By: Nishu Kakkar
“Diamonds are forever,” goes the saying. Unfortunately, the most expensive diamonds are beyond the reach of all but wealthiest people. Millions of dollars are splashed around as the rarest and most expensive diamonds hit the auction block. The most expensive diamond to sell at an auction, the Graff Pink, sold for $46 million. The runners-up fetched $23.4 million and $23.2 million respectively. Want more? Satisfy you diamond fetish with our list of
the most expensive diamonds sold at auction (part 1)
1. The Graff PinkPrice: $46 million
Date of Auction: November 2010Fans of the famous Graff Pink diamond liken the gem to pink champagne. British billionaire Laurence Graff purchased the 24-carat diamond at a Sotheby’s auction paying a record-making $46 million for the rare gem. Owners of collectible gems and jewelry do not usually extend their surnames to their acquisitions. But Graff did just that. After all, he had just purchased the most expensive diamond ever sold at an auction. The sale price was beyond even the most optimistic estimates. The potentially flawless diamond with a rose pink color is among the rarest gems in the world. It sits amidst smaller diamonds on an elegant silver ring.
2. The Wittelsbach-Graff DiamondPrice: $23.4 million
Date of Auction: December 2008Laurence Graff holds the unique distinction of owning the two most expensive diamonds auctioned. Until the Graff Pink unseated it, the Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond wore the crown of the most expensive diamond to be auctioned off. Discovered by Wittelsbach in India, this historic diamond was owned by Philip IV of Spain. Originally a 35.56-carat diamond, the gemstone has been part of the Austrian and Bavarian Crown Jewels. For this reason, diamond experts were dismayed when Graff decided to remove the gem’s flaws and employed three diamond cutters to do so. The famous diamond was thus whittled down to 31.06 carats. The Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond bears a fancy deep blue color and is internally flawless.
3. The Perfect PinkPrice: $23.2 million
Date of Auction: November 2010The third most expensive diamond to be auctioned missed stealing the second spot by a whisker. The so-called Perfect Pink Diamond was purchased during a Christie’s auction in Hong Kong during November 2010. Pink diamonds are rare. Pink diamonds weighing 14.23 carats are rarer still. So the anonymous buyer who purchased the Perfect Pink for a staggering $23.2 million must be a happy with the buy. This rarest of the rare gemstones sits atop an 18-karat rose and white gold ring and is flanked by single rectangular diamonds on either side. You cannot miss the intense pink color on this rectangular fancy-cut stone.
4. The Chloe DiamondPrice: $16.9 million
Date of Auction: 2007The famous Chloe Diamond is a flawless pure white diamond worth 84 carats. Georges Marciano, the founder of Guess, purchased the expensive diamond when it reached the auction block in the year 2007. At an auction conducted by Christie’s in Geneva, Marciano purchased the rare Type II diamond for $16.9 million. Only one to two percent of all diamonds fall into the Type II category. This exclusive category is extended to only those diamonds that are completely free of nitrogen impurities. As for the name, the diamond was christened after Chloe, Marciano’s 12-year-old daughter.
5. Heart-Shaped DiamondPrice: $12 million
Date of Auction: 2011The way to a man’s heart may be through his stomach, but diamonds are a surefire way to win the heart of your dream girl. A heart-shaped diamond like this one may make your job easier. However, this Heart-Shaped Diamond is no ordinary gemstone – it is one of the most expensive diamonds auctioned across the world. The romantically shaped diamond fetched $12 million at a Christie’s auction held in London, overshooting pre-auction estimates of $10 million. Sold as part of Christie’s Magnificent Jewels Collection, this most expensive diamond boasts of perfect symmetry. It ranks among the costliest hearts that money can buy.
6. Sun-Drop DiamondPrice: $12.36 million
Date of Auction: November 2011In November this year, the famous Sun-Drop Diamond became the most expensive yellow diamond to sell at an auction. The diamond fetched $12.36 million at a Sotheby’s auction in Geneva. The final sale price was well within pre-auction estimates of between $11 million and $15 million. At 110.03 carats, this is the largest pear-shaped fancy vivid yellow diamond. Not surprisingly, it was the top lot at the Geneva jewelry auction. At a time when Europe, America and other parts of the world are struggling against an economic crisis, the Sun-Drop Diamond proves that uncertainty in other markets does not necessarily spill over into the diamond trade. The buyer chose to remain anonymous.
7. Vivid Pink DiamondPrice: $11.7 million
Date of Auction: 2009
Pink diamonds command some of the highest prices in the auction business. In the year 2009, the Vivid Pink Diamond appeared on the auction block. The rare gemstone must have generated a lot of interest. Some collectors would happily give an arm and a leg for this stunning five-carat pink diamond. Discovered in a South African mine, this diamond bears an extremely rare “vivid pink” coloration. The gemstone came up for sale at a Christie’s auction in Hong Kong that was dedicated to Asian and Chinese art. The Vivid Pink Diamond was the star of the auction, especially after it sold to an Asian collector for $11.7 million.
To be Continued .......
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