Top 10 Most Expensive Jewellery Pieces In The World Of All Time
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| Photo KnowInsiders |
As with all products, the price of jewellery varies massively. From cheap, gold-plated costume jewellery that can be found on eBay or discount stores for mere pounds; to luxury solid gold jewellery that can be purchased in jewellery hubs like Hatton Garden; all the way to the rare, exclusively-commissioned diamond jewellery that can cost tens of millions of pounds.
KnowInsiders will be looking at the finest jewellery that money can buy. Read on to discover some of the most expensive pieces of jewellery in the world.
The List of Top 10 Most Expensive Jewellery Pieces In The World Of All Time
10. The Perfect Pink – $23.2 Million
9. The Winston Blue – $23.8 Million
8. The Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond – $24.3 Million
7. Hutton-Mdivani Jadeite Necklace by Cartier – $27 Million
6. The Orange – $36 Million
5. Pink Emerald-Cut Graff Diamond – $46 Million
4. L’Incomparable Necklace – $55 Million
3. The Pink Star – $72 Million
2. Peacock Brooch by Graff – $100 Million
1. The Hope Diamond – Inestimable
What are the most expensive jewellery pieces in the world of all time?
10. The Perfect Pink – $23.2 Million
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| Photo Luxatic |
Pink diamonds seem to have gained a lot of popularity recently, with many such gemstones being sold for eight figure sums in the past few years. A great example of this is the aptly-named Perfect Pink, which went for over $23 million in November 2010.
The 14.23 carat diamond is quite a rarity according to Christie’s, who only sold around 20 such pink stones over 10 carats in almost 250 years of history.
| According to experts, fewer than 10% of pink diamonds weigh more than 0.20 carats. Additionally, it is very rare for a pink diamond to have a pure color without any additional orange or grey tones. That helps explain why a bidder at Christie’s auction house in Hong Kong was willing to pay $23.2 million for a 14.23 carat diamond known simply as the Perfect Pink. In terms of size and color purity, the Perfect Pink lives up to its name and holds the record for the most expensive piece of jewelry sold at auction in Asia. |
9. The Winston Blue – $23.8 Million
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| Photo Pinterest |
The Winston Blue is an extremely valuable ring featuring the largest flawless vivid blue diamond in the world, which was auctioned by Christie’s in May 2014.
The stunningly beautiful 13.22 carat piece was acquired by Harry Winston, and named in honor of the company’s legendary founder by its CEO, Nayla Heyek. The price of the deal was a hefty $23.8, far exceeding expectations (as it often seems to happen when people try to outbid each other for these things).
8. The Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond – $24.3 Million
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| Photo The Richest |
The Wittelsbach blue diamond is one of the most prestigious gemstones in the world. With a history going as far back as the 17th century, it was part of the Bavarian crown jewels before disappearing for decades during the 20th century. It finally reappeared and was subsequently bought at an auction by Laurence Graff for over $24 million.
Coming in at #8 in price and #1 in controversy is the Wittelsbach-Graff diamond. This piece started out its life as a 35.56-carat deep blue diamond which found its way into both the Austrian and Bavarian Crown Jewels. In 2008, London jeweller Laurence Graff bought the stone for $23.4 million and immediately went about altering it. In a move that infuriated other jewellers, Graff removed nearly 4.5 carats from the blue diamond which actually ended up enhancing its clarity and value. In 2011, it was reported that Graff has sold the Wittelsbach-Graff diamond to a member of the Qatari royal family for $80 million.
7. Hutton-Mdivani Jadeite Necklace by Cartier – $27 Million
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| Photo The Richest |
Another Cartier piece, the Hutton-Mdivani Jadeite necklace has been in the possession of some famous people over the years. Some of the more notable wearers included Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton and Princess Nina Mdivina, who, it is rumored, hid the necklace under her deathbed in an attempt to keep it out of the hands of debt collectors. The necklace itself is composed of 27 emerald green jadeite beads. The finishing touch is provided by a ruby, diamond, platinum and gold clasp to secure the necklace around the wearer’s neck
The Hutton-Mdivani Necklace by the Cartier Collection is a magnificent piece valued at a staggering $27.44 million.
It comprises 27 large jadeite beads of splendid color, with diameters ranging from 15.4 mm to 19.2 mm, and once belonged to the famous socialite Barbara Hutton, daughter of retail tycoon Frank W. Woolworth. The beautiful necklace, mounted by Cartier with a beautiful ruby and diamond clasp, was a wedding gift for her first marriage, in 1933, to Prince Alexis Mdivani.
