Let's explore the 10 most expensive pieces of jewelry in the world.

 

Although rubies, emeralds, and diamonds are extracted from the earth, much blood has been shed for them, as the famous film Blood Diamond tells us. Throughout history, the most precious jewels have been in the hands of royalty and the elite, and their rarity and exceptional beauty have driven their prices to astronomical levels. Here, we will explore some of the most expensive pieces of jewelry in the world:

Cullinan Diamond

Inside the Premier Mine in the Magaliesburg Mountains of South Africa, in 1905 the world's largest diamond, the Cullinan Diamond, was discovered, weighing 3,106 carats, or 621.35 grams. Because of its enormous size, the diamond was cut and polished into more than 100 smaller pieces. Currently, the diamond adorns the British Crown Jewels and is valued at more than $400 million.

Diamond of Hope

The Hope Diamond weighs approximately 45.52 carats and is valued at more than $250 million. Its history dates back more than four centuries, and throughout this history, the diamond has been accompanied by a curse and bad luck. Nevertheless, everyone has been eager to acquire it. Historical sources say that the diamond originated from the Kolar mine in India, where it was stolen by the French explorer Jean-Baptiste Tavernier and later bought from him by the French King Louis XIV. Shortly after acquiring it, he suffered many military defeats, then contracted gangrene and died in his palace. After him, it was acquired by King Louis XV, who then faced an assassination attempt and subsequently died. The diamond then passed to Louis XVI and his wife, and with it, the curse also passed.

Peacock pin

The Peacock Pin Diamond does not have an exciting history like the Hope Diamond. It was released by the English diamond company Graff in 2013 at the TEFAF art fair in the Netherlands. The brooch, designed in the shape of a peacock, contains 120.81 carats and more than 1,300 white, yellow, blue, and orange diamonds. In the center is an extremely rare, dark blue pear-shaped diamond with a total weight of 20.02 carats. The value of the pin reaches about $100 million.

Pink Star Diamond Ring

Pink diamonds are among the most expensive, rarest, and most beautiful diamonds in the world. This particular ring was once owned by the Oppenheimer family, who ran a company that extracted diamonds and precious metals from the earth. Before the diamond became the property of that family, it was located inside a mine in South Africa more than 100 years ago. To this day, the diamond's shape has not changed, and no modifications have been made to it, as it retains its rectangular shape that gives it its rarity. This ring was sold at a public auction in 2017 for $71 million.

Oppenheimer Blue Diamond

In 2015, the Oppenheimer Blue diamond was sold at a Christie's auction in Geneva, Switzerland, for $57 million, becoming the most expensive diamond ever sold at auction. The buyer was a jeweler who wished to remain anonymous. The diamond is named after its original owner, Philipp Oppenheimer, who owned a diamond mining company.

Lancôme Prabable Diamond Necklace​

The “Lancombrabel” diamond necklace is considered the most expensive necklace in the world, weighing approximately 407 carats and valued at more than $55 million. In the middle of this necklace is a pure yellow diamond that does not contain any impurities and is about the size of an egg. The necklace is currently owned by Mouawad, an Emirati-Swiss company.

Blue Moon Diamond

The Blue Moon diamond was discovered in 2014 at the Cullinan mine in South Africa. At that time, the diamond originally weighed about 29.62 carats, but it later reached 12.03 carats due to a polishing process that lasted about six months. The Blue Moon diamond was sold to Hong Kong fugitive billionaire Joseph Lau Luen-chung, who bought it for his seven-year-old daughter for $48.4 million.

Queen Marie Antoinette's necklace

A necklace belonging to French Queen Marie Antoinette was sold at auction in Switzerland for $36 million. It is said that this necklace was placed in a wooden box and smuggled from France to Vienna during 1791 so that it would not be damaged by the French Revolution that broke out at that time.

Houghton necklace

This necklace belonged to the famous American socialite Barbara Houghton, as her father bought it for her as a wedding gift when she married Georgian Prince Alexis Medivani in 1933. This necklace is made of 27 graduated jadeite beads with a yellow gold and sapphire clasp, and is valued at $27 million.

Chopard watch

The Chopard diamond watch is priced at approximately $25 million. It is a hand-set watch in secret locations and contains 874 diamonds, including a 163-carat yellow diamond, as well as three heart-shaped diamonds consisting of a 15-carat pink diamond, a 12-carat blue diamond, and an 11-carat white diamond.