15 Most Expensive Diamonds Ever Sold
When it comes to luxury and extravagance, few things capture the imagination quite like diamonds. These precious stones have fascinated humanity for centuries, representing everything from eternal love to ultimate status symbols. The world’s wealthiest collectors and investors continue to pay astronomical sums for the rarest and most beautiful specimens at auction houses around the globe.
The diamond market has seen some truly staggering sales over the years, with prices reaching levels that seem almost surreal. Here’s a list of 15 of the most expensive diamonds ever sold at auction, each one a testament to the incredible values placed on these extraordinary gems.
The pink star
This 59.6-carat pink diamond holds the current world record for the most expensive diamond ever sold at auction. Sotheby’s Hong Kong sold this extraordinary gem for $71.2 million in 2017, making it the priciest jewel in auction history.
The diamond’s incredibly rare fancy vivid pink color and flawless clarity made it irresistible to collectors worldwide – a price tag that still makes people do double-takes.
The oppenheimer blue
Named after its previous owner, Sir Philip Oppenheimer, this 14.62-carat fancy vivid blue diamond fetched $57.5 million at Christie’s Geneva in 2016. Blue diamonds are among the rarest colored diamonds on Earth.
This particular stone’s exceptional size and perfect rectangular cut made it especially coveted, setting a new record for price per carat at nearly $4 million.
Like Go2Tutors’s content? Follow us on MSN.
The blue moon of josephine
This 12.03-carat fancy vivid blue diamond sold for $48.4 million at Sotheby’s Geneva in 2015, and billionaire Joseph Lau didn’t hesitate to snap it up and rename it after his daughter Josephine. The stone’s remarkable clarity and intense blue color made it one of the most sought-after diamonds of that year.
Such personal touches have become increasingly common among ultra-wealthy collectors who want to leave their mark on these historic gems.
The orange
True to its name, this 14.82-carat fancy vivid orange diamond achieved $35.5 million at Christie’s Geneva in 2013. Orange diamonds? Extraordinarily rare.
This particular specimen represented the largest fancy vivid orange diamond ever offered at auction, and its pumpkin-like hue combined with exceptional clarity made it a true one-of-a-kind treasure.
The graff pink
This 24.78-carat fancy intense pink diamond sold for $46.2 million at Sotheby’s Geneva in 2010, setting records that stood for years afterward. The emerald-cut stone had previously belonged to American socialite Harry Winston before being acquired by diamond dealer Laurence Graff, who clearly knew it was a good investment when he saw one.
Its substantial size and beautiful pink saturation made it one of the most important pink diamonds ever to appear at auction.
Like Go2Tutors’s content? Follow us on MSN.
The winston blue
This 13.22-carat flawless fancy vivid blue diamond achieved $23.8 million at Christie’s Geneva in 2014. The pear-shaped stone was purchased by Harry Winston and added to their collection of exceptional gems, where it joined other legendary stones.
Its perfect clarity grade and intense blue color made it particularly valuable among blue diamond collectors.
The perfect pink
This 14.23-carat fancy intense pink diamond sold for $23.2 million at Christie’s Hong Kong in 2010. The rectangular-cut stone’s exceptional clarity and beautiful pink hue made it highly desirable among collectors who had been waiting decades for such a specimen.
The diamond had been part of a private collection for years before finally appearing at auction.
The unique pink
This 15.38-carat fancy vivid pink diamond fetched $31.6 million at Sotheby’s Geneva in 2016, even so, many experts felt it could have gone higher. The pear-shaped stone’s remarkable size and intense pink color made it one of the most significant pink diamonds to appear at auction that year.
Its previous owner had kept it tucked away in a private collection for over 30 years – talk about playing the long game.
Like Go2Tutors’s content? Follow us on MSN.
The apollo blue
Part of a matched pair, this 14.54-carat fancy vivid blue diamond sold for $42.1 million at Sotheby’s Geneva in 2017. The pear-shaped stone was sold alongside its companion, the Artemis pink diamond, creating significant buzz in the auction world because matched pairs like this are incredibly rare.
The diamond’s exceptional blue color and substantial size made it highly coveted among collectors who appreciate celestial themes.
The artemis pink
The companion to the Apollo Blue, this 16-carat fancy intense pink diamond achieved $15.3 million at the same Sotheby’s auction in 2017. Together, the pair represented one of the most significant offerings of colored diamonds in recent auction history, though they were ultimately sold to different buyers.
The emerald-cut stone’s beautiful pink hue complemented its blue counterpart perfectly.
The magnificent jewels pink
This 19.07-carat fancy vivid pink diamond sold for $50.4 million at Sotheby’s New York in 2022. The emerald-cut stone’s exceptional size and intense pink color made it one of the most important diamonds offered that year, still commanding top prices even during uncertain economic times.
The sale demonstrated the continued strength of the pink diamond market among ultra-high-net-worth collectors.
Like Go2Tutors’s content? Follow us on MSN.
The peacock brooch diamond
This 20.02-carat fancy deep blue diamond, set in a spectacular peacock brooch, achieved $28.4 million at Sotheby’s Geneva in 2018. The cushion-cut stone’s deep blue color and substantial size made the entire piece extraordinary, but the artistry of the setting elevated it even further.
The brooch design, created by Graff, showcased the diamond alongside other precious stones in an artistic setting that was almost too beautiful to wear.
The memory of autumn leaves
This 15.10-carat fancy vivid yellow diamond sold for $16.3 million at Sotheby’s Geneva in 2014. Yellow diamonds, while more common than pink or blue varieties, can still achieve remarkable prices when they display exceptional color intensity and size like this one did.
This particular stone’s radiant cut enhanced its brilliant yellow hue in a way that reminded viewers of fall foliage.
The magnificent oval
This 118.28-carat D-color flawless white diamond achieved $30.8 million at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in 2013. While not a colored diamond, its exceptional size and perfect clarity made it extraordinarily valuable – so much so that it represented one of the largest flawless diamonds ever offered at public auction.
Sometimes size really does matter, especially when combined with perfection.
Like Go2Tutors’s content? Follow us on MSN.
The dynasty yellow
This 104.84-carat fancy intense yellow diamond sold for $12.9 million at Sotheby’s Geneva in 2014, which might seem modest compared to other entries on this list. The cushion-cut stone’s substantial size and beautiful yellow color made it noteworthy among large colored diamonds.
Its previous ownership by the Iranian royal family added historical significance to its market value, creating a story that collectors found irresistible.
When rarity meets reality
The astronomical prices achieved by these diamonds reflect more than just their beauty or size. Each represents a perfect storm of rarity, historical significance, and market timing that creates value beyond most people’s imagination, so it’s no wonder they continue to break records.
These sales demonstrate how the ultra-wealthy view exceptional diamonds not just as jewelry, but as tangible investments and status symbols that transcend generations. The continued strength of this market suggests that truly exceptional diamonds will always find buyers willing to pay extraordinary sums for the privilege of ownership.
More from Go2Tutors!
- 16 Historical Figures Who Were Nothing Like You Think
- 12 Things Sold in the 80s That Are Now Illegal
- 15 VHS Tapes That Could Be Worth Thousands
- 17 Historical “What Ifs” That Would Have Changed Everything
- 18 TV Shows That Vanished Without a Finale
Like Go2Tutors’s content? Follow us on MSN.
