Top 23 Most Expensive Diamond Rings Ever Sold at Auction as of 2024

January 10, 2021

 

Rings have been used as a symbol of love and commitment since the ancient Egyptian era. Later, in Roman times, rings made from bone and iron were worn as a show of fidelity. But, it wasn’t until 1477, when Archduke Maximillian of Austria asked for the hand of Mary Burgundy, that diamond rings became synonymous with engagement. Fast forward 550 years and some of the most expensive rings in the world are used to profess undying love.

Of course, top-tier diamond rings are not something you would typically see out and about on someone’s finger. Walking around wearing the costliest diamond ring in the world might feel great, but it’s only possible if you’re flanked by a security detail; such is the value of these stunning jewels. 

The list of the most expensive rings in the world includes the fanciest engagement rings known to man. These bands are so rare and coveted that they are the preserve of the super-rich. Indeed, even the most expensive celebrity engagement rings pale in comparison to the stunning diamond bands on our list. 

So, before we share the list of the most expensive diamond rings in the world, let’s look at what makes these pieces of jewellery sell for the price of a small private island.

 

Why do the fanciest engagement rings cost so much?

In the United Kingdom, the average cost of an engagement ring is somewhere in the region of £2,000. However, a quick glance at the cost of the most expensive diamond rings in the world shows that at the elite end of the market, eight-figure prices are standard. 

 

So, you might ask, what factors drive the prices of the most expensive diamond rings in the world?

 

There are several reasons for these eye-bulging prices.

 

1. The 4Cs

Because we’re talking about diamonds, the 4Cs are at play. They are:

• Clarity
• Cut
• Colour
• Carat

In effect, the biggest, shiniest, most luminous, and flawless diamonds are the most visually remarkable and rare.

 

2. Rarity

Contrary to popular belief, diamonds are not really rare stones. Indeed, there are many gemstones that are rarer than diamonds, including jadeite, paraíba tourmaline, Kashmir sapphires, and even natural pearls. 

However, what is rare are diamonds that score high in the 4Cs. The most expensive engagement ring in the world, and rings like it, combine the characteristics of the 4Cs to create flawless and radiant diamonds.

 

3. Provenance 

While the costliest diamond ring in the world was unearthed in 2017, other diamond rings on our list fetched incredible prices because of their histories. Memories, admiration, and respect for a historical or royal figure can add a layer of significance to a ring. What’s more, the most expensive celebrity engagement rings of today could become some of the world’s most expensive rings in the future.

 

4. Brand

There are several brands that carry a level of cache that can bump up the price of a diamond ring. In particular, vintage rings from luxury designers with long histories increase in value. Typically, this has to do with their prestige, but craftsmanship and exclusivity are also big factors.

 

5. Design

The design of a ring can impact its price, too. In particular, a diamond ring set with other valuable stones like emeralds, ruby, sapphire, and more can go for huge prices depending on the quality of the stones and the ring.

While provenance, brand, and design are all factors in the overall price of a ring, the fanciest engagement rings excel at the 4Cs. The quality of the raw diamond on its own is the real mover of the price, even if these factors do play their part.

 

And now, what you’ve all been waiting for: our top 23 most expensive diamond rings ever sold at auction as of 2024.

1. Pink Star Diamond Ring – £57.3 million

 

Mounted on a platinum four-pronged ring, the Pink Star Diamond is an ultra-rare 59.60-carat ‘fancy pink vivid’ diamond mined in South Africa by De Beers in 1999.

The stone was meticulously cut over a two-year period to create the ultimate flawless pink diamond. So this ultra-rare and giant gemstone was sure to create a storm when it came up for sale at Sotheby’s, Hong Kong in April 2017.

After frenzied early bidding from three buyers, the hammer finally came down at £57.3 million, making it the most expensive diamond ring in the world as of 2024.

