Top 10 costliest diamond in the world

Top 10 Costliest Diamonds in the World

“I never worry about diets. The only carrots that interest me are the number of carats in a diamond!”

A famous quote by Mae West, famous American actress.

Buying a diamond is one of the most important purchases you’ll ever make. Women have always been lunatic for this dear stone. Diamonds have been a source of fascination for centuries. The diamond is more than just aesthetically beautiful; it’s an enduring symbol of love, romance and commitment. The imperishable stone’s name has been procured from the Greek word adamas, meaning “unconquerable”. Diamonds have always been an interesting area to explore and delve into. No words can describe the gorgeous beauty and scintillating charm of this most enticing stone, but attempts have been noble, if not entirely lucrative.

Windsor’s most famous Hope diamond has an interesting story with it. It was stolen; it lived nine days in a thief’s intestine who was taking laxatives and this 1.7-carat gemstone gathered interest from across the country and beyond.

Diamonds have been a prominent area for robbery because of their exorbitant price. Well you just can’t help but wonder how much these things really cost. Let us have a glance through the top 10 costliest diamonds in the world. These are the most expensive diamonds you can find on planet Earth. All colors of diamonds are rated by Gemological Institute of America (GIA).

10. THE ALLNATT DIAMOND

 $3 MILLION

The stone is named after one of its owners who were a soldier, art patron, benefactor and a sportsman, Major Alfred Ernest Allnatt.  Although the origin of this diamond is not explicit, but it is believed that it was found in the De Beers Premium Diamond Mine. The Allnatt’s origin continues to be mystery. Major Allnatt purchased this diamond in the early 1950s. It measures 101.29 carats (20.258g). The color of this stone is Fancy Vivid Yellow with a cushion cut. The current owner of this diamond is SIBA Corporation. The stone underwent many intensity modifications and cuttings but after being sold to its current owner it was re-cut to its current weight and the intensity was upgraded from Fancy Intense Yellow.  The estimated value of this diamond is at least is USD 3 million.

9. HEART OF ETERNITY DIAMOND 

$16 MILLION

This diamond is a member of extremely rare class of colored stones. It was found in the Premier Diamond Mine of South Africa. This mine is the only mine in the world with an appreciable production of the blue diamonds. It was cut by the Steinmetz Group, the owners of the diamond before they sold it to De Beers. The Heart of Eternity weighs 27.64 carats (5.528g), rated in color as Fancy Vivid Blue. The Heart of Eternity was disclosed in January 2000. It was included as De Beers Millenium Jewels Collection. The current owner of this diamond is Sayyid Qadri and its estimated value being at least USD 16 million.

8. MOUSSAIEFF RED DIAMOND

$20 MILLION

This is the world’s largest known red diamond. The diamond was discovered by a Brazilian farmer in the 1990s, in a region known as Alto Paranaiba. Moussaieff Red Diamond also known as Red Shield Diamond is a stone measuring 5.11 carats (1.022g). It has a brilliant triangular cut, also known as trilliant cut rated in color as Fancy Red. The diamond was purchased and cut by William Goldberg Diamond Corp, and soon it became distinguished as the Red Shield. It is currently owned by Moussaieff Jewelers Ltd. and its estimated value is $20 million.

7. THE WITTELSBACH-GRAFF DIAMOND

$80 MILLION

The diamond originates from the Kollur mines of Guntur District in Andhra Pradesh. The original owner of this diamond was Philip IV of Spain and it was discovered in the mid-1960s. The original Wittelsbach Diamond, also known as Der Blaue Wittelsbacher, was a 35.56 carat (7.112g) Fancy Deep Grayish Blue diamond that had been part of both the Austrian and the Bavarian Crown jewels. Its color and clarity are comparable to the Hope Diamond. It has Antique Oval Stellar Brilliant Cut. Its final weight is 4 carats lighter because Laurence Graff, the then owner of this diamond had the diamond cut by three diamond cutters to remove the flaws. Thus, the final weight of this stone is 31.06 carats (6.212g) and its estimated value is US $80 million. The current owner of this diamond is Hamad bin Chalifa Al Thani.

6. THE PINK STAR DIAMOND

 $83.2 MILLION

It is the only known and largest diamond rated as Vivid-Pink. The Pink Star was mined by De Beers in 1999 in South Africa, and weighed 132.5 carats in rough. The Pink Star was displayed as part of the Smithsonian’s “The Splendor of Diamonds” exhibit alongside the world’s most fabulous diamonds. The current weight of this diamond is 59.60 carats (11.920g) with Mixed Oval Brilliant Cut. The estimated value is US$83.2 million. In 2013, the Pink Star was auctioned by Sotheby’s in Geneva and the sale price was a world record for any gemstone. It was bought by Isaac Wolf, a New York diamond cutter who renamed it as Pink Dream. This stone was bestowed with many names depending on its owner. The names have gradually changed from The Steinmetz Pink (1999-2007) to The Pink Star (2007-2013) to The Pink Dream (2013 onwards).