6. The Orange – $36 Million
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| Photo Luxatic |
When it was auctioned by Christie’s in Geneva in November 2013, this incredible stone, simply referred to as The Orange, was by far the largest fancy vivid orange diamond to be sold this way. Unsurprisingly, it fetched a record-breaking bid as well, which rose to an amazing $35.5 million, blowing its estimated value of $21 million out of the water.
At almost $2.4 million per carat, this eye-catching gem also set a world record price per carat for any colored diamond sold at auction.
5. Pink Emerald-Cut Graff Diamond – $46 Million
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| Photo VALA Gem |
Graded “Fancy Intense Pink” by the Gemological Institute of America, this 24.78-carat emerald-cut stone was bought at auction by none other than Laurence Graff himself, who described it “the most fabulous diamond I’ve seen in my career.”
What makes this diamond so amazing is the combination of color and purity with the elegance of the emerald-cut, which is usually reserved for white diamonds – rare features which greatly raised the stone’s allure.
4. L’Incomparable Necklace – $55 Million
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| Photo The Richest |
The impossibly expensive L’Incomparable Diamond Necklace was unveiled by the internationally acclaimed Mouawad jewelry company and still has the honor of being the most valuable piece of its kind in the world.
In an incredible stroke of luck, this jaw-dropping gem was discovered by chance by a young girl in the Congo three decades ago in a pile of kimberlite (a by-product of diamond mining). Its centerpiece is the world’s largest internally flawless diamond (which is a massive 407.48 carats!), but the necklace also features no fewer than 102 smaller stones.
3. The Pink Star – $72 Million
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| Photo The Richest |
Until November 2013, the Graff Pink held the record for most expensive diamond ring ever sold at auction. Then the Pink Star Diamond came along. Put on the block at Sotheby’s, the massive oval shaped diamond weighed in at 59.6 carats. The diamond was cut from a 132.5 carat rough diamond mined by DeBeers in Africa. Experts who witnessed the sale of the diamond said its size and quality surpasses anything known to exist in private and royal collections around the world. So why the asterisk beside the price? Some people may list this piece at $83 million – the price it sold for at auction. The problem is that not too long after Isaac Wolf won the auction, he defaulted and the ring returned to Sotheby’s where it was revalued at the current $72 million.
| Rarely is a gemstone of its quality and value available for purchase, so when Sotheby’s auctioned this impressive 59.60-carat diamond called the Pink Star in late 2013, you know buyers with very deep pockets would line up to acquire it. In fact, interest for the diamond was so great, the final bid far exceeded the estimated $61 million it was expected to fetch, and actually rose to more than $83 million. Unfortunately, the buyer couldn’t come up with the record-breaking fee in time, so Sotheby’s has retained the stone, valuing it at $72 million. |
2. Peacock Brooch by Graff – $100 Million
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| Photo Pinterest |
In the world of diamonds, there’s no one bigger than Graff – so to once again highlight their status, the London-based company has created this staggeringly expensive Peacock brooch, which is worth more than a private jet!
The piece boasts over 1,000 gemstones (1,305 to be exact), weighing in at 120.81 carats, with the deep blue diamond at its heart tipping the scales at just over 20 carats by itself. Certainly not intended to be worn (at least not in public), unless you actually get a kick out of having the GDP of a small nation on you when you go out.
1. The Hope Diamond – Inestimable
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| Photo Vintage Jeweller |
One of the most infamous pieces of jewelry in history, the Hope Diamond is legendary not only for its great beauty, but also for allegedly being cursed.
As the most expensive piece of jewellery in the world, with an estimated value of $250 million, it’s no surprise that the Hope Diamond has garnered many stories and myths over the years. In fact, since the 45.52 carat blue diamond was discovered in the 17th century, it has fallen into the hands of many powerful and historic figures, including King Louis XIV. It has also been rumoured to carry a curse, bringing bad luck and even death to the owner and anyone who touches it; the fact that the gemstone glows red after being exposed to ultraviolet light only adds more fuel to this fire.
| Over the centuries, it was in the possession of the likes of Louis XIV and Harry Winston, with the latter donating it to the Smithsonian Institution in 1958, where it has been on display ever since. The mesmerizing, 45.52-carat deep-blue diamond has been valued in the hundreds of millions; however, according to the Smithsonian, its rarity, extremely high profile, and immense cultural value make its worth ultimately inestimable – and we’re inclined to agree. |
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