What is the most expensive diamond in the world?

It’s no secret that a diamond is a cut diamond. During the cutting process, the gemstone is given a special shape. Diamonds were given to man by nature, however, the deposits in the world are extremely small. This is because the percentage of natural conversion of diamond from graphite (the natural element appears precisely from graphite) is negligible. And he is valued not only for this. Diamond has truly unique properties. It has amazing strength, and when cut correctly, it shines with incredible beauty. Nowadays diamonds can be found in almost every jewelry store, however, there are exclusive stones that you can only look at in a picture – most of them are not bought or sold. They decorate private collections or museums. And here they are, the most expensive diamonds in the world. Moussaieff Red Diamond This is a red diamond. The Moussaieff Red Diamond weighs only 5,11 carats (that’s 1,022 grams). It is not the largest natural diamond, however, it is the largest red diamond. The pebble was found in the town of Alto Paranaiba in 1990. The lucky owner is a local Brazilian farmer. By the way, Alto Paranaiba is famous for giving people unusual stones – colored diamonds are most often found in this place. According to some experts, the cost of the Moussaieff Red Diamond reaches up to $7 million. Heart of Eternity And this stone belongs to a rather rare class of colored diamonds. The size of the jewel is 27,64 carats (or 5,528 grams). She was found in South Africa, namely in Premier Diamond Mine. The price of the Heart of Eternity is 16 million dollars. Diamond Wittelsbach The unique Wittelsbach blue diamond weighs 35,56 carats (or 7,11 grams). And the pebble, of course, has its own history. Back in 1722, it was the dowry of Maria Amalia of Austria, and after her marriage it passed to her husband Karl Albrecht, a representative of the house of Wittelsbach. At one time, the blue diamond was part of the Bavarian crown. The stone remained in the possession of the Wittelsbachs until the First World War. And already in 2008 it was sold for 24 million and 311 thousand at auction. The new owner is a British jeweler named Laurence Graff. Steinmetz Pink The most beautiful and largest of the pink diamonds is called Steinmetz Pink. The jewel weighs 59,6 carats (or 11,92 grams). Typically, pink diamonds are very rare in nature. And, as a rule, they weigh significantly less than their counterparts. Steinmetz Pink was found in South Africa. Its cost is estimated at 25 million dollars. De Beers Centenary The general public first saw the famous stone on March 11, 1988. A significant event took place at the reception in honor of the centenary anniversary of the De Beers company. It is not surprising that the diamond was named “Centenary”, which means “Century”. The diamond was found in the Premier pipe in South Africa. The diamond is now kept in Washington, DC, at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Its price reaches 350 million dollars. This is the most expensive diamond in the world. Cullinan is one of the most colorful diamonds. In addition, the pebble left an unforgettable mark on history. And all because the Cullinan has a colossal weight, which is even difficult for the average person to imagine – the diamond weighs more than 3 thousand carats. We found it completely by accident. The manager of the Premier mine, F. Wales, came across the now famous jewel. The diamond when found had impressive dimensions: 10 x 6.5 x 5 centimeters. Over time, it became clear that the stone was a fragment of a huge crystal, which, however, was never found. The name “Cullinan” was not given to the diamond by chance. A man named T. Cullinan opened a mine, where they found a pleasant surprise. In 1907, the diamond was presented to the English King Edward for his name day. The donor is the Transvaal Authority. And the jewel is a sign of her attention to the end of the war. The gift is valued at a very round sum. The price of Cullinan is equal to the value of 94 tons of pure gold. The diamond was transported to England with honors; one might even say that this was a real military operation. The fake stone was placed on a special ship. Moreover, with special honors. To divert attention, armed guards were placed on the ship. But the real stone was sent in the most ordinary parcel. Unusual precautions were taken to ensure that a grandiose and daring robbery was not organized. Well-known jewelers from Amsterdam at the beginning of the 20th century (the company “I. J. Ascher and Co”), on the orders of the king, began work on crushing and cutting the diamond. It took four whole years. At first, experts carefully studied the stone for several months, then decided to split it into several parts. By the way, the total mass of diamonds was 1063,65 carats, the diamond itself was valued at $7,5 million. But this is by the standards of a hundred years ago. Cullinan was processed by Josef Assker, a well-known lapidary at that time, famous throughout Europe. And while working with him, a rather funny incident happened. As soon as the jeweler made a small scratch on the diamond, took a chisel, placed it against the diamond and hit it with a hammer, he fainted from fright in the presence of several people. All about diamonds As a result, humanity saw two huge diamonds, seven stones of the usual size, as well as 96 drops, which were distinguished by their extraordinary purity. The largest part of the famous diamond is made in the shape of a pear and is called the “Star of Africa”. And this diamond adorned the scepter of Britain. Today this stone is the largest in the world. Moreover, it is included in the list of the best attractions in England. The second largest Cullinan fragment weighs 317,4 carats. His name is “Cullinan 2”. It appears on the English crown. All about diamonds. Part 2 Well, the middle diamonds were called “Cullinan 3” and “Cullinan 4”. The stones weigh 94,4 carats and 63,65 carats, respectively. The small diamonds were called “Small Stars of Africa.” By the way, there is a version that the King of England quite generously thanked the jewelers for their quality work with small fragments. We are accustomed to the fact that a diamond is a transparent crystal with an incomparable and bewitching brilliance. But did you know that diamonds come in different shades and saturations? Colored diamonds are called “fancy” diamonds in the jewelry world and are considered one of the most valuable gemstones due to their attractiveness and great rarity. In this article, we will explain how a diamond becomes a fancy diamond and how many millions of dollars collectors are willing to pay per carat of a colored diamond. In the photo: colored diamonds.