5. THE DE BEERS CENTENARY DIAMOND

$90 MILLION

The De Beers Centenary Diamond is the third largest diamond to have been produced in the Premier Mine. It is the highest grade of colorless diamond and it is internally and externally flawless. The diamond was discovered in South Africa on 17 July 1986 using X-ray imaging system. The original weight of the rough was 599 carats which is finally reduced to 273.85 carats (54.770g). Diamond is rated in color as grade D color by the GIA, America. The cut is modified heart shaped brilliant. The name of this diamond brings an interesting story along with it. It was presented in its raw form for the Centennial Celebration of De Beers Consolidated Mines. The current owner of this diamond is unknown and its estimated value is at least USD 90 million.

4. THE HOPE DIAMOND

 $200 MILLION

The Hope Diamond known popularly as “The Blue of France”, “The King’s Jewel” and the “Tavernier Blue” is the most famous diamond in the world. The color of this diamond is Fancy Dark Grayish Blue due to the number of traces of Boron in the crystal structure. The clarity is determined to be VS1, with whitish graining present .It was discovered in the great Kollur mines of India. The date of discovery is still a mystery. The stone is given an antique cushion cut. The first cut is still in the dark, but it was recut from the French Blue diamond after 1791 and the final finishing was given by Harry Winston between 1949 to 1958.The Hope Diamond has unique physical properties that need to be focused. The weight of this diamond is 45.52 carats (9.104g) and its size has been compared to a walnut and pigeon egg. The stone exhibits an unusually intense and strongly colored type of luminescence after exposure to short-waved ultraviolet light, a brilliant red-phosphorescence that persists for some time after the light-source is switched off. Because of this strange quality, people assume it to be cursed. The current owner of this diamond is Smithsonian Natural History Museum. The estimated value of this diamond is $200- $250 million USD.

3. THE CULLINAN DIAMOND  

$2 BILLION

                                            

This is the largest gem-quality diamond ever found. The largest polished gem from the stone is named as Cullinan 1 or “The Star of Africa”. The Cullinan Diamond was discovered in the Premium Mines of South Africa. Nine such diamonds have been carved out from Cullinan having names as Cullinan I , Cullinan II, Cullinan III, Cullinan IV, Cullinan V, Cullinan VI, Cullinan VII, Cullinan VIII, Cullinan IX.  Cullinan I is mounted in the head of Sceptre with Cross .Both Cullinan I and II are in the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. Cullinan IX is set in a platinum ring, known as Cullinan IX Ring.  The weight of Cullinan Diamond is 3,106.75 carats (621.350g) with Assorted (cushions, pears, marquises) cut. It was cut by Asscher Brothers. The original owner was Premier Diamond Mining Corporation while currently it is owned by British Crown. The color of this stone is white with grade D or E.  The estimated value is over US$2 billion.

2. THE SANCY DIAMOND

PRICELESS

This diamond was originated in India and was reputed to have belonged to the Mughals of antiquity. This stone was discovered before 1570. It is the first large diamond to be cut with symmetrical facets. The shield shaped stone comprises two back to back crowns but lacks any semblance to a pavilion. The weight of this stone is 55.23 carats (11.046g) and a pale yellowish color with exact color grade not recorded. The cut is shielded shaped modified brilliant cut. The Sancy Diamond has interesting history with many owners.  It had experienced many hands and many countries. Finally the sparkling stone now rests in the Apollo Gallery, it is owned by French Crown Jewel Collection housed at Louvre. The stone is priceless and its value cannot be predicted.

1. THE KOH -I-NOOR DIAMOND   

PRICELESS

   

It was originated from Vinukonda, Guntur, near a temple in Andhra Pradesh, India. This diamond was the wealth of many dynasties including Mughals, Sikh, British and Persian rulers. The first mention of Koh-I-Noor was in 1526. The diamond had travelled from India to England during the British rule in India. The original weight of Koh-I-Noor was 793 carats when uncut, which is now 105.6 metric carats (21.6g) diamond. This is the largest known diamond in the world. It was cut by Hortenso Borgia. This diamond has many stories related with it. It was a treasure for many dynasties and is the most precious gem in the world. The stone was found to measure 36.00 x 3.90x 13.04mm. . It is currently set into the Crown of Queen Elizabeth and is on the display at the Tower of London. Tourists from all over the world are attracted to just have a glimpse of this stone

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