Diamonds always fascinate our hearts and eyes with their immense beauty and value. Diamonds are created by forcing carbon to intense pressure and heat 500 km below the Earth’s crust, where they are frequently older than 3 billion years.
It is a solid form of carbon with its atoms grouped in what is known as a diamond cubic crystal structure.
Even though all diamonds extract in the same way from the earth, they are not the same as it seems. It has several differences in its value due to the factors such as its carat weight, clarity, cut, and color.
These features of a diamond mark a value for each and will be graded accordingly. The rarest diamonds will be exceptionally large or with remarkable clarity and color.
The price of a diamond depends on the elements such as the quantity of refracting edges, color, clarity, weight, and its historical and cultural value. This article deals with the top 10 most expensive diamonds in the world.
Are you interested? If so, Keep reading to explore more. Here’s a list of the world’s top 10 expensive diamonds.
List Of The 10 Most Expensive Diamonds In The World
| No. | Diamond | Price (in USD) |
| 1. | Koh-i-Noor Diamond | Priceless |
| 2. | Cullinan Diamond | Up to $2 billion |
| 3. | Hope Diamond | $350 million |
| 4. | De Beers Centenary Diamond | $90 million |
| 5. | CTF Pink Star Diamond | $71.2 million |
| 6. | Regent Diamond | $61.4 million |
| 7. | Oppenheimer Blue Diamond | $50 million |
| 8. | Blue Moon of Josephine diamond | $48.4 million |
| 9. | Graff Pink Diamond | $46 million |
| 10. | Princie Diamond | $40 million |
Now, let’s look more into each expensive diamond and the factors which make it more worthy than the other. Where was it all founded? Who owns it now? How much does each of them worth? You will be having all these questions in mind, right? Don’t worry, we have all the answers for you!
1. The Koh-i-Noor Diamond
The Koh-i-Noor diamond is the top-positioned most expensive diamond in the world. Koh-i-Noor is also named the Mountain of Light which is its meaning in Persian. It is one of the biggest cut diamonds in the world which weighs 105.6 carats (21.12g).
Koh-i-Noor is a component of British Crown Jewels. Currently, the diamond is mounted in Queen Elizabeth’s Queen Mother’s Crown. Due to the common belief that the Koh-i-Noor diamond is cursed because so many of its male owners unexpectedly lost their power or passed away, only women have been permitted to wear it since 1849.
There is a controversy behind this diamond which claims that the British stole the stone from India and that it rightfully belongs to India. According to the history of the Koh-i-Noor, Prince Albert had trimmed the stone from 186 cataracts to 105 carats in 1852 to reduce its radiance and glitter.
The diamond is currently on public exhibit in the Tower of London’s Jewel House. Since India’s independence from the British Empire in 1947, the government of India, Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, as well as the Taliban, have all asserted possession of the Koh-i-Noor and demanded its return.
The British government rejects the allegations and argues the gen was acquired lawfully in accordance with the terms of the Last Treaty of Lahore.
The uncolored oval-shaped diamond, Koh-i-Noor is the most expensive diamond in the world, whose worth is priceless.
2. The Cullinan Diamond
The Cullinan Diamond weighs 3,106 carats (621.20g) and is the world’s largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found. It was found on January 26, 1905, at Premier No.2 mine in Cullinan, South Africa. The mine was owned by Thomas Cullinan and so the name of the diamond was given in honoring him.
The Cullinan diamond was put up for sale in London in April 1905, but two years later, it remained unsold despite its significant demand. The Cullinan was cut by Joseph Asscher & Co. in Amsterdam and purchased by the Transvaal Colony government in 1907.
Prime Minister Louis Botha presented it to Edward VII, the British King who ruled the colony in 1908.
The largest stone Cullinan diamond produced is known as Cullinan I or the great star of Africa, and it is the largest clear-cut diamond in the world. Cullinan produced stones of various cuts and sizes.
The Sovereign’s Scepter has a cross and a stone set on the head. The second largest is Cullinan II, often known as the second star of Africa, which is set in the Imperial State Crown and weighs 317.4 carats. Both are included in the United Kingdom’s Crown jewels.
The second most expensive diamond in the world, the Cullinan, costs more than $2 billion. It is now owned by Charles III, the king of the United Kingdom.
3. The Hope Diamond
The Hope Diamond is a 45.52-carat (9.104g) diamond that was initially taken from the Kollur Mine in Guntur, a village in India is one of the most expensive diamonds In the world. Its blue tint is a result of the minute levels of boron.
This fancy dark gray-blue old cushion cut diamond was found in London in 1839 after the crown jewels were stolen in 1791. This diamond attracted a lot of attention when Harry Winston purchased it in 1949 and gave it to the Smithsonian Institution. It is currently owned by the Washington-based national Museum of America, Smithsonian Institution.
The diamond is one of the Golconda stones which has been owned by several people, including Washington socialite Evalyn Walsh McLean. The diamond was bought by New York gem dealer Harry Winston in 1949, as already mentioned.
He presented it to the American National Museum of Natural History in 1958, where it is on display permanently.
The Hope diamond has been compared in shape and size to walnut and has a color of fancy dark grayish blue. It is supposed to have an estimated value of $350 million.
4. De Beers Centenary Diamonds
The De Beers Centenary Diamond is the third-largest diamond to have been created in the Premier Mine. It weighs 273.85 carats (54.770g).
