Over the past decade the price of rare diamonds and gems has skyrocketed. Buyers have dropped tens of millions of dollars on jewels, and the competition is intensifying. It seems there's no limit to what someone will pay to own the largest flawless diamond or a mesmerizing Burmese ruby. Some will pay top dollar to have the naming rights on a celebrated stone. Others pay for the bragging rights of wearing Queen Marie Antoinette’s pearl. Some drop millions in the name of love.
What gets top dollar? The six most expensive jewels—each above $40 million—were fancy colored pink and blue diamonds. They are rare natural wonders that auction experts compared to great works of art; there is only one and it can’t be repeated. But even better than art, buyers can wear these jewels every day—though some may require a security guard.
Here, the 40 most expensive jewels sold at auction.
The Pink Star, $71.2 million
Sotheby’s Hong Kong, April 2017
The Pink Star shattered every price record when it sold at Sotheby’s for an astonishing $71.2 million. At 59.60 carats, the fancy vivid pink internally flawless diamond is the world’s most expensive diamond or jewel sold at auction—by a long shot. This beautiful pink jewel (about the size of a strawberry) is prized for its size, clarity, and intensity of color. Like a great work of art, experts say there will never be another one like it.
The Oppenheimer Blue, $57.5 million
Christie’s Geneva; May 18, 2016
The world’s largest fancy vivid blue diamond to hit the auction block, the 14.62-carat diamond might sound relatively small compared to 60-carat Pink Star, but vivid blue diamonds are even more rare than pink so to find one of this size and quality is miraculous. It was named for Sir Philip Oppenheimer, the former chairman of the De Beers diamond company who owned the stone.
Memory of Autumn Leaves & Dream of Autumn Leaves, $57.4 million
Sotheby’s Geneva, May 2017
As the most expensive earrings sold at auction, this set of fancy-colored pear-shaped diamonds are an unlikely pair. Similar in size and shape, one is a 14.54-carat fancy vivid blue diamond and other is a 16-carat fancy intense pink. It’s a collector’s dream to get two exceptional colored diamonds in one sale.
The Winston Pink Legacy, $50.7 million
Christie’s Geneva; November 13, 2018
When the Harry Winston company paid over $50 million for this diamond—far exceeding the $30 million estimate—it set a record price per carat for a pink diamond at auction. Originally found in South Africa and cut in 1920, the stone belonged to the Oppenheimer family who controlled De Beers. It’s now famously named for its new owner.
The Blue Moon of Josephine, $48.4 million
Sotheby’s Geneva, November 2015
Hong Kong billionaire Joseph Lau paid a jaw-dropping sum for a 12.03-carat internally flawless fancy vivid blue diamond as a gift for his seven-year-old daughter Josephine. This came a day after he purchased a 16.8-carat pink diamond for $28.5 million at rival auction house Christie’s, which he named Sweet Josephine. That’s fatherly love.
The Graff Pink, $46.1 million
Sotheby’s Geneva, November 2010
Billionaire Laurence Graff dropped a record-breaking $46.1 million for a 24.78-carat fancy intense pink diamond. It once belonged to his rival Harry Winston, but now it’s part of Graff’s historic collection of rare diamonds and bears his name.
The Princie Diamond, $39.3 million
Christie’s New York; April 16, 2013
Its noble lineage dates to the Nizams of Hyderabad, but more recently it’s been the subject of a nasty family feud. The magnificent 34.65-carat fancy intense pink diamond belonged to Italian politician and businessman Renato Angiolillo. After his death, his children battled over his estate and claimed that stepsiblings stole the stone.
Queen Marie Antoinette’s Pearl, $36.2 million
Sotheby’s Geneva, November 2018
After a fierce bidding war, the victor paid a record price for this large natural pearl and diamond pendant. Not just any pearl, it belonged to the ill-fated French Queen Marie Antoinette and was part of a jewelry collection sold by Italy’s royal Bourbon-Parma house. The new owner paid a premium for the bragging rights of the Queen’s jewels.
The Orange, $35.5 million
Christie’s Geneva; November 12, 2013
As the largest known fancy vivid orange diamond, this 14.82-carat pear-shaped stone is a natural phenomenon. As Christie’s stated in their catalog, a stone of this color and size is “the ultimate possession for diamond collectors.”
De Grisogono Diamond and Emerald Necklace, $33.7 million
Christie’s Geneva; November 14, 2017
How do you wear a 163.41-carat D color, flawless diamond gracefully? Fawaz Gruosi, former owner of the now defunct de Grisogono, created an elegant necklace of hundreds of emeralds and diamonds to showcase the stone’s breathtaking beauty.
