Diamonds are forever and this is why diamond jewellery or the stones themselves fetch such high prices at auctions and in retailers. So what have the most expensive diamonds sold for? What makes a diamond worth such a huge amount of money? Let’s take a look at the most well known and most expensive diamonds in the world:
Oppenheimer Blue
Sale price: $58.2 million (£39.8 million)
This unusual jewel was auctioned off at the Four Seasons hotel des Bergues in Geneva in May this year. The 14.62 carat diamond (if you’re looking for perspective, the average engagement ring has around ½ a carat) has been named the ‘largest Vivid Blue diamond ever put up for auction’ and was previously owned by Sir Philip Oppenheimer, a diamond dealer who owned diamond company De Beers.
Blue Moon of Josephine
Sale price: $48 million
After Hong Kong businessman Joseph Lau purchased this stunning blue diamond he immediately named it after his seven-year-old daughter and presented it to her as a gift.
Only a few days before he had purchased her a pink diamond – now named Sweet Josephine – for $28.5m. The Blue Moon of Josephine diamond is a 12.03 carat design and broke records for the highest price paid for a diamond at auction at the time. The diamond was discovered in South Africa and was the largest cushion shaped blue diamond to go to auction ever.
Graff Pink
Sale price: £29 million
This 24.78 carat stone was purchased in 2010 by British billionaire jeweller Laurence Graff – rather accurately nicknamed ‘The King of Bling’ – who soon afterwards decided to modestly name it The Graff Pink. It is the highest price ever paid for a pink diamond at auction. “It’s the most fabulous diamond I’ve seen in the history of my career and I’m delighted to have bought it,” said a clearly lovestruck Mr Graff afterwards.
Da Beers Millenium Jewel 4
Sale price: £22.5 million
Recently auctioned in Hong Kong, this famous gem – one of the diamonds the Millenium Dome armed robbers attempted to steal – caught the eye of numerous investors. The Da Beers Jewel 4 is an oval blue creation and weighs an incredible 10.10 carats.
Lesedi la Rona
The world’s largest diamond in 100 years failed to sell at auction recently, after it was predicted to sell for around £50 million. The tennis ball sized diamond was discovered in Botswana last November, is 1,109 carats and an incredible 2.5 billion years old. The bidders at auction failed to reach the minimum reserve price, with the highest bid coming in at £45 million.