The lucky buyer was Chinese jeweller Chow Tai Fook Enterprises who bought the most expensive diamond ring in the world and renamed it the CTF Pink Star in memory of the company’s founder, Dr Cheng Yu-Tung. It’s unknown whether they plan to use it as an investment piece or turn it into the most expensive engagement ring in the world. What is certain is that this stone will go down in history.

2. Oppenheimer Blue Diamond ring – £40 million

 

The Oppenheimer Blue is the largest vivid blue diamond ever to come on the market, and another worthy entry on our list of most expensive diamond rings in the world in 2024.

The stone is set alongside two trapeze-cut diamonds on a platinum five-blade ring and is named after Sir Philip Oppenheimer, whose family owned the De Beers Mining Company. Oppenheimer was very secretive and little was known about the ring until after his death in 1995.

So when it came up for auction at Christie’s Geneva in May 2016, it caused quite a stir. After an initial flurry of bidders, just two determined buyers were left to battle it out. They traded blows for close to 20 minutes before the hammer finally came down at £40 million.

This is the highest price ever achieved for a blue diamond ring, putting it just behind the most expensive ring on earth.

3. The All-Diamond Ring – £44 million

 

The All-Diamond is a 150-carat ring. Shawish Geneva Jewelers carved it into its current shape from a larger stone. As the name suggests, the ring is pure diamond and the world’s first diamond ring.

Ancient diamond rings have precious metals in them, with the diamond as the centerpiece. The All-Diamond Ring, however, has no metal support; the entire band is diamond.

Inspired by the president of Shawish Geneva, the ring is a perfect intersection of fantasy, reality, art, and style. The jewelers copyrighted the design long before the ring’s release.

After the release, the ring underwent many tests to laser the design and maintain the original stone. In 2012, appraisers gave it a value of £44 million.

Though it has so far never been sold at an auction, it is one of the most expensive diamond rings in the world as of 2024 and would be worth whatever price the buyers decide on. In the right market, a piece of this quality and rarity could become the most expensive marriage ring ever sold.

4. The Pink Legacy diamond ring – £38.5 million

 

The Pink Legacy is another piece once owned by the Oppenheimer family.

The ring is set with a rare emerald-cut fancy pink diamond weighing 18.96-carats, flanked by two clear diamonds on each side. The large pink stone was described by Christie’s international head of jewellery Rahul Kadakia as “one of the world’s greatest diamonds” when it came up for sale at Christie’s Geneva in November 2018.

All pink diamonds are rare, expensive and incredibly valuable for investment purpuses, but what makes the Pink Legacy special is its even colour distribution and balanced saturation. This qualifies it as a ‘fancy vivid’ stone by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), a designation which only 1 in a million diamonds achieve.

So naturally, there was strong competition for this beautiful, rare and elegant piece when it came up for auction. After just five minutes of furious bidding, the hammer came down at £38.5 million. The buyer was identified as none other than U.S. jewellery house Harry Winston.

5. THE BLEU ROYAL  – £31.7 MILLION

In late 2023, an internally flawless 17.61-carat went for auction in Christie’s, Geneva. The rare vivid-blue diamond was set in a ring and flanked by two similarly flawless and sparkling pear brilliant-cut diamonds, each weighing over 3-carat. It was an exquisite piece and the largest vivid-blue diamond ever seen at auction.

While the Bleu Royal may not be the world’s most expensive diamond ring, it became the biggest seller in 2023 when it fetched an incredible £31.7 million at auction. 

One of the more remarkable aspects of the Bleu Royal is that not much is known about this magnificent ring. Experts aren’t sure where the diamond was unearthed, nor the path it took to get to Christie’s. It’s said that the ring was handled through various private sellers, one of which set the diamond into its not legendary shape.

Of course, the mystery of the Bleu Royal has left it open to speculation. Australia’s Argyll is one proposed spot, but the Golconda mines in India or the Cullinan mine in South Africa are thought to be more likely sources. 

