From diamonds once held in royal collections to extraordinary stones discovered by chance, these legendary jewels are valued as much for their remarkable stories as their rarity.
Throughout history, exceptional jewels have passed between monarchs, heiresses, collectors and renowned jewellery houses. Their value is shaped not only by carat weight, colour and clarity, but also by provenance, craftsmanship and the stories surrounding them.
A definitive ranking is difficult because some of the world’s most famous jewels have been sold at auction, while others carry estimated or asking prices and may never enter the market. Here, we explore five pieces that have earned a place among the most valuable jewels ever created.
The Hope Diamond, estimated at $250 million
Perhaps the world’s most famous jewel, the Hope Diamond is a 45.52-carat fancy deep greyish-blue diamond whose extraordinary colour is caused by traces of boron. Under ultraviolet light, it also produces a striking red phosphorescence. Believed to have originated in India, the stone was acquired by French gem merchant Jean-Baptiste Tavernier before being sold to King Louis XIV in 1668. It was later recut to create the French Blue, which disappeared during the theft of the French Crown Jewels in 1792.
A smaller blue diamond resurfaced in London in 1812 and was recorded in the collection of banker Henry Philip Hope in 1839, where it acquired the name it carries today. Cartier later sold it to American heiress Evalyn Walsh McLean, whose ownership helped fuel stories of a supposed curse. Harry Winston purchased the diamond in 1949 and donated it to the Smithsonian in 1958, where it remains on display. Although frequently valued at approximately $250 million, the Smithsonian describes it as priceless.
The Graff Peacock Brooch, valued at $100 million
Unveiled at TEFAF Maastricht in 2013, Graff’s Peacock Brooch transforms the bird’s fanned plumage into a dazzling arrangement of coloured diamonds. The brooch features 1,305 stones weighing a combined 120.81 carats, including white, yellow, orange and blue diamonds. Its focal point is a rare 20.02-carat fancy deep blue pear-shaped diamond, which can be detached and worn separately.
Valued at $100 million when it was revealed, the piece remains one of the most spectacular modern high jewellery creations. Unlike several jewels on this list, however, its widely reported figure is a valuation rather than a documented auction result, while its current ownership has not been publicly disclosed.
The CTF Pink Star, sold for $71.2 million
The Pink Star holds the auction record for any diamond or jewel. Mined by De Beers in South Africa in 1999, the original 132.5-carat rough diamond required approximately 20 months of careful cutting and polishing to achieve its final 59.60-carat oval form.
Originally known as the Steinmetz Pink, the diamond was exhibited at the Smithsonian before being renamed the Pink Star. Its remarkable saturation and clarity earned it a Fancy Vivid pink, Internally Flawless grading.
In April 2017, the diamond sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong for HK$553 million, or $71.2 million. The buyer, Hong Kong jewellery company Chow Tai Fook, subsequently renamed it the CTF Pink Star.
The L’Incomparable Diamond Necklace, valued at $55 million
Created by Mouawad, L’Incomparable is centred on an internally flawless 407.48-carat yellow diamond suspended from an asymmetrical necklace featuring a further 229.52 carats of white diamonds and 18-karat rose gold.
The central stone’s history is almost as extraordinary as its size. Its 890-carat rough was reportedly discovered by a young girl in a pile of discarded mining rubble in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1980.
The finished necklace was unveiled in 2013 with a value of $55 million. According to Mouawad, it holds the record for the world’s most valuable necklace.
The Hutton-Mdivani Jadeite Necklace, sold for $27.44 million
Diamonds may dominate the list, but the Hutton-Mdivani necklace demonstrates the extraordinary value of exceptional jadeite.
Composed of 27 graduated imperial green jadeite beads, the necklace was presented to American heiress Barbara Hutton by her father in 1933 to mark her marriage to Prince Alexis Mdivani. One year later, Hutton commissioned Cartier to replace its original clasp with a yellow-gold design set with rubies and baguette-cut diamonds.
The size, intense colour and translucency of the closely matched beads make the necklace exceptionally rare. In 2014, it sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong for $27.44 million, setting records for both jadeite jewellery and a Cartier jewel. The successful buyer was Cartier itself, which added the necklace to the Cartier collection.