The Centenary Diamond and Culinary I and II are the largest top-color diamond in the world. The Gemological Institute of America has given the Centenary Diamond a colorless diamond that is both internally and outwardly perfect.
It was given the name De Beers Centenary Diamond when it was delivered in the rough on May 11, 1988, for the 100th anniversary of De Beers Consolidated Mine. in May 1991, the Centenary Diamond made its official debut.
The Centenary Diamond was cut by Gabi Tolkowsky, Jim Nash, and Geoff Woolett and is still owned by De Beers. It is supposed to have an estimated value of $90 million.
5. The CTF Pink Star Diamond
The CTF Pink Star Diamond is a 59.60-carat (11.92g) fancy vivid pink diamond that was graded by the Gemological Institute of America. It is formerly known as the Steinmetz Pink Diamond.
The Pink Star, which had a rough weight of 132.5 carats, was mined by De Beers in South Africa in 1999. The Pink Star is the largest known diamond which is graded by Vivid Pink. The Beny Steinmetz Group took a careful 20 months to cut the Pink due to its extreme rarity. The Pink Star diamond was introduced to the world in May 2003.
The mixed oval-shaped Pink Star diamond is supposed to have a worth of $71.2 million and is one of the top five most expensive diamonds in the world.
The Pink Star Diamond is now owned by Chow Tai Fook, a conglomerate based in Hong Kong which has holdings in sectors such as jewelry, transportation, hotels, restaurants, energy, telecommunications, and properties.
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6. The Regent Diamond
The 140.64-carat cushion-shaped gemstone known as The Regent Diamond is flawless on the inside. The regent diamond costs around $61.4 million.
The history of this diamond is pretty interesting. An enslaved person is said to have discovered the magnificent diamond in India’s Kollur Mine in 1698. The slave tried to use the diamond hidden in his leg wound as a ransom in exchange for being given safe passage out of the nation.
The English sea captain who received the offer killed the slave. The diamond was then sold to renowned Indian diamond trader Jamchand.
Afterward, Philippe II, Duke of Orleans, the French Regent, bought the diamond in 1717. In 1722, it was used to adorn Louis XVs coronation crown. Years later, Marie Antoinette used it to adorn a hat.
It was supposed to be cut by Harris between 1704 to 1706. The Regent Diamond is currently owned by France and is displayed in the world’s most-visited museum in Paris, Louvre Museum.
7. The Oppenheimer Blue Diamond
The Oppenheimer Blue was the most expensive item ever sold at auction in May 2016 until the Pink Star diamond surpassed it in April 2017. It weighs around 14.62 carats (2.924g) and it is a bright blue color diamond. The Oppenheimer Blue diamond is shaped like a rectangle cut in an emerald shape.
The diamond carried its previous owner’s name, Philip Oppenheimer. It was sold at Christie’s in Geneva in May 2016 for $50.6 million, making it the largest fancy vivid blue diamond ever sold at auction according to the Gemological Institute of America. The current owner of this most expensive diamond in the world is unknown.
8. The Blue Moon of Josephine Diamond
The Blue Moon of Josephine is one of the most expensive diamonds in the world which is described as flawless by several experts. It weighs around 12.03 carat (2.406g) and has the color of fancy vivid blue.
The Blue Moon of Josephine is a cushion-shaped diamond that costs approximately $48.4 million. This is the largest fancy bright cushion-shaped blue stone to ever appear at auction. When viewed under UV light, the Blue Moon Josephine diamond displays red phosphorescence.
This diamond was found in South Africa in January 2014 and sold at a Sothby’s auction in Geneva in November 2015 for a record-breaking $48.4 million.
The diamond was purchased by a Hong Kong millionaire and wanted felon Joseph Lau Luen-hung, who gave it the name Josephine in honor of his daughter Josephine, who is seven years old.
9. The Graff Pink Diamond
The Graff Pink Diamond is one of the most expensive diamond in the world formerly owned by famous American jeweler Harry Winston. It’s A rare 24.78-carat pink diamond that costs around $46 million.
In November 2010, Sotheby’s auctioneers held a sale in Geneva, Switzerland, for a diamond placed in a ring. Before its sale, the stone was predicted to reach the list of the top 10 most expensive diamonds in the world.
But later it was sold out for $46 million making it one of the top 10 most expensive diamonds in the world.
The history of the Graff Pink Diamond is mostly unknown. According to the reports, the diamond is currently unknown to Laurence Graff who bought it in the auction for $46 million.
The stone has been graded as Diamond Type, placing it in the top 2% of all diamonds in the world. It is categorized by the Gemological Institute of America as fancy strong pink, with a high color rating for pink diamonds.
10. The Princie Diamond
The Princie Diamond is a cushion-cut fancy intense pink diamond that was found in the Golconda region 300 years ago. It is renowned for its stunning beauty and vibrant color. It is thought to be the fourth largest pink diamond in the world, behind Daria-i-Noor, the Noor-ol-Ain, and the Pink Star diamond.
When it first belonged to the Nizam of Hyderabad, the Prince had no name. It was sold at auction by Sothbey’s in 1960, and the jeweler’s Van Cleef & Arpels of London purchased it.
It was subsequently delivered to their Paris location, where it was given the name Princie in honor of Sita Devi, the Maharanee of Baroda’s fourteen-year-old son.
The Princie weighs around 34.65 carats (6.930g) and it costs around $40 million. The cushion-shaped Princie Diamond has its origin in India.
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