One of nature’s most stunning wonders is the diamond. It is not surprising that they have been called “stars of hope” and “fountains of light” due to the fact that they reflect light from their edges. The price of a diamond, the most expensive of all gemstones, is influenced by a number of factors, including its size, weight, color, clarity, and historical and cultural significance. The most costly diamonds have historically been valued belongings of kings and gods, and the wealthy and powerful continue to vie for them.
Although they are all extracted from the Earth, not all diamonds are the same. Diamonds have fascinated gemologists and continued to break price records over the years.
List Of Top 10 Most Expensive Diamonds In The World 2023
1. THE KOH-I-NOOR -Unknown
The most expensive diamond in the world, weighing a whopping 105.6 carats, is oval in shape. The stone, which is shrouded in mystery and lore, is thought to have been mined in India in the 1300s.
Claims that British stole the stone from India and that India should have it as a right belong at the center of the issue surrounding the stone. To his credit or not, Prince Albert had the stone trimmed from 186 carats to 105.6 carats in 1852 to maximize its radiance and glitter. The Mountain of Light and the Diamond of Babur are further names for the colorless oval-cut diamond.
2. THE CULLINAN -$2 Billion
With a staggering weight of 3,106.75ct, the Cullinan is the biggest raw diamond of gem quality ever discovered. It was found in Cullinan, South Africa, in 1905, after which King Edward VII received a gift of it. The Star of Africa raw diamond was cut into nine major stones, the greatest of which is the 530.2ct Cullinan I.
3. THE HOPE DIAMOND -$250 Million
The Hope Diamond was purchased by King Louis XIV in 1668 and is thought to have been found in India in the 1600s. Following a theft of the crown jewels in 1791, this 45.52 carat Fancy Dark Gray-Blue ancient cushion cut diamond was discovered in London in 1839. When Harry Winston bought this diamond in 1949 and donated it to the Smithsonian Institution, it attracted a lot of visitors. Due of the misery and tragedy that many of the stone’s former owners endured, the stone is thought to be cursed.
4. THE CENTENARY DIAMOND -$100 Million
The Centenary Diamond weighed more than 500ct when it was a raw diamond. Afterwards, it was changed into a 273.85ct heart-shaped diamond. Nonetheless, the reduction in carat weight increased the diamond’s color (D) and clarity grade (flawless). Their highly skilled staff completed the re-cutting procedure in 154 days.
5. THE PINK STAR -$71.2 Million
The Pink Star, formerly the Steinmetz Pink and mined in South Africa in 1999, is the largest diamond to have received a Fancy Vivid Pink rating. In 2017, a Hong Kong company named Chow Tai Fook Enterprises placed a phone offer to purchase the Pink Star from a Sotheby’s auction. The enormous 59.60ct oval diamond, which was internally perfect, was eventually given the new name CTF Pink Star in honor of the late father of the current Chow Tai Fook chairman.
6. THE WINSTON BLUE -$23.8 Million
This stone, which was once known as the Fancy Vivid Blue Diamond, was renamed “The Winston Blue” after Harry Winston bought it in 2014. It is the largest diamond of its kind reportedly graded by the GIA, weighing 13.22ct. When it was sold in 2014, this pear-shaped internally flawless diamond set a new record for the cost per carat of a blue diamond with a price of nearly $2 million.
7. THE WITTELSBACH DIAMOND -$23.4 Million
The Wittelsback Diamond made history when it weighed a whopping 35.56 carats before being recut to 31.06 carats in 2010. It was passed from one European member of royalty to another. Since it came in Europe in the 1600s, this beautiful deep blue, internally perfect diamond has belonged to both Spanish and German royalty. Despite condemnation from the gemology community, the extremely contentious recut in 2010 did increase the color and clarity to beautiful deep blue and internally perfect.
8. THE PERFECT PINK -$23.2 Million
The Perfect Pink was sold by Christie’s in 2010 to an unidentified buyer. A 14.23 ct emerald cut diamond makes up this fancy intense pink stone. The size and pink hue of this diamond are what make it so uncommon. Due to minor internal flaws, which are typical in diamonds like The Perfect Pink, it has a clarity grade of Very Very Slightly Included 2 (VVS2).
9. THE HEART OF ETERNITY -$16 Million
Just 1% of all fancy colored diamonds mined contain blue diamonds. The South African Premier Diamond Mine is where the magnificent vivid blue known as The Heart of Eternity was discovered. This magnificent heart-shaped stone was originally cut from a 777ct raw diamond, making it an extremely unusual diamond due to the absence of gray or black undertones.
The Steinmetz Group was The Heart of Eternity’s initial owner, although De Beers eventually acquired it in 2000. According to rumors, boxer Floyd Mayweather bought the diamond for Shantel Jackson, who was then engaged, in 2012. De Beers, however, has not endorsed this.
10. THE MOUSSAIEFF RED DIAMOND -$8 Million
The Red Shield, which was discovered in Brazil in the 1990s, is now the largest naturally occurring fancy red diamond graded by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). The rarest and most expensive diamonds in the world are red ones.
It has a triangle brilliant cut, often known as a trilliant cut, and weighs 5.11 carats. This exquisite red stone, which was designated as internally perfect (IF), was displayed at the Smithsonian Institution’s Natural History Museum between 2003 and 2005. The Moussaieff Red Diamond was highlighted in the diamond industry by being shown alongside the eight most amazing diamonds in the world.