10 Most Expensive Diamonds in The World

Here are 10 of the rarest and most expensive diamonds in the world, ranging from deep blue to
stunning red!
Number one - The Wittelsbach Diamond ($23.4 million)
The first documented sales of the Wittelsbach Diamond date back to the 17th century, when the
diamond was bought by Louis XIV of France. It weighs 35.56 carats and has a rare blue color. The
stone has a royal history as it has been passed through generations since 1600s. It traveled from
France to Spain, then crossed into Germany to accompany German King Louis III to his burial
place in 1921. In 1930s, it was sold to raise money for the German government, and from here
things get mysterious. There was no indication of who bought it, and somehow a piece of blue
glass got replaced in the museum. After that, rumors of the diamond changing hands were
widespread, until 1962 when it turned up again in a jewelry store in Belgium. In 2008 the diamond
was sold for $23.4 million, and its new owner decided that it should be recut because it was
originally cut in the early 1600s. Due to these changes, the stone became 21.06 carats and has an
improvement in both color and quality. The estimated price of the stone skyrocketed as well.
Number two - The Pink Star ($71.2 million)

Pink Star Diamond broke its $60 million dollar estimate when it went up for auction in April 2017.
The sale price was just over $71 million. Overtaking the Oppenheimer Blue Diamond by over 13
million, it became the most expensive diamond ever sold. The pink diamond, which weighs 59.60
carats, is the largest internally flawless, fancy vivid pink diamond ever to be graded by the
Gemological Institute of America. When it was mined by De Beers in Africa in 1999, the rough
stone weighed 132.5 carats. After planning, cutting, and polishing it for two years, the current oval
shape was achieved by shaving off 70 carats! The identity of this beautiful piece's new owner is
being kept secret for now, but the sheer size of it may be difficult to hide if ever worn out.
Number three- The Hope Diamond ($200+ million)

The Hope diamond is one of the most renowned jewels in the world, changing ownership across
India, France, England, and the United States over the past four centuries. In addition, the name
has become synonymous with bad luck and has been viewed as a curse. The deep blue diamond
weighs 45.52 carats, making it the largest in the world. It is described as a magnificent sky-blue
with a red glow. The first record of its purchase dates back to 1668, when King Louis the fourteenth
of France, a famous diamond collector, bought it. A century later, when the French Revolution
was raging, it disappeared, only to turn up in London in 1812. In the following years, it was sold
to various owners before being purchased by an American heiress called Evalyn Walsh McLean.
In an effort to make the diamond even more special, the current setting was added - 16 white
diamonds surrounded by a chain containing 45 diamonds. Over the years, several owners have
encountered misfortune. A French merchant who had taken the stone from an idol's eye in India
and brought it back to France, where he sold it to the king, was apparently mauled to death by
dogs. King Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette were killed during the French Revolution,
and Evalyn McLean had a miserable life after buying the diamond, losing her son and daughter in
car accidents, her husband leaving for another woman, and she herself moving into an asylum. In
1958, the Smithsonian acquired it, where it remains today. There is no market value for it, but it is
currently insured for approximately $250 million for you to have some idea of its value. If it were
ever put up for sale, it would likely fetch even more than that. It appears that the museum has not
been affected by the curse of the diamond.
Number four - The Koh-i-Noor ($1+ billion)
Another diamond that has never been available for public sale, but was thought to be worth over
one billion dollars because of its notoriety and history. Koh-i-Noor means mountain of light in
Persian, and this diamond with a weight of 105.6 carats is a part of Queen Elizabeth's crown jewels.
Since it is considered unlucky for men, it is only ever worn by women. Several controversies
surround the ownership of this diamond. Humans are believed to have found this diamond 5000
years ago, as it was called “the Syamantaka jewel” in Sanskrit writings. However, the first
confirmed record refers to its possession by the Indian conqueror Babur in 1526. The throne
changed hands repeatedly over the next three centuries as Indians and Persians fought each other,
but was eventually given to Queen Victoria as a peace offering in 1850. Having failed to impress
at the Great Exhibition in 1851, the rose-cut diamond was re-cut into an oval brilliant shape and
has been part of the crown jewels ever since. Since colonial times, the Indian authorities have
demanded the return of diamonds taken from them. The Brits, on the other hand, claim that it was
given to Queen Victoria by an Indian king. These responses have not satisfied those who think it
should be returned, so the ownership dispute continues.
Number five - The Oppenheimer Blue Diamond ($57.5 million)

