By Jewelry is a fundamental thing that has a strong profound association with every one of us. Indeed, even notwithstanding soaring expenses, our look is constantly attracted to the most dazzling and costly Jewelries.
These days the world of luxury jewelry is no longer referring to jewelry, but the most dazzling and creative works of art. The present fashionistas wear jewelries to adorn an outfit as well as to show their unique character, a free demeanor to life, and energy.
The innovativeness of the jewelry designer is the spirit of a piece of adornments. Despite the fact that practically all the extravagance jewelry brands on the planet are produced using very valuable metals and stones, jewelry creators from various societies and foundations truly do have various dreams.
Every one of the architect jewelry brands has its own ideas and qualities. To this end most jewelry brands are described by areas of strength for everyday wear. Some are very convoluted, luxurious, well-made and costly, while others are moderate, easy to wear, and appropriate for ordinary wear.
This is likewise the motivation behind why you can tell the distinctions among Cartier and Tiffany initially. It is all a direct result of the jewelry fashioner. Also, these distinctions make the universe of jewelry more assorted.
Here are the top 10 most expensive jewelry brands in the world, which are known for their perfectly beautiful products as well as exquisite craftsmanship:
- Mikimoto
- Chopard
- Garrad
- Gucci
- Cartier
- Buccellati
- Edge Of Ember
- Van Cleef & Arpels
- Piaget
- Harry Winston
Top 15 Most Expensive Pieces of Jewelry Ever Made
The world’s most expensive jewelry is often old and unique, being sourced from venerated mines in Africa, India, and the Middle East. Their cut by famous designers in flawless forms. However, other models combine hundreds of expensive gems into an artistic jewelry sculpture.
The designers combine the most expensive stones or multiple stones with thousands of hours of work. They also use the charm of a famous stone whose size and flawlessness alone make the piece absurdly valuable.
1. HOPE DIAMOND: $250 MILLION
The most expensive and perhaps the most famous gem in the world is a 45.52 carats blue stone known as the HOPE DIAMOND. Experts think its unusual blue color comes from impurities caused by small amounts of boron atoms.
Aside from its magical appearance, legends of bad luck and curses have backfired, making it a highly sought-after gem throughout history. These legends may have been fueled by the strange brilliance in the diamond. Its small amounts of boron cause the stone to glow a dazzling red when removed from all light sources.
Before it became the Hope Diamond, this stone was even bigger than it is now. It is believed to have come from the Golconda mines in South India. In 1666, it was bought by a French jeweler named Jean-Baptiste Tavernier and named Tavernier Bleu. Much later it was cut and renamed French Blue, and under this name it was sold by Tavernier to King Louis XIV in 1668.
2. A Heritage in Bloom: $200 million
This jewelry is a necklace designed by a Chinese jeweler named Wallace Chan. It includes 11,551 diamonds, weighing a total of 383.40 carats. They have been sculpted into Chinese cultural symbols such as butterflies and bats, set against sparkling swirls of green and white.
The centerpiece of the necklace is the Cullinan Heritage diamond, a 24 D-color flawless diamond, which weighs 104 carats all by itself. In this necklace, the Heritage diamond is accentuated by a ring of jade. It’s the main driver of the necklace’s $200 million estimated value.
A Heritage in Bloom took its artist over 47,000 hours to create. Chan designed the necklace with a modular setup that allows it to be worn differently each time, for a total of 27 unique configurations.
3. Millennium Star Diamond Necklace: $134.37 million
This large single stone is named the Millennium Star, a gorgeous stone mined from Republic of the Congo, in 1990. The stone was bought by De Beers, who crafted it into a stunning necklace, with a platinum neckpiece, surrounded by 2000 rounded-cut diamonds.
The Millennium Star diamond alone is insured for $134.37 million. The necklace itself is priceless. In addition to being the largest stone on this list, the 203-carat Millennium Star diamond is the largest pear-shaped flawless diamond in the world. In 2000, it became the subject of an intense scandal in the jewelry world as an attempted robbery of the necklace nearly became the biggest jewel theft in history.