The Zoe Diamond, $32.6 million
Sotheby’s New York, November 2014
When Bunny Mellon sold her exceptional 9.75-carat fancy vivid blue pear-shaped diamond to Hong Kong property tycoon Joseph Lau for a record-breaking price, he promptly renamed it Zoe after his daughter. Mellon used the proceeds of the sale to fund her passion: It went to the Gerard B. Lambert Foundation, which supports the Oak Spring Garden Library and horticultural and educational endeavors.
The Pink Promise, $32.5 million
Christie’s Hong Kong; November 28, 2017
Described by Christie’s as “the Picasso of the pink diamond world,” this 14.93-carat fancy vivid pink stone took in more than $30 million. Aside from its exceptional rose color, the shape is distinctive. “When you look at the shape of the stone, it’s so elegant,” says Rahul Kadakia, the house’s international head of jewelry. “It’s a cross between an oval and a marquise — what we call a moval.”
Vivid Blue Diamond, $32 million
Sotheby’s Hong Kong, April 2016
A vivid blue diamond alone is rare, but when it’s over 10 carats and oval-shaped, it is even more exceptional. That’s why this 10.10-carat vivid blue diamond ring flanked by two pear-shaped diamonds fetched more than $30 million.
The Unique Pink, $31.6 million
Sotheby’s Geneva, May 2016
When this 15.38-carat fancy vivid pink pear-shaped diamond sold in 2016, it set a world record for any vivid pink diamond at auction. The GIA wrote: “The Unique Pink is a most distinctive item in the fascinating world of gemstones. It is exceptionally rare for any natural diamond to reveal fancy vivid pink color, but for one of 15.38 carats to exhibit such tone and saturation is astonishing.”
Flawless Oval Diamond, $30.8 million
Sotheby’s Hong Kong, October 2013
At 118.28 carats, this D flawless oval-shaped diamond is a type lla, a rare category of diamonds that are the most chemically pure and often described as appearing like pools of crystal-clear water. At the time of its sale, the GIA reported it was the largest diamond of this size, shape, and quality it had ever graded.
Cartier Sunrise Ruby Ring, $30.4 million
Sotheby’s Geneva, November 2014
In the world of colored gemstones, a Burmese pigeon blood ruby is the most rare and valuable. They stand apart for their deeply saturated color and natural fluorescence, which gives the stone a lively inner fire. Industry experts say that this 25.59-carat cushion-cut Burmese ruby set between two shield-cut diamonds in a Cartier signed ring is the most beautiful of its kind.
The Sweet Josephine, $28.5 million
Christie’s Geneva; November 10, 2015
In two days, Hong Kong billionaire Joseph Lau spent nearly $80 million on two diamonds for his seven-year-old daughter Josephine. He paid a record price for this 16.8-carat fancy vivid pink cushion-cut diamond ring, type lla. The next day, he paid over $48 million for a vivid blue diamond at Sotheby’s. Now Josephine’s name is forever tied to two record-breaking diamonds.
Hutton-Mdiani Jadeite Necklace, $27.6 million
Sotheby’s Hong Kong, April 2014
As a symbol of supreme status and wealth in Asia, top-quality jadeite is the most coveted jewel even surpassing diamonds. That’s why a collector dropped a record-breaking $27.6 million for this important necklace comprised of 27 perfectly matched graduated jadeite beads of translucent bright green color. Owned by socialite Barbara Hutton and Princess Nina Mdivani, it also has an impressive provenance.
The Winston Legacy, $26.7 million
Christie’s Geneva; May 15, 2013
To solidify its place as the source of the world’s premiere diamonds, the Harry Winston company dropped nearly $30 million on what was billed as the world’s largest flawless diamond at the time. The 101.73-carat D flawless pear-shaped stone came from a 234-carat rough diamond discovered in a De Beers mine in Jwaneng, Botswana. It took nearly two years to cut and polish before it came to auction as what Christie’s called the “perfect diamond.”
Spirit of the Rose, $26.6 million
Sotheby’s Geneva, November 2020
As the most expensive purple-pink diamond sold at auction at the time, the Spirit of the Rose is named for its beautiful rosy hue. Discovered in 2017 in Russia’s remote Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), the original 28-carat rough pink crystal was transformed into a perfectly proportioned 14.83-carat fancy vivid purple-pink oval diamond.
Newman writes about jewelry, watches, and luxury travel for Town & Country.
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