How colored diamonds are formed

Fancy diamonds are formed in the same way as white diamonds: deep underground, carbon atoms under the influence of high temperatures and high pressure turn into crystals. But one key difference between white diamonds and fancy diamonds is the chemical interaction with foreign particles that become incorporated into the diamond’s carbon structure during the crystallization process. Interaction can occur with elements such as boron, nitrogen, hydrogen. Because colored and white diamonds are composed of the same element, formed through the same process, they have the same properties and score 10 on the Mohs scale, making them the hardest natural material on earth. In the photo: fancy diamonds. Colored diamonds are not that common. The process of forming fancy diamonds in nature is so rare that for every 10 carats of pure diamonds mined, there is less than 000 carat of colored diamond. Given their rarity, colored diamonds are considered more valuable and are in much higher demand.

Assessing the quality of fancy diamonds

• hue: the primary color that the eye sees;
• saturation: the intensity and brightness of a color;
• tone: a sign of depth, lightness or darkness of a color.

In the photo: assessing the color intensity of a fancy diamond.

Judging color intensity is based on a combination of saturation and hue. Color gradation is usually divided into 9 levels:

• Slight – Faint;
• Very weak – Very Light;
• Weak – Light;
• Low fantasy – Fancy Light;
• Fantasy – Fancy;
• Dark fantasy – Fancy Dark;
• Intense-fantasy – Fancy Intense;
• Richly fantasy – Fancy Deep;
• Vivid fantasy – Fancy Vivid.

Color is the main factor influencing the price and demand for a diamond: the higher the intensity of the hue, the rarer and more valuable the stone. The price per carat can increase exponentially due to the intensity of the color. These stones include pink, purple, green, blue, violet and orange crystals. Even a basic estimate of price per carat usually starts in the tens or thousands of dollars. Subsequently, such gems are sold at auctions at rates that easily amount to millions of dollars.

In the photo: colored diamonds.

Experts also take into account secondary or modifying colors. For example, a yellow diamond may have a green secondary tint and would already be classified as a “fancy chartreuse”. A blue diamond may have a secondary gray color and would be classified as a “fancy greyish blue”, etc. Therefore, the classification of fancy colored diamonds is a rather complex process.

Fancy Diamond Shades

Experts believe that there are 27 basic shades of diamonds. However, gemologists are confident that if color intensity levels are taken into account, more than 200 color combinations can be counted. The varying clarity, cut and shape of colored diamonds means that every fancy diamond is unique.

In the photo: colored diamonds.

Pink diamonds

For every 100 gem-quality diamonds mined, there are 000 to 150 pink gems. Until recently, the Argyle mine in Western Australia was the most famous source, supplying 300% of the world’s pink diamonds to the jewelry market. But due to the depletion of the deposit, the mine was closed in 95. Experts believe that finding a pink diamond is now equivalent to the chance of winning a large sum of money in the lottery twice in one day.

