in claims that Britain stole it from India and that it is theirs by right. Rightly or wrongly, Britain acquired the stone in 1850, and in 1852 Prince Albert had it cut from 186ct to 105.6ct to increase its brilliance and sparkle.
The colorless oval-cut diamond is also known as Mountain of Light and Diamond of Babur.
2. THE CULLINAN – UP TO $2 BILLION
The Cullinan is the largest gem quality rough diamond ever found, weighing an incredible 3,106.75ct. Discovered in Cullinan, South Africa, in 1905, it was then offered to King Edward VII.
The rough diamond, also known as the Star of Africa, was cut into nine main stones, the largest of which is Cullinan I, worth 530.2 ct.
3. THE DIAMOND OF HOPE – $200-250 MILLION
The Hope Diamond, believed to have been discovered in India in the 1600s, was bought by King Louis XIV in 1668. This 45.52-carat diamond, dark gray-blue in color, was later stolen during a looting crown jewels in 1791, but resurfaced in London in 1839.
In 1949, Harry Winston bought this diamond and donated it to the Smithsonian Institution, attracting many tourists. Rumor has it that the stone is cursed due to the misfortunes and tragedies experienced by many of its former owners.
4. THE CENTENNIAL DIAMOND – $100 MILLION
In its rough state, the Centenary Diamond weighed more than 500ct. It was then cut into a modified heart shape, weighing 273.85ct.
Sacrificing carat weight, however, has improved the color (D) and clarity (flawless) of this unique diamond. It took the highly skilled team 154 days to complete the recut process.
5. THE PINK STAR – $71.2 MILLION
Mined in South Africa in 1999, the Pink Star, previously known as Steinmetz Pink, is the largest diamond ever to be graded Fancy Vivid Pink. Chow Tai Fook Enterprises, a Hong Kong company, bought the Pink Star at Sotheby’s auction in 2017 during a telephone auction.
Internally flawless oval diamond weighing a whopping 59.60ct, this gemstone was later renamed CTF Pink Star in memory of the late father of the current Chairman of Chow Tai Fook.
6. THE WINSTON BLUE – $23.8 MILLION
Originally called “Fancy Vivid Blue Diamond”, this stone was renamed “The Winston Blue” after it was acquired by Harry Winston in 2014. Weighing 13.22ct, it is the largest diamond of its type said to be graded by the GIA.
This pear-shaped flawless diamond fetched nearly $2 million per carat when it was sold in 2014, setting a new world record for the price per carat of a blue diamond.
7. THE WITTELSBACH DIAMOND – $23.4 MILLION
Weighing a whopping 35.56ct until 2010 when it was recut to 31.06ct, the Wittelsback diamond made history as it passed from one European royalty to another . This fancy dark blue diamond, with no internal flaws, has belonged to Spanish and German royalty since arriving in Europe in the 1600s.
The controversial new cut in 2010 sparked backlash in the gemological community, but improved the color and clarity of the diamond, which is now deep blue and without internal flaws.
8. THE PERFECT PINK – $23.2 MILLION
In 2010, Christie’s sold The Perfect Pink to an unknown bidder. This Fancy Intense Pink is a 14.23 ct emerald cut diamond.
What makes this gemstone so rare is both its size and the intensity of the pink. It has a clarity grade of Very Very Slightly Included 2 (VVS2) due to slight internal imperfections, which is common in diamonds such as The Perfect Pink.
9. THE HEART OF ETERNITY – $16 MILLION
Blue diamonds represent only 1% of all colored diamonds mined.
The fancy bright blue Heart of Eternity was mined from South Africa’s Premier Diamond Mine. This is an exceptionally rare diamond due to the lack of shades of gray or black and this stunning heart shaped stone was originally cut from a 777ct rough diamond.
The original owner of The Heart of Eternity was the Steinmetz Group, but De Beers later bought it out in 2000. Rumor has it that in 2012, boxer Floyd Mayweather purchased the diamond for his then-fiancée, Shantel Jackson . However, this information has not been confirmed by De Beers.
10. THE MOUSSAIEFF RED DIAMOND – UP TO $8 MILLION
Our list of the most expensive diamonds in the world begins with the Moussaieff Red. Discovered in Brazil in the 1990s and formerly known as Red Shield, it is currently the largest naturally colored red diamond graded by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).
Red diamonds are among the rarest and most sought-after diamonds in the world.
Triangular in shape and brilliant cut, it is sometimes quoted as a trilobal cut, weighing 5.11 carats. Classified internally flawless (IF), this fancy red stone was exhibited at the Natural History Museum of the Smithsonian Institution in 2003 and 2005.
The Moussaieff red diamond has been touted as one of the eight most incredible diamonds in the world, which has cemented its importance in the diamond industry.
