We love all things glittery, shimmery and expensive—it’s part of why we enjoy working at JustLuxe. Our hearts beat for glimmering baubles, we swoon over gleaming gemstones and adore sparkling jewels, but even the most extravagant stones we can imagine are no match for the diamonds and rubies that top this year’s list of expensive jewels. These radiant pieces range from glistening blood-red rubies to bright blue diamonds and everything in between. And because we’re running out of synonyms for shiny, we’ll just get to it; below you’ll find the seven most expensive jewels purchased at auction this year.
Fancy Vivid Purple-Pink—$13.87 Million
The more color saturation and clarity a stone has, the more impressive and costly it becomes, and this fancy vivid purple-pink diamond is no different. Categorized as a fancy vivid, one of the most sought-after grades for colored stones, this 13,914,000 CHF (approx. $13.87 million at the time of sale) ring comes at a seemingly small 8.24 carats, but is one of the more exceptional pink diamonds. Due to its natural color, SI1 clarity and a deep purple-pink shade it was the second-most expensive lot of Sotheby’s Magnificent and Noble Jewels sale in Geneva earlier this year.
The Historic Pink—$15.90 Million
While the history of this pink stone is unclear, its rumored origin story is likely what lead to the piece’s lofty 14,810,000 CHF (approx. $15.90 million USD at the time of auction) price tag. The Historic Pink, sold by Sotheby’s, is believed to have belonged to French Princess Mathilde Bonaparte, niece of Napoleon I. A popular Parisian socialite, her collection of jewels and diamonds was believed to be second only to the Empress. The stone may have appeared in an auction of her jewels in 1904, the year of her death. The Historic Pink was believed to be called the Splendide Brilliant Rose then, and the centerpiece stone of a diamond necklace.
The Crimson Flame—$18.38 Million
The Crimson Flame might sound like a cool superhero name, but it’s actually the title given to the 15.04 carat ruby ring that sold for $141,800,000 HKD (approx. $18.38 million USD at the time of sale) at Christie’s earlier this month. The pigeon blood ruby was mined in Myanmar and is a well-saturated stone for its weight and size making it all the more valuable.
Emerald Cut Diamond—$22 Million
This 100.02-carat, emerald-cut diamond, almost looks comically large on the hand due to its size, but that didn’t stop a buyer from spending $22.09 million on this one-of-a-kind stone. The diamond, sold by Sotheby’s, was the largest of its cut and clarity to ever be sold at auction. The D color diamond is also internally flawless, a rarity considering the sheer size of the stone. Mined in Africa by De Beers, the rough diamond was originally over 200 carats, but was cut and shaped for two years until it reached its current form.
The Sweet Josephine—$28.52 Million
Remember when you turned seven and for your birthday you received a Barbie doll, teddy bear, or some other age-appropriate gift? Well, Hong Kong billionaire Joseph Lau bought his daughter this 28,725,000 CHF (approx. $28.52 million USD at the time of auction) fancy vivid pink diamond for her seventh birthday. The sale set a record for most expensive vivid pink diamond sold at auction and even prompted a round of applause from the Christie’s sales room. Immediately after the sale, Lau renamed the stone Sweet Josephine in honor of his daughter.
Sunrise Ruby—$30.34 Million
Setting the record for the most expensive colored gemstone, the Cartier Sunrise Ruby fetched 28,250,000 CHF (approx. $30.34 million USD at the time of sale) at Sotheby’s in May. The 25.59 carat pigeon blood red ruby was also the first colored stone to sell for over a million a carat. Not much is known about the history of the stone other than its Burmese origin, but that didn’t stop one anonymous buyer for scooping it up for almost double the estimated sale price.
The Blue Moon of Josephine—$48.47 Million
Joseph Lau wins the father-of-the-year award. In addition to purchasing the vivid pink Sweet Josephine for his seven-year-old, he also bought her a 12.03 carat blue diamond. Purchased from Sotheby’s for 48,634,000 CHF (approx. $48.47 million USD at the time of sale) in November, the sale set a new world record price for a diamond, gemstone or jewel at auction. Of course just buying the stone wasn’t enough—he also renamed this piece, calling it The Blue Moon of Josephine.
