The world's rarest diamonds available to buy

Lesedi La Rona rough diamond

At a huge 1,109 carats, the tennis-ball sized Lesedi La Rona rough diamond was first honoured with its very own auction at Sotheby's London on June 29, 2016 but, after failing to reach its minimum, has recently been acquired by British fine jewellery house Graff in a deal valued at $53 million. Discovered in November 2015 in the Karowe mine in Botswana, it has already been certified as possessing qualities "commonly associated with Type IIa diamonds" by the Gemological Institute of America and is being hailed as the most momentous discovery since the 3,106 carat Cullinan Diamond was unearthed in 1905.

Although not as large as the Cullinan, the Lesedi La Rona's composition means it has the potential to yield the world's largest top-quality diamond once it has been cut and polished. Now in the hands of one of the world's finest diamond experts, time will tell what Graff's master craftsman are able to create from this stunning stone and what treasures await potential buyers.

Graff Venus

Words by Avril Groom

There are many candidates for the title of the world’s most beautiful diamond but Graff’s newly unveiled Venus is surely a contender. The largest ever flawless, D colour, heart-shaped stone at 118.78 carats, it took specially invented tools to cut it and it is worth every hour of the many months of thought and work that created it.

For an object so clear and pure it has unimaginable depth and warmth. The 300-carat rough was found in June 2015 at Lesotho’s Letšeng mine, in which Graff is a major shareholder. Its superlative quality was immediately apparent and its almost cuboid, slightly pointed appearance suggested a pear-shaped or heart-shaped main stone. The latter was chosen both to avoid flaws that closer inspection revealed and to underline the romantic symbolism of this stupendous gem. After the first polish it was rated internally flawless but Laurence Graff, founder and chairman of Graff Diamonds, took the risk of asking for a second polish to attain the coveted flawless level, losing a fraction of a carat in the process.

The Venus is currently unset, nestling in a beautiful wooden box. No price has yet been mentioned but it is sure to break records. And if this ultimate symbol of love is beyond your means, there are 22 satellite stones, from substantial gems of 15 or 13 carats down to modest examples of one or a half carat, in various cuts. So owning a part of the newest legendary diamond is far from an impossible dream.

The Artemis and Apollo diamonds

The Artemis and Apollo diamonds sold at auction with a final price of £44.9 million.

A pair of coloured diamonds are set to go under the hammer at Sotheby's Geneva in May 2017 which could break records for the most expensive earrings ever sold. The Apollo and Artemis diamonds, named for the brother and sister gods of power and beauty in Greek mythology, are currently set as a pair of earrings but will be sold separately due to their outstanding quality and value. The star of the two is Apollo, a 14.54 carat Fancy Vivid Blue diamond valued at $40 million, while its sibling is classed as a 16 carat Fancy Intense Pink diamond with a value of $14.5 million. Both are pear-cuts and, if sold to separate buyers, will likely be reset by their new owners.

The Pink Star diamond

Image courtesy of Sotheby's

The Pink Star diamond sold at auction at Sotheby's reaching $71.2 million.

The world's largest Internally Flawless Fancy Vivid pink diamond is set to go under the hammer at Sotheby's Hong Kong on April 4 and, with an estimate in excess of $60 million, may become the most expensive diamond ever sold at auction. The Pink Star was cut from a 132.5 carat rough diamond unearthed in Africa by De Beers in 1999 and took two years to cut and polish into a beautiful oval form which highlights the rare internal clarity and chemical purity of the stone. The Pink Star was previously offered for sale at Sotheby's Geneva in 2013, where it reached $83 million, but the buyer defaulted on the payment leaving the stone unsold and the title of most expensive diamond in the hands of the Oppenheimer Blue which went for $57.5 million at Christie's Geneva in 2016.

The Oppenheimer blue diamond

The Oppenheimer blue diamond has now been sold at auction reaching $57.5 million.

One of there rarest gems in the world, the Oppenheimer diamond became the largest Vivid Blue diamond ever to appear at auction when it went under the hammer at Christie's Magnificent Jewels sale in Geneva on May 18, 2016. Named for its previous owner and diamond connoisseur Sir Phillip Oppenheimer, this 14.62 carat rectangular-cut stone was accompanied by its original platinum mounting and a monograph from the Gemological Institute of America attesting its rarity, provenance and clarity.

The Oppenheimer blue diamond smashed its estimate of $38 - 45 million, eventually selling for $57.5 million, thus breaking records for the most expensive blue diamond ever sold.

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