 

6. The Blue Moon of Josephine diamond ring – £31.7 million

 

The centrepiece of this rare and expensive ring is a blue diamond weighing 12.03-carat. Blue diamonds make up just 0.1% of diamond production, so any blue diamond is rare and valuable.

But this particular blue diamond is also rated as flawless.

Almost all high-end luxury diamonds contain microscopic elements of non-crystallised carbon which show up as dark flecks when inspected under a microscope. But the Blue Moon of Josephine contains no such inclusions and has been officially classified as flawless by the GIA.

So when this very expensive, exquisite diamond ring came up for sale at Sotheby’s Geneva in October 2011, it attracted buyers from across the world.

As expected, bidding was fierce for the plain set diamond ring investment opportunity. The reserve of $35 million was soon met and the price kept on climbing. When the hammer finally came down it had reached a record $48m (£31.7 million), making it one of the most expensive diamonds in the world sold prior to 2024.

The buyer was identified as Hong Kong property magnate Joseph Lau, who renamed it ‘The Blue Moon of Josephine’ after his daughter.

7. The Graff Pink diamond ring – £29 million

 

The Graff Pink was originally sold by celebrity jeweller Harry Winston to a private collector in the 1950s.

The centrepiece of the ring is an emerald-cut pink diamond weighing 24.78-carat. This is set using a traditional three-stone shoulder setting alongside two smaller clear diamonds on a silver crafted ring.

This beautiful piece came up for sale at Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels auction in Geneva, in November 2010, and cemented its place as one of the the most expensive diamond rings in the world when it was sold for £29 million.

The eventual buyer was Lawrence Graff, founder of London Diamond Merchants, Graff Diamonds. Following the sale, Graff renamed the ring the ‘Graff Pink’ and described it as “the most fabulous diamond I’ve seen in the history of my career.”

8. THE ETERNAL PINK – £27.35 MILLION

 

The Eternal Pink became one of the most expensive rings in the world in 2023. It captured the attention of the jewellery world due to its outstanding beauty. Graded Internally Flawless by the GIA, this ultra-rare pink ring has a Fancy Vivid colour grade, which is an honour only bestowed on about 1% of pink diamonds.

The ring features a 10.57-carat stone that was hewn from a rough diamond more than twice that size. The cushion cut looks absolutely spectacular on the finger. Unearthed in Botswana at the DeBeers Damtshaa mine, experts suggest it was the most vivid pink diamond to go to auction.

It took Diacore over six months of work to craft this piece into the diamond that exploded into the consciousness of the jewellery world. The company is known for its elegant work and has been involved in the Williamson Pink Star, the De Beers Blue and the CTF Pink Star.

Not much is known about the owner. However, if someone spent £27.5 million on what may be the costliest engagement ring in the world, you’d hope the woman said yes. What was most suprising about the auction for the Eternal Pink is that it fell a little short of expectations. In every other regard, the Eternal PInk excels.

9. Princie Diamond Ring – £25.5 million

 

More than 300 years ago, the princess diamond first came from South Central India. The piece quickly gained favor with the royal family Hyderabad, rulers of the Mughal empire. Finally, after centuries, the royal family auctioned the ring off at Sotheby’s in the 1960s. Van Cleef and Arpels purchased the ring for £46,000 at the time.

When the ring was auctioned again at Christie’s in 2013, many people believed the piece would go for over 33.2 million pounds. Nonetheless, 25.5 million isn’t far from the expectation.

The ring was the most expensive diamond piece that Christie’s had ever auctioned at the time worldwide. The bidder’s identity is a secret, but the collector wrote that the ring is now with the Qatari royal family.

10. THE VIVID BLUE – £25.3 MILLION

 

Vivid blue diamonds are extremely rare. But that’s not the only thing that makes this piece a credible rival for the world’s most expensive diamond ring. Its oval shape and weight of over 10 carats are also rarely seen in diamonds of this kind. 

It’s not just the rarity of the stone that makes this ring notable. The design is also incredible and features two pear-shaped side stones.

