The most expensive coloured diamonds...
1. Sancy Diamond
Colour: Yellow
Weight: 55.23 carats
Value: Priceless
The Sancy with records dating back to 1570 is thought to be of Indian origin and was named so after Nicolas de Harley, seigneur de Sancy who was somewhat a gem connoisseur of his time. With close links to Royal history the diamond was used to divert attention from premature baldness by Henry III of France and to secure financing for an army by Henry IV of France. If Legend is to be believed then a messenger once went the the lengths of swallowing the diamond to protect it prior to his death. More recently it was sold to the Louvre Museum for $1 Million in 1978 and is currently on display in the Galerie d'Appolon.
2. Hope Diamond
Colour: Dark Blue
Weight: 45.52 carats
Value: $250 Million
The Hope is one of the most famous diamonds in the world, with history records going back over 400 years. The hope is a dark greyish blue colour which comes from the presence of boron atoms. The Jewel is believe to originate from India and was once part of both the Tavernier Blue and French
blue before it was stolen and re-cut, with the larger section being named the hope when presented at auction in1839. It was donated to the National Museum of National History in 1958 and has remained on display in Washington ever since. Rumour suggests that the stone carries a curse which brings misfortune and tragedy to the owner, although this is believed to have been fabricated to increase interest in the stone.
3. Pink Star Diamond (pink)
Colour: Pink
Weight: 59.60 carats
Value: $71.2 Million
The Pink Star, formally known as the Steinmetz Pink is one of the less historic pieces on this list of expensive diamonds. Mined by De Beers in 1999 in South Africa and originally weighing 132. carat in the rough the Pink Star therefore became the largest vivid pink diamond in the world. Such wast he rarity and size of the rough diamond the Benny Steinmetz Group took a painstaking 20 months to cut the diamond. More recently the diamond was purchased at auction in Hong Kong by Chow Tai Fook Enterprises at a cost of $71.2 Million.
4. The Orange (orange)
Colour: Orange
Weight: 14.82 carat
Value: $35.5 Million
“The Orange” as it has been named by its owners is the largest vivid orange diamond in the world. Given the rarity of vivid orange diamonds over 10 carats the owners were confident than another larger would ever be mined. Prior to The Orange The Pumpkin Diamond had held the record for largest vivid orange for 16 years and the revelation of the Orange in 2003 was seen as incredible. The history of the diamond including country and mine of origin, date of discovery or who cut it all remain a mystery. The Orange was purchased for $35.5 Million in 2013 by a private buyer and has remained a closely guarded secret since.
5. Moussaieff Red Diamond
Colour: Red
Weight:5.11 carats
Value: $20 Million
The Moussaieff Red is the worlds largest known and rarest red diamond, with a triangular brilliant cut and rated in fancy red by the Gemological Institute of America. The diamond was originally discovered in the 1990's in the Abaetezinho river by a very fortunate farmer. The diamond was purchased and cut by the William Goldberg Diamond Corp, when it went by its original name, the Red Shield. It was purchased in 2001 by Shlomo Moussaieff, an Israeli-born jewellery dealer in London, and is currently owned by Moussaieff Jewellers Ltd.
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