4. PEACOCK BROOCH: $100 MILLION
This one is made by Graff Diamonds may not have quite as much history as the old jewelry, yet its value is about $100 million. The first release of PEACOCK BROOCH was in 2013 at the TEFAF art fair in Holland. This jewelry, shaped like a peacock with fanned feathers, contains a total of 120.81 carats and over 1,300 stones in white, yellow, blue, and orange diamonds. A very rare, dark blue pear-shaped diamond sits at the center which weighs 20.02 carats.
5. Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond: $80 million
This rare diamond is 31.06 carats big with a deep blue color, and preserved in an antique oval stellar brilliant cut. The Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond was originally mined from the famed Kollur Mines in the Guntur District of India. Now on display at the National Museum of Natural History, the Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond is a bona fide historical treasure. It’s tinted blue in all its 82, asymmetrical facets.
6. PINK STAR: $71.2 MILLION
The Pink Star broke every price record when it sold for an astonishing $71.2 million at Sotheby’s auction. At 59.60 carats, the flawless fancy vivid Pink Diamond is the most expensive diamond or gem ever sold at an auction. This beautiful pink gem (the size of a strawberry) is prized for its size, clarity and color intensity. Like a great work of art, experts say there will never be another like it.
7. OPPENHEIMER BLUE: $57.5 MILLION
Named after Phillip Oppenheimer, the Oppenheimer Blue weighs 14.62 carats. It is a vivid blue diamond with an emerald cut. This diamond holds nearly the same record as the Pink Star and has been named the largest fancy vivid blue diamond by the US gemological Institute. In 2016, it auctioned at $57.5 million to a party not released to the public.
The history of the Oppenheimer diamond is largely a mystery, other than the fact that it was mined somewhere in South Africa, likely sometime in the early 20th century. Further details are unknown because it is thought to have come from one of De Beers’ mines, and that company has closed its archives.
What is known is the history of the man whose name the diamond has taken. The Oppenheimer family has been renowned in the diamond business for more than a century. This jewelry is named after Sir Phillip Oppenheimer, who acquired the stone as a gift for his wife, though details about when that happened and how much was paid are also not known. He died in 1995, and the first transaction with this diamond took place in 1999. At this time, it weighed slightly more, at 14.71 carats.
8. L’INCOMPARABLE DIAMOND NECKLACE: $55 MILLION
Set on a bed of 18k gold are 407.48 carats of jewels that make up the L’Incomparable Diamond jewelry. At its middle is the biggest Internally Flawless yellow jewel known, which is about the size of an egg. It is at present the most significant jewelry on the planet, possessed by Mouawad, a Swiss and Emirati extravagance merchandise organization, being sold for $55 million bucks as of 2013.
The large diamond at the center of the necklace has a bit an unusual history. A young girl in the Democratic Republic of Congo discovered it randomly in a pile of mining rubble about 30 years ago.
9. BLUE MOON OF JOSEPHINE: $48.4 MILLION
The BLUE MOON OF JOSEPHINE was bought in 2014 by the convicted-felon fugitive Hong Kong billionaire Joseph Lau Luen-hung. He bought it for his seven-year-old daughter Josephine, after whom he named the stone. It is 12.03 carats and cost the felon $48.4 million, the most per carat a diamond of any color has ever sold for.
The Blue Moon of Josephine, discovered in 2014, is another diamond from the mines of South Africa. With a rare crystal blue color, when it was found in the rough by Petra Diamonds, it was 29.6 carats and hard to miss. Its current owner Lau became a felon that same year for bribing a former minister in Macau. He is not serving time in jail, and remains a fugitive, because Macau and Hong Kong do not have an extradition agreement.
10. The Princie Diamond: $39.3 million
Its noble lineage goes back to the Nizams of Hyderabad, but recently it has been the subject of a nasty family feud. The magnificent 34.65 carat fancy pink diamond belongs to Italian politician and businessman Renato Angiolillo. After his death, his children fought over his estate, claiming that their half-siblings had stolen the stone.