At the time of its sale, the diamond was called De Beers Millennium Jewel 4. It was purchased at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in 2016 for £25.3 million. However, the story could have been so different. Part of the Millenium Jewels Collection shown at London’s Millennium Dome in 2000, it was the object of a planned diamond heist that was foiled by the Metropolitan Police. While it may not be the most expensive engagement ring in the world, it certainly has one of the best stories.

 

11. THE PINK PROMISE – £24.1 MILLION

 

We’ve seen the most expensive marriage ring and engagement ring, but our next entry is the costliest promise ring. The Pink Promise is a stunning 14.93-carat fancy vivid diamond promise ring that is used to symbolise monogamy and friendship. It went to auction at Christie’s Hong Kong in 2017 and became the second most expensive pink diamond ever when it sold for a staggering £24.1 million. 

The story behind the Pink Promise is very interesting. The huge fee that it fetched at auction came as a result of a gamble by the owner, Stephen Silver, a noted gemologist. 

The stone weighed 16.21 carats when Silver first acquired it. However, he recut the diamond over three years, resulting in the oval shape it has today. 

Removing 1.2-carat of the stone meant it was graded by the GIA as “fancy vivid”, which put its price into another stratosphere. A final price of around £1.68 per carat shows just how risky it was to reduce the size. 

The Pink Promise is nicknamed the “Picasso of the Pink Diamond world”. It was first cut around 20 years ago, with some reports suggesting Silver paid around £5 million in 2013 for the piece. So, overall, not a bad profit for a few year’s work.

Per the GIA, only 1 in 1000 mined diamonds can be classified as fancy colour stones. This detail, when added to the size and clarity of the ring, underlines its rarity. 

 

12. The Sakura – £21.6 Million

 

The Sakura, which means ‘cherry blossom’ in Japanese, is a 15.8-carat purple-pink diamond with a platinum and gold ring. The Sakura, which has become the world’s most expensive ring in the world sold during the pandemic, is “fancy vivid” as well as internally flawless. 

Similar to the most expensive ring in the world as of 2024 (the CTF Pink Star), The Sakura has a light pink hue that drove the world of luxury jewellery wild when it came up for auction at Christie’s in May 2021. 

A private Asian buyer bought what represents one of the world’s most expensive diamond rings at auction in Hong Kong for an astounding £21.6 million. 

 

13. Cartier Sunrise Ruby ring £19.6 million

 

The centrepiece of this ring is a cushion-cut ruby of Burmese origin set in a traditional three-stone shoulder setting flanked by two shield-shaped diamonds.

The first non-diamond to appear in our list of “most expensive rings in the world 2024″ list, the Cartier Sunrise Ruby (named after a poem of the same name by Rumi), is described as having a highly attractive colour and fine purity.

At 25.59-carat the central stone is one of the largest rubies ever to come on the market, so there was strong competition when it came up for auction at Sotheby’s Geneva sale in May 2015.

The final sale price was £19.6 million, making it the most expensive ruby ever and the highest price ever achieved for a gemstone other than a diamond, as of 2024.

14. The Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond ring – £16.40 million

 

The Wittelsbach-Graff diamond is as much a piece of history as it is a piece of jewellery. This fancy deep bluish-grey diamond once formed the centrepiece of the Crown of Bavaria until it was sold by the Wittelsbach family in 1931.

Mined in Golkonda, India, the first recording of the jewel was in 1686 when it was listed as part of the Habsburg family estate. This expensive diamond was then transferred to the Bavarian Wittelsbach family as part of a dowry when Archduchess Maria Amalia of Austria married Charles of Bavaria.

It remained in the Wittelsbach family until 1931 when it was sold to a private collector. It remained in private hands until December 2008 when it came up for auction at Christie’s.

The eventual buyer was London diamond merchant Lawrence Graff, who paid £16.4 million for it.

Following the purchase, Graff did something controversial. He had the stone recut to enhance its clarity and colour and set it into a four-pronged platinum ring.

