One of the rarest minerals is diamonds, which are now mined on almost all continents, except for Antarctica. The age of some of them can range from 100 million to 1.5 billion years.
A faceted diamond is called a diamond. If it is without flaws, then it is called "pure water diamond».
All diamonds cost a lot of money. This is known even to those who rarely visit jewelry stores. And how much did you have to pay for the most expensive diamond in the world? How much do the most famous diamonds cost? You will find answers to these and other questions in our article.
List
- 10. The Little Prince, $ 40,000,000
- 9. Pink Graff, $ 46,000,000
- 8. The Blue Moon, $ 48,000,000
- 7. Wittelsbach, $ 24,000,000
- 6. The Pink Star, $ 71,000,000
- 5. Century, $ 100,000,000
- 4. Diamond Hope, $ 350,000,000
- 3. Cullinan, no rating
- 2. Sansi, no rating
- 1. Kohinur, without rating
10. The Little Prince, $ 40,000,000
«The little Prince”Weighs 34.65 carats. This pink diamond was found in southern India, in the spears of the Golconda.
Its owner was the Nizam Asaf Jah I. It was passed down from generation to generation along with other treasures until it came to Asaf Jah VII, the last Nizam of Hyderabad. In 1937, the man was one of the richest people in the world. He had many wives and concubines, who bore him 149 children. When India was liberated, the Nizam transferred his power and left for Bombay, and his treasures were sold under the hammer.
The pink diamond was auctioned in 1960. It was bought by the co-owner of the famous jewelry house Jacques Arpels. In honor of this, a reception was organized in Paris, and at the party he received his name "The Little Prince".
Then the diamond was sold to anonymous for an unknown amount. But in 2013 (at the Christie's auction) they were able to sell it for 39.3 million dollars. This is a record for the USA.
9. Pink Graff, $ 46,000,000
It weighs 24.78 carats, but is valuable for its rich pink color. It is still not known where he was found, and when it happened. He was first talked about in the 1950s when the jeweler Harry Winson sold it to a private collector.
It was a unique stone, but for a long time he had no name. In 2010, he was put up for auction at Sotheby ‘s, where his initial price was 27-38 million dollars.
It was acquired by Lawrence Graf through the phone, paying $ 46,158,674. He called him "Pink graff". He gave the stone to his cutters, who reorganized it to improve color and quality. It decreased to 23.88 carats.
8. The Blue Moon, $ 48,000,000
It is a blue diamond that weighs only 12.03 carats. It has a unique color and transparency. Diamond (29.6 carats) was found in South Africa in 2014.
In 2015, the stone hit the Sotheby’s auction, he got a name - “Blue Moon". They managed to sell it for 48.4 million. He was bought by a businessman from Hong Kong. Joseph Lau purchased it for his 7-year-old daughter, Josephine.
7. Wittelsbach, $ 24,000,000
It was called the diamond of kings, because for 300 years he moved from one to another until he became part of the Wittelsbach royal dynasty.
No one knows where he came from, because The first information about him dates back to the 17th century. But there is speculation that he was brought from India.
Since 1722, it has been considered the family jewel of the Bavarian Royal House of the Wittelsbach, until Ludwig III was forced to abdicate in 1918.
Bavaria became a republic, and the king’s property was transferred to a special fund. The heirs were paid money, but due to inflation, they all “burned out”. The state sold jewelry, among them was
diamond "Wittelsbach"(35.56 carats).
In 1931, he appeared at the Christie's auction, where he was bought by a certain Thorpe for 56 thousand pounds. But there is a version that the price did not suit the organizers of the auction, and they never sold it.
The diamond itself has disappeared, only a copy remains. Later it was accidentally discovered by one jeweler in 1962. He was remembered in 2008, when Christies put it up for sale again and was bought by Lawrence Graff, a famous jeweler, for $ 24,311,190.
6. The Pink Star, $ 71,000,000
«Pink star"Found in 1999. The diamond weighed 132.5 carats. Steinmetz Diamonds took over the cut after spending 2 years.
A stone weighing 59.6 carats appeared, oval in shape. In 2013, an offer was received at the auction to sell it for 83 million dollars, but the deal did not take place then, the money was never received.
Chow Tai Fook Jewelery Group chain of stores has paid over $ 71 million for it.
5. Century, $ 100,000,000
It was named in honor of De Beers, the largest diamond mining company in England, which celebrated its centenary in 1988. The weight of the diamond was 599 carats. It was said that he was found shortly before the anniversary. But there is a version that this happened 2 years earlier, but the company employees were silenced about the find.
It was discovered in South African mines. The diamond was entrusted to the famous master Gabi Tolkovsky, and all conditions were created for him.
Diamond "Century"Was unique, weighed as much as 273.85 carats. It took 3 years to cut. Then De Beers sold the stone. Who bought it and at what price is not known. But it definitely cost at least $ 100 million, because it was for this amount that the diamond was insured in 1991.
4. Diamond Hope, $ 350,000,000
It weighs 45.52 carats and has a blue color. There is a legend, according to which, Hope Diamond brings misfortune.
But its first registered owner was Henry Philip Hope. That was in 1839. It was passed down from generation to generation until Francis Pelem-Clinton-Hope went broke and sold it to a jeweler.
Having passed several more owners, he went to Evelyn Walsh-Maclean, and after it to the jeweler Harry Winston. He gave it to the Smithsonian Institution.
3. Cullinan, no rating
Cullinan - the largest diamond in the world, whose mass is 3106.75 carats, i.e. 621.35 g. It was discovered in 1905. They gave a name in honor of the person who owned the mine.
Then it was presented to King Edward VII on his birthday. The cutter hired by the ruler realized that it would not work to make one diamond, but did everything that depended on him. It turned out 2 huge, 7 large and 96 miniature diamonds. The largest adorned the scepter of the king and the crown of the British Empire.
2. Sansi, no rating
It is a yellow teardrop-shaped stone that weighs 55.23 carats. The exact origin of the stone is unknown.
In 1570, it was bought by Nicolas de Sancy from a Turkish jeweler. Then he sold it to King James I, for about half a century it belonged to the Stuarts, until it was acquired by Cardinal Mazarin.
Then the stone became the property of the Bourbons, but during the revolution the treasury was looted, famous diamonds disappeared.
In 1828, Pavel Demidov bought it for 80 thousand pounds, in 1865 he gave it for 100 thousand pounds to Jigiboy Jamsetji, who, in turn, resold it.
In 1906 Sansi belonged to the American industrialist Astor, their family owned them for 72 years. 4 Lord Astor sold this stone to the Louvre in 1978 for $ 1 million.
1. Kohinur, without rating
This 105-carat diamond has a rich history that has been traced back to the distant 1300. Now he is part of the crown of Queen Elizabeth.
He came to Britain in 1850, then Queen Victoria ruled. In 1852, the diamond was rebooted so that it would sparkle with new colors. Its weight has become significantly less, from 191 to 108.9 carats, i.e. he lost more than 42% of his weight. The operation was called dubious.
In 1853 "Kohinur"Encrusted in the British crown, like 2 thousand other diamonds. Now, with the crown, he remains in the Tower.