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Incredible diamond prices for 9 coloured diamonds

Over the past years, we have increasingly seen astonishing jewellery and gemstones being sold by reputed auction houses all over the world.

These pieces of jewellery and stones are often bought by connoisseurs and collectioneurs, and they have made the headlines when being sold for world record breaking prices more than oft.

We would like to share with you the top 9 coloured diamonds that we selected, that were auctioned at either Sotheby’s or Christie’s over the past years and their record diamond prices.

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What makes colored diamonds fetch such extraordinary prices at prestigious auctions?

The world's most exceptional colored diamonds have commanded staggering prices at renowned auction houses like Christie's and Sotheby's, demonstrating their incredible value as investment pieces. The Oppenheimer Blue leads the pack, achieving $57.5 million at Christie's Geneva in 2016, setting a record as the largest fancy vivid blue diamond sold at auction. Other remarkable stones include the Blue Moon, which broke price-per-carat records at $48.5 million, and the Graff Pink, selling for $46.2 million. These diamonds stand out for their rare colors, exceptional clarity grades, and impressive carat weights. From intense pinks to vivid blues and even a remarkable orange diamond, these gems represent the pinnacle of natural diamond beauty and rarity, making them highly sought after by collectors and connoisseurs worldwide.

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Natural vs lab grown: price expectations for small stones

For small sizes such as 0.24 ct and 0.42 ct, lab grown diamonds typically sell for notably less than natural stones with similar grades, commonly about 20–50% lower depending on market conditions and brand. Certification matters: a GIA report for a natural diamond or a reliable laboratory report for a synthetic stone gives traceability and affects resale and insurance. Buyers in these sizes should compare certified examples side-by-side and remember that identical grades do not always mean identical value when origin differs.

THE OPPENHEIMER BLUE

This extraordinary fancy vivid blue diamond, the Oppenheimer Blue, broke all records by fetching $ 57,541,779 at the auction by Christie’s in Geneva in May 2016. Weighing 14.62 carats it is the largest fancy vivid blue diamond to be sold at an auction.

THE BLUE MOON

This breath-taking diamond was sold for a whopping $ 48,468,158 by Sotheby’s Geneva in November 2015, breaking the world auction records for price-per-carat for any diamond or gemstone. It is an exceptional fancy vivid blue diamond, it weighs 12.03 carats and was graded internally flawless.

THE GRAFF PINK

The Graff pink is a breath-taking fancy intense pink diamond weighing 24.78 carats. It is VVS2 to potentially flawless and is a round cornered rectangular step diamond. It was sold for an incredible diamond price of $ 46,158,674 in November 2010 by Sotheby’s Geneva.

THE PRINCIE DIAMOND

The Princie diamond, comes from the Golconda region in India. It was sold by Christie’s New York in April 2013 for $ 39,323,750. It is a magnificent fancy intense pink cushion shaped diamond weighing 34.65 carats. It was graded VS2 in clarity.

THE ORANGE

This beautiful orange diamond was graded fancy vivid orange. It weighs 14.82 carats, it is a VS1 and it is pear shaped. It sold for an outstanding diamond price of $ 35,540,612 by Christie’s Geneva in November 2013.

THE FANCY VIVID PINK

This diamond broke all world records for any fancy vivid pink diamonds when it was sold by Sotheby’s very recently in May 2016 for $ 31,561,200. It is pear-shaped and weighs 15.38 carats. It was graded VVS2 in clarity.

THE WINSTON BLUE

The breath-taking Winston Blue flawless fancy vivid blue diamond sold for $ 23,795,372 by Christie’s Geneva in May 2014. It weighs 13.22 carats and is pear shaped.

THE MARTIAN PINK

The Martian Pink is stunning fancy intense pink brilliant cut diamond weighing 12.04 carats and graded VS1.It was sold by Christie’s Hong Kong in May 2012 for $ 17,395,728.

THE GRAFF VIVID YELLOW

This fancy vivid yellow cushion modified brilliant diamond weighing an incredible 100.09 carats was sold by Sotheby’s Geneva in May 2014 for $ 16,347,847.