In its original form, the diamond weighed 35.56-carat but is reported to have lost 4.45-carat following the cut. It didn’t lose any value though. Graff is reported to have sold this expensive diamond ring piece to the Emir of Qatar for a cool $80 million, a great return on investment.

Image credit : flickr.com

15. Exquisite Pink Diamond Ring – £14.6 Million

 

As far as big diamond rings go, this exquisite pink diamond ring is a stunner. Although much smaller than the largest diamond ring ever sold, the purplish pink, 10.64-carat diamond brought in HKD 155,831,000 in October 2019. 

The same colour as the rarest ring in the world, Type IIa pink, this rare (and expensive) diamond is a cut-cornered rectangular mix-cut mounted on an 18-karat white and pink gold band. 

Sotheby’s sold the ring as part of its Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite sale in Hong Kong, which brought in a total of £28.2 million. Most of the other jewellery sold in the auction included works by Chinese jeweller Anna Hu. 

16. Two Fancy Vivid Heart-Shaped Rings – £13.7 Million

 

When determining the most expensive diamond ring in the world in 2024, the answer can be challenging, especially when auction houses sell rings in pairs, like the two fancy vivid heart-shaped rings sold in 2020. 

One ring is a 5.04-carat fancy vivid blue diamond that is brilliant-cut with VS2 clarity with a platinum band and two pear-shaped diamonds on the side. The other is a 4.49-carat fancy vivid pink diamond that is internally flawless on an 18K white gold ring with two pear-shaped diamonds on the side. 

Sotheby’s sold the rings in Hong Kong in July 2020 to an unknown buyer. The auction house sold the rings in separate auctions, but it is unknown whether the same buyer bought them as a set or not.  

 

17. The 103-Carat Light of Africa Ring – £13 million

The Carat Light of Africa ring was cut from a 299.3-carat rough diamond at the Cullinan diamond mine. The ring inspires awe at sight, catching and reflecting light very well. The Stargems group bought the piece in 2021.

In 2022, the piece was auctioned again at Christie’s New York auction. The price began at £4.98 million and ratcheted higher and higher. Finally, at £10.8 million, only four bidders were left. The final price was £13 million, surpassing the expected cost.

 

18. 12.11-Carat Fancy Intense Blue/IF Diamond Ring – £11.7 Million

 

Rare diamond rings are always a favourite at auction, and this blue diamond ring sold at Christie’s Magnificent Jewels auction in July 2020 proves it.

The 12.11-carat marquise-shaped diamond is an internally flawless and brilliant cut, making the gem a treasure among big diamond rings. 

 

The ring caused quite a stir at the auction, with bidding continuing for more than 15 minutes. Eventually, a private collector dialling in by phone won the auction at an astounding HKD 122,385,000. 

The Magnificent Jewels auction made £29.3 million overall. Other top-dollar pieces sold at the auction include the Burmese Star Ruby and Diamond necklace (£1.9 million) and a diamond and platinum necklace with sapphires (£1 million).

19. Martian Pink Diamond ring – £11.1 million

 

The Martian Pink was created by celebrity jeweller Harry Winston in 1976 after being inspired by NASA’s Viking mission to photograph the surface of Mars.

The centrepiece of on of the most expensive diamond rings (as of 2024) is a large 12.04-carat pink diamond graded as ‘fancy vivid’ pink with VS1 clarity. The stone is plain mounted on a four-pronged 18k gold ring size 7.

Only one in 10 million pink diamonds get graded as ‘fancy vivid’ so this piece was sure to create a lot of excitement when it came up for auction.

The sale was handled by Christie’s Hong Kong, due to the fact that coloured diamonds often achieve higher prices in Asian markets. The sale lasted just six minutes with the hammer coming down at £11.1 million.

