Archaeologists have shown that humans have been creating and wearing jewelry for thousands of years. From simple shell necklaces to bejeweled crowns and bracelets, people have a long history of covering themselves with expensive and expressive art and decorations. When it comes to expensive jewelry, most of us envision royalty or celebrities covered in an array of silver, gold and gemstones. Most of the jewelry market is directed at women because, let’s face it, the majority of guys outside of movie and sports stars, and can’t pull off more than cufflinks, a watch and a wedding band.
The following looks at 20 of the most
expensive pieces of jewelry ever made. There’s a little of everything here from
necklaces and brooches to tiaras and watches
20. The Vivid Pink by Graff - $11.8 Million
As you’ll see from this list, pink
diamonds are very valuable. No one is certain why pink diamonds are pink. Every
other color has some definitive explanation but scientists can only hypothesize
that some sort of seismic shock is responsible for changing the molecular
structure of these very rare gemstones. Therefore, it makes sense that we
should come across the Vivid Pink Graff diamond early on. The centerpiece of
this jewelry is the cushion-shaped 5 carat pink diamond. The diamond is of such
high quality that it is given the classification of fancy vivid. On each side,
as a complementary touch, you can find a ‘regular’ shield-shaped diamond all
mounted in platinum and 18k rose gold.
19. Wallis
Simpson Panther Bracelet - $12.4 Million
Wallis Simpson is probably best known
for her relationship with Edward VIII resulting in his abdication of the
British throne in the 1930s. Over her life, Simpson collected many gifts from
Edward, some of which ended up on the auction block in 2010. One of the items
which caught a great deal of attention (and a hefty winning bid) was a Cartier
created bracelet in the form of a panther. In comparison with the other items
listed in this article, this is definitely one of the more unconventional
jewelry pieces. The panther’s body is composed of diamonds and onyx. Its eyes
stand out thanks to the use of two specially cut emeralds.
18. Emerald and
Diamond Tiara - $12.7 Million
This emerald and diamond tiara was
created around 1900 and was in the possession of Princess Katharina Henckel von
Donnersmarck for much of its life. The crown was commissioned by the princess’s
husband and is notable for the emeralds used in its design. Specifically, what
makes the tiara stand out from others are the 11 rare Columbian pear-shaped
emeralds which ring the top of the piece. In weight alone, the emeralds are
said to come in at 500 carats. In addition to silver, gold and numerous
‘smaller’ diamonds, there are 11 large cushion-shaped diamonds seated in the
body of the tiara itself.
17. Heart of the
Kingdom Ruby Necklace - $14 Million
The House of Garrard is the oldest
jewelry house in the world and, up until 2007, was the Crown Jeweller who was
responsible for maintaining the British Crown Jewels. With a background like
that you know that whatever they make is of the highest quality and, likely,
price. The Heart of the Kingdom ruby necklace is one such famous piece created
by Garrard. The necklace, as you’d expect, has a large 40.63 carat Burmese ruby
as its center piece. Complementing the red gemstone is a necklace with 155
carats of diamonds. Not good enough? This jewelry can reportedly be turned into
a tiara if you’re feeling more like a princess than an heiress.
16. The Bvlgari
Blue - $15.7 Million
This is a rather unconventional looking
diamond ring which utilized two different colored diamonds. The heart of the
design is composed of a 10.95 carat triangular cut fancy-vivid blue diamond and
a 9.87 carat triangular cut diamond. The diamonds are mounted onto a gold band
which has baguette diamonds embedded. Created in the early 1970s, the ring was
initially purchased for $1 million as a gift for the wife of a European
collector. When the ring came up for sale again in 2010, experts believed it
would fetch around $12 million.
15. Chopard Blue
Diamond Ring - $16.26 Million
Looking for an engagement ring and have
several spare millions sitting around? Look no further than the Chopard Blue
Diamond ring. Chopard is an internationally acclaimed company known for their
high quality time-pieces and jewelry. Blue diamonds are considered one of the
rarest forms of the gem stone. They are found near boron deposits, an element
which helps the diamond get its distinct color. In addition to the oval cut
diamond, Chopard has added triangular cut diamonds to the sides and mounted it
on an 18-carat white gold band which is, itself, paved in more diamonds.
14. The Graff
Vivid Yellow – $16.3 Million
English jeweller Laurence Graff and his
company, Graff Diamonds, are giants in the world of jewelry. It’s not
surprising, therefore, that we come across another piece of jewellery by Graff.
In this instance, the Graff Vivid Yellow is a 100 carat yellow diamond mounted
in gold with diamonds on the band. The massive stone fetched a world record for
yellow diamonds when it went up for auction at Sotheby’s Geneva. It had
originally been a 190 carat rough diamond which Graff purchased in South
Africa. In total, it took nine months of cutting to get the diamond to the
point we see it today.
13. Heart of the
Ocean Necklace - $17 Million
Sticking with the blue diamond theme,
this next piece is a perfect example of life imitating art. In 1997 Leo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet went on a boat ride that didn’t
turn out too well. The Titanic sank and Celine Dion sang a song that has become associated with the ship and film. One of the iconic
props from the film was a necklace known as the Coeur de la Mer which Kate
Winslet’s character deemed more important to save than the life of DiCaprio’s
character who she let sink beneath the waves – just kidding. In all
seriousness, after the film, famed jeweller Harry Winston created a replica of
the necklace using real jewels. At the ‘heart’ of the piece is a 15-carat blue
diamond. Gloria Stewart, the actress who played the elderly ‘Rose’ in the film,
wore the creation to the Oscars.
