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The world has always had a love affair with diamonds. No matter how things around us may change, our fascination and love for diamonds will always be there. Diamonds have always been recognized as something that has great value, and are worth more per volume than anything else in the world. At one time diamonds were a symbol of status. Only the wealthy possessed them and they would pass their diamonds down from generation to generation.
The early Hindus believed that diamonds were created when lightening would strike rock. The ancient Greeks believed that diamonds were the “tears of the Gods” and the ancient Romans believed that diamonds were “fragments of stars” that had fallen to the earth. In the 15th century, diamonds symbolized strength. The word diamond actually comes from the Greek word meaning indestructible.
Diamonds have been romanticized in modern times, as a diamond now symbolizes love and is worn as a symbol of commitment. No matter what you believe a diamond symbolizes, there is no doubt that people revere them. Let’s take a look at 12 of the most expensive diamonds in the world.
12. The Allnatt Diamond
via:agimmal.blogspot.com
The stunning Allnatt diamond is a cushion cut yellow diamond. It is classified as a Fancy Vivid Yellow by the GIA. It weighs 101.29 carats. The Allnatt Diamond has a high clarity grading, which is extremely rare for such a large diamond.
The Allnatt was named after Alfred Ernest Allnatt, who was the original owner. Allnatt was a philanthropist and successful English businessman. No one is certain where the diamond originated from, but many experts believe that it came from the De Beers Premier Mine in South Africa, since it carries a few of the same characteristics of other diamonds that came from that region.
The Allnatt diamond is valued at $3 million.
11. The Moussaieff Red Diamond
via:naturallycolored.com
Red diamonds are one of the rarest of all colored diamonds, because only a few of them exist. This is why they are sold for such hefty prices. Most of the existing red diamonds are classified as being part of the deep/vivid pink family. Red diamonds are rarely graded as Fancy Red, which means that they are pure red and contain no secondary colors. The Moussaieff Red diamond is a pure red diamond and the most well-known Fancy Red diamond in the world.
It was originally known as the Red Shield. It is a triangular brilliant cut and is internally flawless. It weighs 5.11 carats and is the largest known red diamond in the world today. Moussaieff Jewelers Ltd. Acquired the diamond in 2012 for $8 million. After being purchased by the jewelers it was renamed the Moussaieff Red Diamond. This unique diamond was discovered in the early 1990s by a farmer in the Alto Paranaiba region of Brazil.
10. The Heart of Eternity Diamond
via:new.joellemagazine.com
This blue beauty is one of the rarest colored diamonds in the world. The Heart of Eternity Diamond was discovered in the Premier Diamond Mine in South Africa. The Premier Diamond Mine is the only mine in the world that produces blue diamonds.
The Heart of Eternity Diamond was originally owned by the Steinmetz Group. While in the possession of the Steinmetz group, the diamond was cut and its color was assessed as Fancy Vivid Blue. The Steinmetz group sold the diamond to the De Beers Group, who later sold it to Sayyid Qadri.
The Heart of Eternity Diamond is valued at $16 million.
9. The Archduke Joseph Diamond
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The Archduke Joseph Diamond is an internally flawless diamond. It is most famous for its outstanding pedigree in both origin and ownership. The diamond weighs 76 carats and was sold at the Christie’s Geneva Magnificent Jewels auction for $21.5 million. The sale of the diamond set a world record for the sale of a colorless diamond.
The Archduke Joseph Diamond is a cushion shaped diamond that was discovered in the Golconda region of India. It was discovered in one of the world's oldest diamond mines in not only India, but the world.
8. The Perfect Pink Diamond
The Perfect Pink Diamond is a rare 14.23 carat diamond. It was sold in a Christie’s auction in Hong Kong for just over $23 million. The diamond was purchased by anonymous buyer after a heated bidding war with four other bidders. The sale of the perfect Pink Diamond smashed the world record for its selling price of a jewel at auction.
According to Christie’s, in its 244 years of auction history, only 18 diamonds that were larger than 10 carats (with a pure pink color) have ever gone on the auction block. Diamond connoisseurs consider pink diamonds to be among the most beautiful of all gemstones and the Perfect Pink Diamond is considered to be just that.
7. The Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond
via:www.naturallycolored.com
The Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond is not only stunning, but also an object of intrigue and legend. The diamond weighs 31.06 carats and has a royal past.
The diamond's history can be traced to the 17th century and directly to Spanish King Phillip IV. King Phillip included the Wittelsbach-Graff diamond in his daughter’s dowry. The diamond would later become part of the crown jewels of Australia and Bavaria.