There are several color variations of pink gems: purple-pink, champagne pink, brownish pink, pink.

In the article “TOP 10 most expensive jewelry in history,” we talked about pink diamonds “Pink Star” and “Graff Pink”, which were sold at auction for fabulous money. But besides these crystals, there are other iconic gems.

In the photo: pink diamond “Daria-i-Noir”.

The Daria-i-Noir gemstone, which means “sea of ​​light” in Arabic, is one of the world’s largest pink diamonds. It has a pale pink hue and weighs between 175 and 195 carats. The diamond is set in a setting that makes it impossible to determine the exact weight. The jewel is currently kept at the Central Bank of Iran in Tehran.

Another fabulously expensive, absolutely pure and rare pink diamond is the “Ghost of the Rose”. The stone was found in Yakutia in 2017, and already in 2020 the gem was sold at auction in Geneva for $26,5 million.

In the photo: pink diamond “Ghost of the Rose”.

Red diamonds

Red diamonds are so rare that even some experienced jewelers have never seen one in their lives. These are the rarest and most expensive diamonds of all. The staggeringly high prices are justified, since several dozen pure specimens have been found throughout history.

What exactly gives pink and red diamonds their color still remains a mystery, since no chemical element has an effect on this. Gemologists believe that at some stage of the formation of the nugget, severe plastic deformation of the crystal lattice occurred and the structure of the diamond changed. It is known that red diamonds are subjected to much more pressure and heat than colorless diamonds. Most likely, it is because of this that the gems turn red.

Pictured: Mousaieff Red – a red diamond weighing 5,11 carats.

No more than 4 red diamonds are offered at auction each year, and prices often exceed $1 million per carat.

The most famous red diamond is the Mousaieff Red. At the end of the 13,9th century, a red diamond weighing 5,11 carats was found in Brazil. After cutting, the stone weighed 2001 carats. A beautiful deep cranberry-colored diamond cost $8 million in 1,5, which is more than $20 million per carat. Experts now value the stone at $4 million, which is almost $XNUMX million per carat.

Orange diamonds

Orange diamonds are rarer than green, pink or blue diamonds. Because of their unusual color, orange diamonds are called “pumpkin” and “fire”. The color is believed to be formed due to the hydrogen and nitrogen atoms in the crystal lattice. Thanks to them, the diamond absorbs blue and yellow light, creating an orange tint in return.

Most orange diamonds come with secondary hues, which only enhance the stone’s color and value. The most common secondary shades are brown, brownish, yellow, yellowish, brownish-yellow, pink and pinkish. Pure orange crystals without secondary shades are extremely rare.

In the photo: bright orange diamond “The Orange”.

One of the famous bright orange diamonds, called “The Orange”, was auctioned at Christie’s in November 2013 for $35,5 million. The weight of the gem is 14,32 carats. Until now, this stone is considered the most expensive orange diamond.

Yellow diamonds

A fabulously beautiful yellow diamond resembles the rays of the sun. This shade is not the rarest, but is highly valued. In nature, 10% of stones are found with a bright, intense color, and 90% have only a yellowish tint.

Nitrogen gives the stone its yellow color. The more of this chemical element in the crystal lattice, the brighter the shade. Such diamonds are mined in Yakutia, Africa and Australia.

In the photo: ring with a yellow diamond “Fantasy” from the Maxim Demidov jewelry house.

The most famous yellow diamond is the Tiffany diamond. In 1877, a yellow nugget weighing 287,42 carats was found in the mines of South Africa. The rough stone was purchased by the owner of Tiffany & Co, Charles Tiffany, for $410. It took George Kunz 2 years to give the yellow stone a cushion cut. When processed, the stone began to weigh 128,54 carats.

In 1960, French jeweler Jean Michel Schlumberger created an unusual brooch, “Bird on a Stone,” based on this rare gem. The brooch existed in this form until 2012.

In the photo: brooch “Bird on a stone”.

In honor of the 175th anniversary of the Tiffany & Co brand, another piece of jewelry was created from stone – a necklace, which uses 100 carats of transparent diamonds. Only four women were lucky enough to wear Tiffany diamond jewelry. They were: socialite Sheldon Whitehouse, actress Audrey Hepburn, singer Lady Gaga and actress Gal Gadot.

In the photo: a still from the film “Death on the Nile”. Gal Gadot wearing a Tiffany diamond.