11. Queen Marie Antoinette’s Pearl: $36.2 million
After a fierce bidding war, the victor paid an unprecedented price for this large natural pearl and diamond pendant. Not just any pearl, it belonged to the ill-fated French queen Marie Antoinette and was part of a collection of jewels sold by the Italian royal house of Bourbon-Parma. The new owner paid the insurance premium for the queen’s jewels.
12. The Pink Promise: $32.5 million
The Christie auction described The Pink Promise as “the Picasso of the pink diamond world”. This 14.93-carat luxurious vivid pink stone values more than $30 million. Aside from its exceptional rose color, the shape is distinctive. When you look at the shape of the stone, it’s so elegant. It’s a cross between an oval and a marquise that is called a moval.
13. Hutton-Mdivani Jadeite Necklace by Cartier: $27.44 million
This Cartier necklace is worth a mind-boggling $27.44 million. The 27 jadeite beads range in diameter from 15.4 to 19.2 mm, dating back to the early 1900s. It was created by Frank Woolworth as a wedding present for his daughter, the famous socialite Barbara Hutton, upon her marriage to Prince Alexis Mdivani. The necklace is made even more beautiful and also more valuable by the diamond and ruby clasp.
14. Chopard’s 201 carat Watch: $25 million
This watch is 201 carats and made from 874 diamonds. The watch is a masterpiece of not just timekeeping but also jewel-crafting. The colorful cluster of diamonds on this elegant jewelry makes it worth roughly $25 million.
Imagine paying that much money for a piece of jewelry! For some people, it’s an investment worth making.
15. Briolette Diamond Necklace: $11 Million
In May 2013, Christie’s offered the largest briolette diamond ever to be auctioned in Hong Kong. The highlight of the necklace is the stunning 75.36-carat large diamond pendant, but the piece also includes a marquise-cut purple diamond suspended above the briolette. The two diamonds are connected by a briolette diamond necklace set in 18K rose gold and white gold. This one-of-a-kind briolette diamond necklace eventually sold for over $11 million.
The 15 Most Expensive Jewelry Ever Sold at Auction
Famous auctions often witness brilliant Jewelries and some of them are listed below:
1. La Peregrina: $3 million
Few jewels have a history dating back 500 years, or one that have seen them passing through the hands of royals, empresses and Hollywood stars. La Peregrina, which was found off the coast of Panama in 1576, is one such jewel.
This perfectly pear-shaped pearl weighing 202.24 grains was bought by Philip II of Spain in 1582 and soon became one of the country’s most important crown jewels. It passed through the hands of the eight kings of Spain over a 200-year period before falling into the hands of Joseph-Napoléon Bonaparte, the elder brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, who became King of Naples and Sicily.
2. The Hancock Red: $926,000
In April 1987, Christie’s offered a very small diamond weighing 0.95 carats as its top lot in New York. What made this diamond special was its color: fancy purple-red.
Only one in every 100,000 diamonds qualifies as a “fancy” color. Those odds are exponentially longer for red diamonds, which are so rare that experienced diamond dealers consider themselves very lucky to manage more than three in a lifetime.
This 0.95-carat (just 0.19 gram) wonder of nature was part of the collection of Mr. Hancock, a Montana farmer who was rumored to have bought the diamond for $13,500 in 1956.
Hancock Red was offered for sale in 1987 with an estimated $100,000 to $150,000. It sold for an impressive $880,000, or $926,000 per carat, breaking all records in the process.
3. A spectacular D color diamond ring: $2,115,000
This Type IIa D color diamond ring weighs 28.86 carats. On 30 June 2020 it sold at Christie’s for $2,115,000, setting a world record for the most expensive jewel sold in any online auction.
Type IIa diamonds account for less than two percent of all gem diamonds, and they are the most chemically pure, with no measurable trace of color-altering nitrogen. As a consequence, they often have exceptional optical transparency.
Well-known examples of Type IIa diamonds include the 530.20 carat Cullinan 1, the largest clear cut diamond in the world, and the 105.6 carat Koh-I-Noor former Iranian king’s Jewels.
4. The Zoe Diamond: $32.6 million dollars
This diamond was once the star of Mrs. Paul Mellon’s collection, and one of the most expensive deep blue diamonds in the world today.