At the time in 2016, the Oppenheimer Blue Diamond was the most expensive jewel that has ever
been sold at auction, as well as the largest fancy vivid blue diamond that has ever been offered for
sale. Named after its previous owner, Sir Philip Oppenheimer, the diamond weighs 14.62 carats
and is set in a platinum ring that features trapeze-shaped diamonds on either side of it. Its clarity
is graded as one step below internally flawless, which also helped it break the record for the “per-
carat” price. This gem's color is so vivid that it has been graded as fancy vivid, which means it has
a medium to dark tone and strong saturation. It is estimated that only 1% of blue diamonds are
fancy vivid, so this is a genuinely unique piece.
Number six - The Moussaieff Red Diamond ($20 million)

There are many colors of diamonds, but red diamonds are particularly rare. The Cape Town
Diamond Museum estimates that there are only a few hundred true red diamonds have ever been
found, the majority of them smaller than half a carat. A Brazilian farmer discovered the rough
stone that became the famous Moussaieff Red Diamond in the 1990s. With a weight of 13.90
carats, it became the center of attention immediately. New York's William Goldberg Diamond
Corporation then purchased it and decided to cut it into a triangular brilliant cut. Losing 8.79 carats
in this process results in a stunning cranberry-colored gem that weighs 5.11 carats. Originally
known as the Red Shield, the Moussaieff Jewelers renamed it when they acquired it for about $8
million at the turn of the century. Diamonds like this have frequently been displayed in exhibitions,
including at the Smithsonian. If it were to be sold, it would be expected to cost at least $20 million.
Number seven - The Centenary Diamond ($100 million)

With the help of cutting-edge X-ray technology, the Centenary Diamond was discovered in 1986
in De Beers' Premier Mine. The rough stone was 599 carats, making it the third-largest diamond
to have ever been found in that area, and it was reportedly internally and externally flawless. The
stone was hand cut into a stunning modified heart shape design by a specialist team over 154 days.
A special underground room was built in Johannesburg with controlled temperatures and
vibrations to minimize the possibility of errors. It was completed in 1991 with a total of 247 facets
incorporated into the stone -- 164 on the crown and pavilion and 83 on the girdle -- and the final
weight came to 273.85 carats. For a number of years, the diamond has been displayed at the Tower
of London, but the true owner is unknown. Although it has never been sold at a public auction, it
was insured for $100 million dollars at the time of its unveiling in 1991, so it's hard to estimate its
actual value.
Number eight - The Cullinan I ($400 million)

Cullinan Diamonds, or star of Africa, comes from a single stone that was found at a Premier mine
in South Africa, weighing 3,106.75 carats (1,369 pounds). At that time, the diamond was twice as
big as any other diamond found anywhere at the time. The metal was named after the owner of the
mine where it was found, Sir Thomas Cullinan, and was immediately gifted to the British King
Edward VII “as a token of the loyalty and attachment of the people of Transvaal to his throne and
person”. In Amsterdam, it was sent to the Asscher Brothers, who divided it into three segments,
and later 96 smaller fragments. In comparison to these cuts, the Cullinan I stone is the largest, most
valuable, and most prestigious. This stone weighs 530,2 carats and is cut into a pear shape. This
diamond is the one that is set in the head of the Scepter with the Cross in the British crown jewels.
Additionally, it is removable, so it can be worn separately. The Cullinan I has never been on public
sale, but it is believed to be worth over $400 million dollars- with the entire set being valued at
over $2 billion dollars.
Number nine - The Heart of Eternity ($16 million)

Heart of Eternity Diamond stone was found at South Africa's Premier Diamond Mine, the world's
top supplier of blue diamonds. On average, only one blue diamond is discovered every year, and
this one was an exceptional find. Before they started cutting the rough stone, the owners dug up
777 carats of rough granite until they had the perfect design idea. In the end, there were The
Millennium Blue Diamonds- a collection of heart, oval, and pear drop-shaped diamonds, of which
the largest is the Heart Of Eternity. Recently, it was on display at various exhibitions, including
the 2000 Millennium exhibition in London and the Smithsonian museum earlier this year.
According to reports, Floyd Mayweather bought it for his wife in 2012, but there were no specific
details about the sale price. According to the estimates, the piece is worth $16 million, but its
finished value could be far higher, considering how rare it is.
Number ten - The Perfect Pink ($23 million)

In 2010, the Perfect Pink Diamond sold for $23 million, making it the most expensive jewel ever
sold in Asia. An intense pink diamond that weighs 14.23 carats is set in a white and rose gold ring
that has rectangular diamonds on either side. Only 18 pure pink diamonds larger than 10 carats
have gone to auction in the past 244 years, none of which were classified as intense pink at the
time of sale. Because of this, the Perfect Pink is truly a unique piece, and this explains why it sold
for ten million dollars more than was expected.