Green diamonds

Another mysterious gems are green diamonds. They are found mainly in Africa and South America.

It is believed that stones acquire their color as a result of exposure to natural radiation. Uranium emits high-energy particles and this is what affects the change in the atomic structure of diamond. The intensity of the shade is affected by the type and duration of natural radiation. Green diamonds can range in shade from the lightest to a deep, dark green.

In the photo: the legendary Dresden green diamond.

The most famous of all green diamonds is the legendary pear-shaped Dresden apple green diamond. Presumably the diamond was taken by the British from India and was sold to the King of Poland. The stone is now on display in the Green Vault jewelry hall in Dresden. The stone weighs 41 carats and is valued by experts at $123 million.

On May 31, 2016, Christie’s Magnificent Jewels auction took place in Hong Kong, the main lot of which was the Aurora Green diamond weighing 5,03 carats. The gem has impressive characteristics. It has a unique fancy bright green color, which is less common in nature than blue. The stone was purchased by jewelry giant Chow Tai Fook for $16,8 million. The precious diamond immediately set 2 records: the maximum cost of a green diamond sold at auction; as well as the maximum cost of 1 carat of green diamond – $3,3 million.

In the photo: Aurora Green diamond.

Purple Diamonds

Australia’s Argyle mine is considered an exceptional deposit of fancy diamonds. This is where purple diamonds were found. The gemstone owes its color to hydrogen. The more of it there is in the structure, the more saturated the shade. The color of the stones ranges from pale lilac to almost purple. However, a pure and deep purple hue is rare.

The largest and most valuable purple diamond is the Argyle Violet, weighing 9,17 carats. After cutting, the stone weighed 2,83 carats.

Pictured: Argyle Violet diamond.

Blue diamonds

Blue diamonds are among the rarest species, as they are rarely found in nature. Diamonds of such shades can rightfully be called elite. They are highly prized among collectors and jewelry experts. However, blue diamonds cannot be found in jewelry stores; they are purchased exclusively at auctions. Quotes do not have exact values, as the price is calculated before sale and is based on the characteristics of the diamond. In the article “TOP 10 most expensive jewelry in history,” we talked about blue diamonds that were sold at auction for incredibly large sums.

Pictured: blue Wittelsbach Graff Diamond.

Blue diamond gets its color from boron. Boron is present in the diamond in the form of barely noticeable inclusions. When there are a lot of them, the color turns out bright and saturated.

For the first time, blue diamonds began to be found in India, but the deposit was soon depleted. For example, the famous priceless “Hope Diamond” and the “Wittelsbach Graff Diamond“were found precisely in India. Blue nuggets were also found in Australia, in the Argyle mine. In 2020, the mine was closed due to the depletion of the deposit. Now blue gems are found in South Africa in the Cullinan diamond mine.

Black diamonds

We have dedicated an entire article to these sophisticated fantasy gems – “Secrets of the Black Diamond”. The dark crystal is perhaps one of the most mysterious crystals in the world, since little is known about it until now.

Many gemologists speculate about the origin of black diamonds. Someone claims that they appeared as a result of an asteroid falling on our planet. The crystals contain nitrogen, titanium and other chemical elements that are characteristic of meteorites. Some experts say that black diamonds are formed under the influence of high temperatures and pressure inside the Earth. But whatever the theory, the origin of these stones is still a matter of debate and is still perceived as a mystery.

In the photo: ring with a black diamond “Black Knight” from the Maxim Demidov jewelry house.

All deposits of dark diamonds were discovered by chance and there are no rules for finding them. Perhaps there are still places on our planet where the night-colored stone is found, but at the moment there are only three such deposits recorded: Brazil, Africa, Kamchatka.

The beauty of black gems lies in their unique and rare color. But there is another fascinating feature of black diamonds – their sparkle. The crystal does not scatter light, therefore it has an opaque appearance and a characteristic rich black color.

The world of natural gems is beautiful and full of secrets. Fancy diamonds are one of the most valuable gemstones, whose splendor lies in their dazzling and mesmerizing hues. It is easy to sell such a stone at auction, despite its fairly high cost, but finding and purchasing such a diamond is incredibly difficult. However, there are also precious stones that shine no worse than diamonds and have a bewitching palette of shades. You can get acquainted with such crystals in the Maxim Demidov catalog.