The pear-cut 9.75 carat diamond ring is currently priced at $32.6 million dollars. Oddly enough, the name “Zoe” comes from the Hong Kong seller who sold it to Sotheby’s.
5. The Orange: $2.4 million
Orange is the largest orange colored diamond in the world, which is worth nearly 36 million dollars. The gem was sold at auction for $35.5 million in 2013 and was auctioned by Christie’s. It is currently the most expensive gem in the world per carat. Each carat is worth 2.4 million dollars.
6. The Wittelsbach-Graff: $24.3 million
Dating back to 1664, the 35.56-carat fancy deep greyish-blue diamond belonged to Spanish, Austrian, and Bavarian royalty before Laurence Graff paid a record-breaking sum to add his name to the diamond. To the dismay of collectors and purists, Graff recut the stone to improve its brilliance and minimize imperfections. It’s now a slimmer 31 carats—and perfect.
7. Miroir de l’Amour: $17.6 million
When the world’s most important pair of flawless diamond earrings come to auction, it’s going to create a commotion. Stunning in size and beauty, it’s a triumph to find a matching pair. These D-shaped flawless diamonds weighs over 50 carats each and are one of the best among their rivals.
8. The Maria Cristina Royal Belle Epoque Diamond Brooch: $17.6 million
The epitome of love and romance, the Cartier signed Belle Epoque diamond devant-de-corsage brooch was a wedding gift from King Alfonso XII of Spain to his wife, the Archduchess Maria Christina of Austria in November 1879. The elegant design features a trio of large diamonds—34.8-carat pear-shaped, 23.55-carat oval-shaped, and a 6.5-carat marquise-shaped—with lily-of-the-valley diamond links.
9. Superb Vivid Blue Diamond Ring: $17.1 million
An exceptional and rare jewel, the 7.32-carat pear-shaped fancy vivid blue is a discreet collectible. Most won’t know you are wearing a $17 million dollar ring. If you know, you know.
10. The Martian Pink: $17.4 million
Most natural pink diamonds have a purple or orange hue, but this 12-carat dark pink stone is pure pink. Originally owned by Harry Winston, he sold it to a private buyer in 1976, the same year the United States launched a satellite mission to Mars. Winston’s heir, Ronald Winston, named it Martian Pink to mark this historic milestone.
11. The Sky Blue Diamond: $17.1 million
Blue diamonds are so rare that most people will only see them in a museum, such as the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., which houses the famous Hope Diamond. The 45.52-carat dark grayish blue Hope Diamond is the museum’s most visited artifact, which illustrates a blue diamond’s magical appeal. This 8.01 fancy vivid blue diamond in a Cartier signed diamond ring is also a mesmerizing jewel.
12. The Star of the Season: $16.6 million
When Sheikh Ahmed Hassan Fitaihi of Saudi Arabia purchased the 100.10-carat D flawless diamond, it set an auction record for the highest-priced jewel. A voracious jewelry collector, the Sheikh purchased thousands of important jewels and stones—but this one was especially meaningful. Soon after he acquired it, someone offered to buy it for a sizable mark-up, but he refused to sell.
13. Princess Katharina Henckel von Donnersmarck’s Emerald and Diamond: $12.3 Million
This elegant emerald and diamond tiara was ordered around the 1900 for Princess Katharina Henckel von Donnersmarck. It was designed and created by Chaumet Parisian jewelry house. This tiara has 11 unique Colombian emerald pear-shaped drops having a value of over 500 carats. It was only worn royal events.
Sold by the Sotheby’s in Geneva in May 2011, it was given a value of $2 million more than it was previously estimated.
14. Bulgari Blue Diamond Ring: $15.7 Million
Another impressive jewelry that broke records when it was auctioned some years ago is the Bulgari Blue Diamond ring. Created in the 70s it was firstly a gift from a wealthy collector to his after she gave birth of their first son.
It has a 9.87 carat colorless triangular-shaped diamond and a triangular 10.95 carat “Fancy Vivid” diamond.
