Top 10 most beautiful diamonds in the world
Diamonds have captivated minds for centuries. From time to time, exceptional discoveries are made in mines in Africa, Asia, or South America. These rough diamonds then become the focus of intense attention. Years must pass before a polished diamond can be admired. What are these exceptional stones? Here are Miller's top 10 most beautiful diamonds in the world.
What is the most beautiful diamond in the world? Everyone has their own idea!
What is the most beautiful diamond in the world? Hard to say, as the question is so subjective. Even the top 10 most beautiful diamonds in the world is a matter of taste. Here is our list, which includes some of the most famous stones in the gemstones world.
Summary :
- The Koh-i-Noor
- The Hope Diamond
- The Millennium Star
- The Moussaieff Red Diamond
- The Cullinan I
- The Jubilee Diamond
- The Pink Star diamond
- The Golden Jubilee diamond
- The incomparable
- The Centenary Diamond
1. The Koh-i-Noor
Weighing 105.6 carats, the Koh-i-Noor is one of the largest diamonds in the world. It is also one of the most beautiful, with its D clarity, making it a highly sought-after, perfectly colorless stone. In addition to its magnificence, this diamond has an exceptional history. The exact date of its discovery is unknown. Its first recorded mention dates back to the mid-18th century. Through various conquests, the diamond changed hands numerous times. Today, it is the property of the British Crown. The Koh-i-Noor is currently on display in the Tower of London . The photo above shows a replica.
2. The Hope Diamond
Widely considered the most famous diamond in the world, the Hope Diamond takes its name from Henry Thomas Hope. It was discovered many centuries ago in southern India. The Hope Diamond has an illustrious history. Numerous legends are associated with this stone; it is said to bring bad luck. In 1642, the Hope Diamond became the property of King Louis XIV. The stone disappeared during the French Revolution, only to reappear later. It was acquired in 1949 by Harry Winston, who donated it in the 1950s to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., where this diamond, one of the world's finest, can be admired.
Read also: What is the price of a 1 carat natural or artificial diamond?
3. The Millennium Star
Weighing 777 carats at its discovery, the rough diamond that became the Millennium Star was destined for a legendary story. The lucky villager who found it in a riverbed gave it to De Beers. The diamond cutter took years to decide on the cut. Ultimately, the Millennium Star is a pear-shaped diamond of incredible beauty, weighing 203.03 carats. Many experts consider it the most beautiful diamond in the world. The Millennium Star is the centerpiece of De Beers' Limited Edition Millennium Diamonds collection.
4. The Moussaieff Red Diamond: the rarest diamond?
The Moussaieff Red Diamond may only weigh 5.11 carats, but it is the largest cut red diamond in the world. This is because red diamonds are among the rarest. When it was discovered in 1989, the 13.9-carat rough diamond was purchased by the William Goldberg Diamond Corp. After being cut into a triangular brilliant cut, the stone was named the Red Shield. In the early 2000s, the diamond became known as the Moussaieff Red Diamond, after its owner.
5. The Cullinan I
The Cullinan diamond, the world's largest gem-quality diamond ever found, was discovered in the Premier Mine in 1905. The rough diamond was almost flawless. It was named the Cullinan in honor of Sir Thomas Cullinan, the mine's founder, who happened to be visiting the site on the day of its discovery. Louis Botha, Prime Minister of the Transvaal, persuaded the government to purchase the diamond for approximately $1 million. It was presented to King Edward VII of England in gratitude for granting the Transvaal its own constitution.
The enormous diamond was cut into nine main gemstones (pictured) and 96 minor stones. The two largest diamonds were kept for the British Crown Jewels: the Cullinan I and II. The pendant-cut Cullinan I weighs a staggering 530.2 carats. However, it is no longer the world's largest cut diamond, having been surpassed in 1992 by the Golden Jubilee Diamond of the King of Thailand.
6. The Jubilee Diamond
The Jubilee Diamond was discovered by employees of the Jagersfontein mine in 1895. In its rough state, it weighed 650.80 carats. Initially named the Reitz Diamond, it was the second largest diamond in the world at the time. Today, it is the sixth largest diamond ever discovered. The Jubilee was cut into two massive diamonds of exceptional color, clarity, and brilliance. The larger of the two diamonds was named the Jubilee in honor of the sixteenth anniversary of Queen Victoria's coronation. The stone was subsequently purchased by a group of London diamond dealers.
7. The Pink Star diamond: the most beautiful pink diamond
This stone, not to be confused with the Williamson Pink Star, is one of the world's most beautiful diamonds due to its rare, vivid pink color. The stone also boasts exceptional clarity. It was discovered in South Africa in 1999. As is the case with all exceptional rough diamonds, cutting took nearly two years to complete. The Pink Star diamond was unveiled with great fanfare in Monaco in 2003 at a public ceremony.
When it was sold in 2013, the Pink Star diamond set the record for the most expensive diamond ever sold at auction ($83 million including commission). Unfortunately, the buyer backed out. Sotheby's found a buyer four years later for just over $ 71 million.
8. The Golden Jubilee Diamond
The Golden Jubilee is the world's largest faceted diamond. It surpasses the Cullinan I by just over 3 grams, weighing in at a total of 545.67 carats . It was discovered in 1985 in the renowned Premier mine in South Africa. The rough diamond weighed 755.5 carats. Due to internal fissures, cutting it proved a real challenge. De Beers had to employ innovative techniques to complete the cut, which took two years. A special underground vibration-free chamber was even built.
The Belgian Gabriel Tolkowsky, who also crafted the famous 273.85-carat Centenary diamond, also worked on this one. A group of Thai businessmen led by entrepreneur Henry Ho purchased the Golden Jubilee from De Beers. The King of Thailand received it as a gift in 1997 for the 50th anniversary of his coronation, hence its name, Golden Jubilee.
9. The Incomparable
This magnificent diamond comes from Africa, but not South Africa. Weighing 407.48 carats, the Incomparable is the third largest diamond ever cut. Only the Cullinan I and the Golden Jubilee, already mentioned, precede it. The Incomparable lives up to its name. This gigantic diamond is also remarkable for its perfect internal clarity, its unusual triangular shape, known as a "triomelet", and its unique brownish-yellow color. The Incomparable was discovered in the Mbuji-Mayi region of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
10. The Centenary Diamond
The Centenary diamond was located in July 1986 in the Premier mine using X-rays. After this exceptional discovery, only a select few were informed and sworn to secrecy. In its rough form, the stone had a very irregular shape. Cutting it therefore presented a real challenge for its owners.
De Beers unveiled the Centenary Diamond, the second largest flawless diamond in the world, to mark the company's 100th anniversary in 1988. Weighing 273.85 carats, this stone is remarkable for its many facets. The renowned Premier Mine, part of the De Beers group, thus added another exceptional diamond to its collection. Indeed, this mine is also the source of other legendary diamonds such as the Cullinan and the Heart of Eternity.