20. The Sky Blue Diamond Ring – £11 million

 

As the name suggests, the Sky Blue Diamond Ring has a beautiful brilliance and the elegant appearance of the summer sky. In addition, the color represents reliability, trust, honesty, and responsibility.

Years after its discovery, Cartier mounted the diamond on its ring base to complete the design.

The 8-carat ring is an elegant clear celestial blue with a distinct square emerald cut. The £11 million prize was impressive but left some people disappointed.

For example, the ring should have gone for up to £20.7 million, based on estimates from Thomas Erickson jewelers. Nonetheless, another worthy entry on our top list of most expensive diamonds in the world ever sold as of 2024.

21. The Vivid Yellow Diamond Ring- £10.5 million

 

The vivid yellow diamond ring, a 100-carat ring, was auctioned for £10.5 million dollars at Sotheby’s in May 2014. The auction had attendees from more than 30 countries, with the price tag being the highest ever for a yellow diamond.

This baby yellow diamond ring is one of the largest yellow diamonds in history. The design is flexible, as the stone is encased on the ring but is removable. The owner can remove and place it on different jewelry, like a pendant or brooch.

22. Bulgari Two-Stone coloured diamond ring – £10.2 million

 

Why buy one diamond when you can have two? This exquisite ring created by Bulgari in 1972 contains two giant diamonds. One is an ultra-rare fancy vivid Blue diamond weighing 10.95-carats and the other is a triangular cut almost flawless clear diamond weighing 9.87 carats.

Image credit: pinterest.com

The diamonds are mounted on an 18k gold band set with five baguette-cut clear diamonds in a half-hoop. Despite the ring containing seven diamonds in total, much of its expensive investment value can be attributed to the blue diamond. One of only a handful of blue diamonds to be rated as fancy vivid blue, it is considered to be one of the finest blue diamonds in existence.

The Bulgari Two-Stone came up for auction at Christie’s New York on May 19th, 2010. There was a three-way battle for the ring right up until the hammer came down. The final price for this unusual and beautiful ring was £10.2 million. The buyer was listed as a private Asian Collector.

 

23. Exceptional Coloured Diamond, Moussaieff – £8.6 Million

 

If you are looking for the most expensive diamond ring in the world in 2024, then the Exceptional Coloured Diamond by The House of Moussaieff is a great candidate. 

The 7.03-carat deep blue coloured diamond mounted on a platinum 6¼ size band is a contender for the most expensive ring ever. The ring was the top lot at Christie’s Geneva Magnificent Jewels sale in November 2019, and the final price of the ring and case was 11,625,000 CHF. 

This price comes in just below the most expensive engagement ring in the world, bought for Mariah Carey for USD 10 million (£7.4 million) in 2016. 

 

As a quick sum up of some of the most expensive diamond rings in the world, you can also watch our video below:

Conclusion

As you can see, the most expensive diamond ring pieces of jewellery in the world as of 2024 contain large coloured diamonds. To achieve a high price the diamond must be chemically pure, have few (if any) imperfections and be cut in a way that emphasises the fire, sparkle and brilliance of the colour. The actual setting of the ring piece has little effect on its investment value.

The second most important aspect when valuing fine jewellery as rings for investment purposes continues to be provenance. Any ring piece which was has proven historical significance will add greatly to its investment value.

If you can combine both you are sure to have a very expensive diamond ring indeed (maybe not the most expensive diamond in the world in 2024, but, hey…you never know). The Wittelsbach-Graff diamond is a good example.

If you have a piece of fine jewellery you consider pawning, get in touch with our jewellery appraisal team today. Our specialists have a combined 60 years of experience appraising some of the rarest and most valuable jewellery collections in the UK.

To learn more about our loans on  diamonds or fine jewelry please visit our dedicated webpages. Some of the many loans we offer are against various types of fine jewellery: diamond earrings, diamond necklaces, diamond rings, and fine brands of diamond jewelery such as  Graff, Van Cleef & Arpels, Bulgari, Harry Winston , Tiffany and Cartier  to name just a few.

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