15. Pink Diamond: $17.77 Million
Some years ago, in Hong Kong, Sotheby’s sold the stunning 8.41-carat purple-pink diamond for a sum of $17.77 million.
The gem was carefully cut from a larger piece of 18-carat diamond, and fitted into a platinum ring all surrounded by circular-cut diamonds. Other than its beautiful color, this pure diamond has also some unique qualities, such as its size and its pretty tone.
Why is jewelry so expensive?
All jewelries are costly and what is viewed as costly one is a fine jewelry. By and large, stunning and delightful jewelries are essential to human culture on the grounds that such pieces not just make us look perfect, we likewise feel better in them.
This degree of fascination from gems makes us chase after fine adornments.
However at that point, fine ones are costly, which sends the vast majority to decide on the cheap bits of jewelries over the costly pieces.
Here are the main reasons why some jewelries are among expensive jewelry brands:
1. The nature of human
The main reason why some jewelries are expensive is in relation with human nature and the fact that we want the jewelry to be not affordable for everyone.
Therefore, although you could buy cheap jewelry, and maybe you do, most people look for the thrill that comes with wearing something expensive (something they and others know to be costly).
People purchase costly jewelries in view of an intrinsic human need to flaunt. For instance, certain individuals will need to purchase precious stone gems that looks extravagant, regardless of whether it isn’t so significant.
2. Supply and demand
Regarding the above point about humans choosing more expensive parts, the laws of supply and demand also come into play, but not in the way you might think.
In general, the pricing of everything around us is based on demand/supply. But when it comes to jewelry, most people avoid cheaper amethysts, even though they are available in the most beautiful colors and are quite affordable.
Instead, most people choose emeralds because, although at a higher price, because emeralds are rarer, they are therefore more desirable.
At the core of any reasonable person, it is clear that the best jewelry is a piece that passes as a true work of art, something made in a way and with stones and metals that, rather than pieces made of gold and stones, are something it expresses the meaning without much thought.
Unfortunately, most people will not pay for pieces of art, even if they cost less.
3. Brands
Most people will opt for designer pieces of jewelry, whether engagement rings or cocktail rings, but the sad bit is that most of the expensive designer jewelry one buys is not worth the cost, and you only pay the high price tag because of the brand name.
The sad bit is that in as much as you pay a lot for the brand name, the branded piece may not be any better than a non-brand piece of jewelry despite being made of the same metals and stones.
This often happens because of the popularity of the brand, all thanks to the money the brand puts in advertising on different websites and magazines, which means that the high cost of the jewelry is pretty much the cost that covers the advertising, rather than the value obtained from wearing the branded jewelry.
What all that means is that you are only paying for the brand name, and the jewelry designs aren’t special in any way.
Some designer jewelry brands are inexpensive, though, meaning that before you opt for the expensive designer ring with precision-cut accents, look at what other designers are offering and other non-designer ieces in jewelry stores.
4. Quality
It is significant that some gems are costly by goodness of the time, exertion, and the nature of materials that are utilized for that piece of adornment.
Pieces that hotshot impeccable craftsmanship and the utilization of certifiable, top caliber, regular, and valuable materials will normally cost more than the ones made of less expensive and perhaps synthetic/fake materials.
What is the rarest kind of jewelry?
Precious stones such as diamonds, rubies, emeralds and jade are timeless symbols of wealth and luxury. Throughout history, jewels have been passed down through royal families and wealthy individuals who could afford them alike, sometimes even gifted from one to another. Here is a list of them:
Bulgari blue diamond ring
This beautiful jewelry ring with 2 large blue and colorless diamonds will easily be one of the most expensive rings in the world. This ring was made in a Bulgarian collection in 1972, and an Asian collector eagerly bought it for $15.7 million after a tight auction. The distinguishing feature of this ring is that, according to the American Institute of Gemology, the clarity and perfection of these diamonds indicates its authenticity.
Emerald and diamond crown
This crown was made in 1900 by order of the German prince, Guido Count van Henkel, and was given as a gift to his second wife, Princess Katrina Henkel van Donnersmark. It is said that this crown belongs to the wife of Napoleon III of France. Some believe that the 11 pear-shaped emerald pendants weighing 500 carats belong to the Maharaja. This jewel was sold as one of the personal items in the jewelry exhibition for 12.7 million dollars.