12. The Blue
Belle of Asia - $17.3 Million
Sold at
Christie’s Geneva in 2014, the Blue Belle of Asia is the fourth largest faceted
sapphire in history. The cushion shaped sapphire weighs in at a little over
392.5 carats and set a world record for sapphire price. However, don’t get too
upset, you get more for your $17.3 million than just a massive gem stone. In
addition to the Ceylon sapphire, the piece includes a diamond covered gold
neckchain and diamond covered tassels which extend downward from the sapphire.
Just think of it as a really sparkly and expensive Bolo tie.
11. 1912 Cartier
Diamond Brooch - $17.6 Million
Officially known
as “a Belle Epoque Diamond Devant-De-Corsage Brooch by Cartier,” we’ll stick
with the shorter and simpler title for now. This creation, as you’d expect from
the title is composed of a lot of high quality diamonds. It was created at the
Henri Picq workshop in Paris in 1912. The main features of this brooch are
three large stones. The largest is a pear-shaped diamond weighing in at just
over 34 carats. This is complemented by an oval-shaped diamond of 23.55 carats
and a smaller marquise-shaped diamond of 6.51 carats.
10. The Perfect
Pink Diamond - $23.2 Million
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
At 13.22 carats,
this piece was actually marketed and sold as an engagement ring. Before 2014,
only a handful of blue diamonds weighing between 10 and 12 carats had ever been
sold at auction. So, when this 13+ carat monster came across the auction block
at Christie’s in Geneva, it was believed it would bring in at least $21
million. The background of the diamond is not well known, although most experts
agree that the diamond likely came from South Africa where most of the world’s
blue diamonds originate.
8. Chopard
201-Carat Watch - $25 Million
Yes, this is
technically a watch but one look at this Chopard creation and you’ll understand
why we placed it in an article about jewelry. Known for their luxury watches,
Chopard combines their expertise with time-pieces and their other specialty –
jewelry – to create this interesting piece. In total, there are 874 diamonds of
various size with the largest coming in at 15 carats. Adding that little extra
wow factor is the mechanism which makes the largest three diamonds move apart,
revealing the watch underneath. Needless to say, it’s unlikely the buyer
purchased this jewelry for the high quality time-piece buried beneath the
mountain of diamonds.
7. The
Hutton-Mdivani Jadeite Necklace - $27.4 million
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.
6. The Diamond
Bikini - $30 Million
It’s not made of
fabric, it doesn’t leave much to the imagination and you probably wouldn’t wear
this jewelry into the water. Of course, we are talking about the $30 million
diamond bikini. Designed by Susan Rosen, this ‘bikini’ is made up of 150 carats
worth of diamonds which are set in platinum. Even by bikini standards,
it’s very skimpy and when Sports Illustrated model Molly Sims wore the creation
in 2006, it definitely turned a lot of heads. Sims was reportedly shocked when
she saw what she had to wear – a little uncomfortable with the value of the
bikini and the fact it didn’t really cover much of anything.
5. The Zoe
Diamond - $32.6 Million
In 2014 the
collection of Rachel Mellon, wife of the late philanthropist Paul Mellon, came
up for auction at Sotheby’s. The pinnacle of the collection, and most sought
after by potential buyers, was the Zoe diamond. This particular stone was
classified as a 9.75 carat fancy vivid blue diamond. Originally believed
capable of fetching around $15 million, the Zoe diamond shocked everyone when
the winning bid came in at $32.6 million. This makes the Zoe diamond not only
the most expensive blue diamond in the world, but also the most expensive
diamond in terms of price-per-carat ($3.3 million).
4. The Graff Pink
- $46.2 Million
In 2010,
auctioneers at Sotheby’s expected this particular ring to do well when it went
up for sale. They had no idea it would fetch well over $40 million, making it
one of the most expensive pieces of jewelry ever. This particular ring, which
features a 24.78 carat pink diamond was at one time owned by famed jeweller
Harry Winston. In addition to being a very rare color, this particular diamond
was considered one of the greatest ever discovered. In 2010, diamond dealer
Laurence Graff purchased what is now known as the Graff Pink for well above the
estimated $27-38 million price-tag.
3. L’Incomparable
Diamond Necklace - $55 Million
Via thejewelleryeditor.com
The Bronze-medal
position on our list of most expensive jewelry holds a couple of records.
Created by the famed Mouawad firm, the L’Incomparable Diamond Necklace is the
most valuable necklace in the world and features the world’s largest internally
flawless diamond, the 407.48-carat Incomparable diamond. Complementing the
massive yellow diamond are 230 carats worth of smaller diamonds. What’s more
amazing about this piece is that it came to be thanks to a little girl who
discovered a rough 890 carat diamond in a rubble pile in Democratic Republic of
the Congo in the 1980s. After being sold among numerous dealers and traders,
the diamond underwent four years of studying and cutting to reach the point it
is at today.
2. Pink Star
Diamond Ring - $72 Million*
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.
1.
Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond - $80 Million
Coming in at #1
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.
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