Top 10 Most Famous Individual Gemstones

The Top Ten

  1. Koh-i-Noor Diamond

    It's a large, colorless diamond found in India, weighing 105.6 carats (21.6 g). Its name means "Mountain of Light" in Persian, and it's said to be cursed. It has a long history and is surrounded by many legends.

    Originally owned by the Kakatiya dynasty (1163-1323), it has been possessed by many rulers, including Kakatiya, Delhi Sultanate, Mughal, Persian, Afghan, and Sikh rulers. In 1849, Queen Victoria became its owner, followed by Queen Elizabeth.

    It is now part of the Crown of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. Currently, it's in The Louvre Museum in Paris.

  2. Hope Diamond

    Under short wave ultraviolet light, this blue diamond phosphoresces a red color. Ironically, The Hope Diamond did not bring happiness to its previous owner, Evalyn Walsh McLean. Her firstborn son died in a car accident, and her husband left her for another woman.

    Unsurprisingly, this diamond is also said to be cursed. Its price is estimated at around $350 million.

  3. Cullinan I, also known as the Great Star of Africa

  4. Neelanjali Ruby

    Only 3 out of 100 rubies feature a star. A 6-ray star, to be precise. The Neelanjali Ruby, however, boasts a 12-ray star, making it even rarer! It's also quite large, weighing 1,370 carats (274 g).

    This ancient gem was used as a Shiva lingam and has been worshipped for centuries. It belongs to G. Vidyaraj, a descendant of the Aravidu dynasty, the last of the four imperial lineages to rule the Vijayanagara empire. The ruby is reported to be in Bangalore, India.

  5. Heart of Eternity Diamond

  6. Dom Pedro Aquamarine

    Housed in the permanent collection of the Houston Museum of Natural Science, the gem was mined in Brazil.

  7. Cullinan Diamond

    The Cullinan Diamond originally weighed 3106.75 carats in its rough state and was cut into 9 large stones (named Cullinan I to IX) and about 100 smaller ones. Cullinan I is the largest piece produced from the original and is in the top 10 of this list.

  8. Moussaieff Red Diamond

    Red diamonds are the rarest, and this particular gem was rated as the largest Fancy Red by the Gemological Institute of America. The red diamond's color is a result of radioactive radiation, which is very rare.

    It was acquired in 2011 for $8 million.

  9. Star of Adam Sapphire

    This gem is a blue sapphire featuring a white star and is notably large, measuring 1,404.49 carats (280.898 g). It was discovered in Sri Lanka in 2015 and has been valued at over $300 million.

    The Gemmological Institute of Colombo reported that it had never certified a gemstone larger than "The Star of Adam."

    It's the largest star sapphire in the world. What else can I say about it?

  10. Bahia Emerald

    Named for Bahia, Brazil, where it was found, the stone weighs approximately 752 lb (341 kg), equivalent to about 1,700,000 carats. The Bahia Emerald has been valued at around $400 million.

    It was reported stolen in 2008 from a secured vault in Los Angeles County, California. At one point, the emerald was listed for sale on eBay with a "Buy It Now" price of $75 million.

    11. The Newcomers
  11. ?

    Millennium Star Diamond

  12. ?

    Ethereal Carolina Divine Paraiba

    13. The Contenders

  13. Graff Pink Diamond

    Bought by Laurence Graff in November 2010. Update: This isn't the most expensive pink diamond anymore. In the meantime, somebody paid more for a pink diamond.

    You sure they shouldn't call this the "Pink Panther"?

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