- Wallis Simpson’s Cartier Panther Bracelet
Wallis Sampson’s leopard bracelet is made with agate and diamonds and has a shell or crown clasp. This bracelet was designed by Cartier Paris in 1952 and was given to American socialite Wallis Sampson. This jewel, which once belonged to King Edward VIII, was sold for 12 million dollars. However, this jewel was not in a very good condition and some of its precious stones had fallen. According to some rumors, Madonna owns this popular bracelet in the movie she starred in about The Simpsons and her beloved King Edward VII.
Diamond Cullinan
This blue diamond ring proved to be very popular at Sotheby’s 2009 Semi-annual auction in Geneva and fetched a whopping price of $69.9 million.
- A PAIR OF MAGNIFICENT ‘GOLCONDA’ DIAMONDS
These earrings, which came from the Golconda diamond mines in India, are also called imperial cushions because of the cushion-shaped diamonds. The weight of each earring is about 11.23 carats and it was first seen in 2011 at Christie’s luxury jewelry spring sale in Hong Kong and was sold for 3.9 million dollars.
Marie Antoinette necklace
This necklace belongs to Marie Antoinette, the child of Marie Theresa, Empress, and Francis I, King of Austria, and its price is estimated at 7.3 million dollars.
Which ornament is very expensive?
A very expensive ornament is the one with the following features:
Market demand
The value of a luxurious ornament depends on the market demand. If you have a classic, timeless design you are looking to sell, it’s likely to sell faster and for more than a local jeweler or unknown designer. Classic and elegant models are always in demand.
Condition
Signs of wear and tear can affect the beauty of a piece of jewelry. This reduces the value of the piece, as it requires restoration. Changing the size of an original piece or wear and tear on the stones will affect the price. In addition, dents or worn seals inside the jewelry can also affect its price.
Rarity
The highest priced and most valuable pieces of ornament have a rarity that sets them apart from common designs that are produced regularly. These pieces are highly skilled and often contain precious metals and jewels. People who are buying and selling these parts will have trouble seeing much depreciation over time.
Most expensive jewelry stores
The best jewelers definitely own the best jewelry stores and of course expensive jewelry brands. Nevertheless, some jewelers do luxury better than the rest. Here is a list of some top and expensive jewelry brands:
Tiffany & Co.
This Tiffany & Co. SoHo boutique, opened in 2012, is the newest Tiffany store in NYC. The interior was crafted by artisans with precious materials, resulting in an opulent and extremely luxurious space.
Harry Winston
The New York City Harry Winston location offers a glamorous lounge area. The Fifth Avenue location houses several gorgeous lounges worthy of a stop on your next trip to New York.
Bulgari
The Bulgari Bond street location in London has undergone significant renovations under the leadership of American architect Peter Marino. He even brought back the secret entrance used by stars like Elizabeth Taylor and Kirk Douglas.
Van Cleef & Arpels
In 2014, Van Cleef & Arpels celebrated 10 years in the Middle East by reopening their flagship location at the Dubai Mall. At the grand opening event, VCA displayed their limited edition pieces.
Piaget
Piaget spent four months renovating their flagship store at Place Vendôme in Paris. With over 100 worldwide locations, this is Piaget’s largest and most luxurious store.
Fabergé
This is one of the most expensive jewelry brands’ store founded in Russia. This store is a prominent jewelry company known for its works of art, especially enameling. The heritage of the Faberge family belongs to 17th century France.
In conclusion
The world’s most expensive jewelry brands’ jewelries are built by large and famous stones that are cut by world-renowned jewelers and sculpted into showpieces that sit in boxes in museums and around the necks of royalty. Some of these pieces are newly discovered while others are centuries old, culminating in the infamous Hope Diamond, which is both one of the most expensive and possibly the most recognizable piece of jewelry in the world. While it’s unlikely you’ll ever own these jewels that cost tens of millions of dollars, even at low prices, their history and beauty is there for everyone.
