Most Expensive Diamonds in the World

Diamonds are among the most sought after jewelry items in the world. Say what you want about the luxury jewelry market, but hail or storm, they are always thriving. Front and centre, are Diamonds.

What exactly determines the lofty price of Diamonds?

1. Cut - The cut determines the amount of facets cut into a Diamond that would amplify its shine. Lesser facets equal to a faint glimmer rather than a bright sparkle. This also depends on the type of Diamond cut you are going in for.

This also varies based on the Diamond shape - Round, heart shape, oval shape, tear drop, pear shape.

So far, Round Brilliant Cuts are considered among the most expensive diamond cuts because they emit the most sparkle.

2. Carat - Carat is a unit of measurement used to determine the weight of a Diamond. 1 carat = 200 Milligrams. So obviously, the more carats it carries, the more expensive it is. The biggest diamonds in the world have many carats. But several factors again depend on the price. For example, a smaller diamond with better clarity would fetch more than a larger diamond with multiple inclusions. Which brings us to...?

3. Clarity - Clarity is the rate of inclusions within a Diamond. Natural Diamonds with near perfect clarity have a high price tag. So the price decreases in line with the amount of debris, air bubbles, or cracks found in the stone. A Raw Rough Diamond that is found unpolished, uncut is later split down into multiple faceted stones.

4. Color - Diamond color is the first thing to attract someone to it. In the Diamond jewelry world, they are often classified as fancy color diamonds or vivid blues, pinks etc. In Asia, rather than diamond cut or size, people opt for more colorful stones above the rest. The colors of each stone are formed based on the elements involved in the formation in the earth's crust.

Here are the Top Ten Most Expensive Diamonds:-

10. The Moussaieff Red diamond

-Valued up to $8 Million.

This stunning Diamond is a perfect vivid cranberry red, triangular in shape / trillion cut and measures 5.11 carats. This natural diamond is actually the largest fancy red stone ever graded by the Gemological Institute of America. The diamond was called the Red Shield, until Moussaieff Jewelers bought it in the early 2000s for $8 million.

9. The heart of Eternity

-Valued at $16 Million.

This unusual blue Diamond was cut from a 777ct rough diamond, and has an absence of grey and black undertones. Mined in South Africa, it is now owned by De Beers.

8. The Perfect Pink

-Valued $23.2 Million

The Perfect Pink valued at 23.2 million Dollars, was sold at auction in 2010 to an unknown bidder. It is a 14.23 ct emerald cut diamond with an intense pink color. But it does have minor inclusions (VVS2) due to slight internal blemishes, which is actually quite common.

7. The Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond

-Valued at $23.4 Million.

Another Diamond mined from the Kollur Mine, India. A 31.06-carat deep-blue diamond with perfect clarity was bought by Laurence Graff in 2008 for £16.4 million. Later he revealed he had the diamond cut by three diamond cutters to remove flaws meaning that it was now 4 carats lighter and he even added his last name to the diamond. His reshaping of the Diamond came under fire, with claims that he violated the diamonds historical integrity.

6. The Winston Blue

-Valued at $23.8 Million.

The largest flawless vivid blue Diamond bought by Harry Winston from an anonymous person for $23.8 million at Christie's Geneva Magnificent Jewels sale.

5. The Pink Star

-Valued at $71.2 Million.

The largest known Diamond rated vivid pink by the GIA. Mined by DeBeers in South Africa, it weighs 132.5 carats in the rough. It took 20 months to cut.

4. The Centenary Diamond

-Valued at $100 Million.

Owned by DeBeers, the Centenary Diamond was found in the premier mine in South Africa. At 273.85 carats, it was rated grade D color by the Gemological Institute of America. It was unveiled in May 1991, after being found in 1988, they took 3 years to cut and polish the Diamond.

3. The Hope Diamond

-Valued at $200 to 250 Million.

A very famous cursed Diamond; the vivid blue stone weighs 45.52 carats and is from the Kollur Mine in India. It was first purchased by a French gems merchant Jean-Baptiste Tavernier. Of course that's where it gets its name. It was then cut and sold to King Louis XIV. Later it was stolen and came into possession of a London banking family, called “Hope” in 1839. After going through multiple owners, it now lies in the National Museum of Natural History of the United States where it has remained on permanent exhibition since 1958.

2. The Cullinan Diamond

-Valued up to $2 Billion.

This South African Diamond is the largest Rough Diamond, weighing 3,106.75 carats and is among the biggest Diamonds in the world. This natural diamond, known as the Star of Africa was cut into 9 main stones, the largest of which is the Cullinan 1 at 530.2 carats.

Named after Thomas Cullinan, the mines chairman, and was unsold for two years, until the Transvaal Colony government bought it and then presented it to King Edward VII, who had it cut by Joseph Asscher & Co. in Amsterdam.

1. The Koh-i-noor Diamond

-Priceless.

The most controversial stone also holds the title for the most expensive. The irony is that its true value is unknown / priceless. Whether it is attributed to its qualities, its history or the fact that three countries all want it returned is up for guessing. Discovered in the Golconda mine in India, it is the largest cut diamond weighing 105.6 carat and is now part of the British crown jewels. It was once part of the Mughal Peacock Throne. It was handed over to Queen Victoria after the annexation of Punjab in 1849. Unimpressed, Prince Albert had it recut as an oval Brilliant cut by Coster Diamonds bringing it from 186 carats to 105.6 carats. Now embedded in the crown of Queen Elizabeth, it is on display at the Tower of London.