This diamond was purchased in 2008 by Laurence Graff, an English jeweler. At that time the diamond was called the der Blaue Wittelsbach. Graff purchased the diamond from Christie’s in London for $24.3 million. After purchasing the diamond, Graff hired a diamond cutter to remove all of the impurities and he renamed it the Wittelsbach-Graff.
6. The Steinmetz Pink Diamond
via:top5bin.com
The Steinmetz Pink is one of the world's “finest” pink diamonds. The diamond was shared with the world for the first time back in 2003 in Monaco. For a short period of time, the diamond was worn in a necklace by supermodel Helena Christensen.
The Steinmetz Pink Diamond was discovered in Southern Africa. It is classified as Fancy Vivid Pink and is the largest Fancy Vivid Pink diamond in the world. Pink diamonds are usually discovered in smaller sizes and because of that, the Steinmetz Pink Diamond is an extremely rare find. The pink diamond weighs 59.60 carats. It has been graded as being internally flawless. Since the Steinmetz Pink is so rare, the Steinmetz Group took nearly 20 months to cut the gem. The group assigned an eight person team to work on fashioning the diamond. The team worked on over 50 models before they began cutting on the diamond. The diamond has a very unique facet pattern. It has an oval mixed cut with a step-cut crown and an extremely brilliant cut pavilion. The Steinmetz Pink is valued at $25 million.
5. The Princie Diamond
via:thedailybeast.com
The Princie Diamond is a very rare diamond that weighs 34.65 carats. It is classified as Fancy Intense Pink and is cushion-cut. Its history has been traced to the ancient diamond mines of Golconda of South Central India and to the Royal family of Hyderabad.
In 1960, Nizam of Hyderabad sold the Princie Diamond to the London branch of Van Cleef & Arpels. The diamond was given its name during a party thrown by the Paris store in honor of the Prince of Baroda (14 years of age), who attended the party with his mother. The rare and beautiful diamond is valued at $40 million.
4. The Graff Pink
via:naturallycolored.com
Pink diamonds are already a rare find and even more so when they are larger than 5 carats. The Graff Pink is a natural marvel among pink diamonds because it weighs 24.78 carats.
The Graff Pink was first owned by world renowned York jeweler Harry Winston. Winston kept the diamond in his private collection for more than 60 years. The Graff Pink diamond has a captivating hue and the GIA has graded it a Type IIa diamond, which means that the diamond has no visible impurities, nitrogen, differing fluorescence or visible absorption that may cause a yellow or brown tint.
The Graff Pink diamond is valued at $46 million.
3. The Hope Diamond
via:wikipedia.org
The Hope Diamond is a rare and amazing gem. The Tavernier Blue diamond weighs 45.52-carats and is without a doubt, one of the most well-known diamonds in the world.
The Hope diamond is a true treasure that comes with its own legend known as the Curse of the Hope Diamond. Legend has it that a curse befell the diamond when it was stolen from an idol in India. The curse is supposed to bring bad luck and death not only to the person in possession of the diamond, but to anyone that touches it.
The Hope Diamond received its name while it was in the possession of Henry Philip Hope. It is valued at $350 million.
2. The Cullinan
via:wikipedia.org
The Cullinan Diamond is a pear shaped diamond that weighs 530.20 carats. It is also known as the Star of Africa. The diamond gets its name because it is the largest of nine stones that were cut from the Cullinan diamond.
The Cullinan Diamond was discovered in 1905 in the Premier Mine in South Africa. It was named after the mining company’s chairman, Thomas Cullinan. The diamond was presented to King Edward VII as a token of loyalty. The King hired the firm of I.J. Asscher of Amsterdam to cut the diamond. The diamond took eight months to cut and it was cut into nine principal stones and 96 small brilliants, as well as nine carats of fragments that are unpolished.
The Cullinan is now part of the crown jewels. It is mounted in the head of the Sceptre with the Cross. It is valued at $400 million.
1. Koh-I-Noor
via:wikipedia.org
Koh-I-Noor is Persian for “Mountain of Light.” It has been said in the past that whoever possessed the Koh-I-Noor ruled the world. The diamond weighs 105 carats, and at one time it was known as the largest diamond ever created.
The diamond comes with its own legend that implies that the diamond dates back before the time of Christ. Several experts theorize that the Koh-I-Noor made its first appearance in the early 1300s. The first document of the Koh-I-Noor’s existence dates back to 1526. At that time it was owned by the Indian conqueror Babur.
The diamond's value is listed as priceless.
Sources: observer.com, mnh.si.edu
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