Top auction results & price-per-carat records

  1. Oppenheimer Blue - 14.62 ct, Christie’s Geneva, May 2016, $57,541,779 - about $3.94M per ct.
  2. The Blue Moon - 12.03 ct, Sotheby’s Geneva, Nov 2015, $48,468,158 - about $4.03M per ct (record price-per-carat at sale).
  3. The Graff Pink - 24.78 ct, Sotheby’s Geneva, Nov 2010, $46,158,674 - about $1.86M per ct.
  4. Cullinan Dream - 24.18 ct, Christie’s New York, June 2016, $25,300,000 - about $1.05M per ct.
  5. The Princie - 34.65 ct, Christie’s New York, Apr 2013, $39,323,750 - about $1.14M per ct.
  6. The Orange - 14.82 ct, Christie’s Geneva, Nov 2013, $35,540,612 - about $2.40M per ct.
  7. Winston Blue - 13.22 ct, Christie’s Geneva, May 2014, $23,795,372 - about $1.80M per ct.
  8. Fancy Vivid Pink (May 2016) - 15.38 ct, Sotheby’s, $31,561,200 - about $2.05M per ct.
  9. Graff Vivid Yellow - 100.09 ct, Sotheby’s Geneva, May 2014, $16,347,847 - about $0.16M per ct.

Extreme price-per-carat figures are driven less by size alone and more by a combination of intense color, exceptional clarity and the rarity of a particular hue or provenance. When those factors align, price-per-carat can rise well above usual market bands.

Diamonds are BAUNAT’s core business. We strive to provide you with the best diamonds and diamond prices on the market, coupled with outstanding service and talented designers to manufacture your jewellery here in Antwerp.

  • Fabienne Rauw

  • BAUNAT Antwerp

  • Fabienne, manager of the German market is able to guide every client with finding the right jewel. She takes care of most of the German orders, but also takes other task on her plate. Thanks to her six  years of experience at BAUNAT she acquainted well with the product and the marketing around it. Her degree in PR ensures that BAUNAT is well presented across all media channels. For anyone looking into a new investment opportunity, Fabienne is the perfect guide in this process. No question will be left unanswered, and she will help you every step of the way.

    Selected Bespoke Projects

    • Eternal Bloom bespoke engagement concept - Role: project lead for client briefing and prototype coordination. Fabienne translated personal design references into a 3D-printed prototype, supervised stone selection and ensured the finished piece matched the client’s vision and comfort preferences.

    • Personalized anniversary necklace - Role: design coordinator and quality overseer. She managed the custom design process from the initial sketch to final polishing, liaising between client and workshop to preserve proportions and finish.

    • Reimagined heirloom ring restoration and redesign - Role: client consultant and technical coordinator. Fabienne guided the client through options to modernize setting details while keeping sentimental elements, delivering a wearable result that respected the original piece.

    Her hands-on involvement in bespoke commissions ensures each custom order has a clear brief, careful prototype review and close follow-up with the workshop, so clients receive a tailored jewel that meets both aesthetic and practical expectations.

    Professional enquiries

    For speaking engagements, press requests or research collaborations, please send your message to BAUNAT’s communications team with the subject line: "Fabienne Rauw  -  Professional Enquiry." Include a brief description of the request and any relevant dates or documents. The communications team will route enquiries to Fabienne and provide guidance on next steps.

Fabienne, manager of the German market is able to guide every client with finding the right jewel. She takes care of most of the German orders, but also takes other task on her plate. Thanks to her six  years of experience at BAUNAT she acquainted well with the product and the marketing around it. Her degree in PR ensures that BAUNAT is well presented across all media channels. For anyone looking into a new investment opportunity, Fabienne is the perfect guide in this process. No question will be left unanswered, and she will help you every step of the way.

Selected Bespoke Projects

• Eternal Bloom bespoke engagement concept - Role: project lead for client briefing and prototype coordination. Fabienne translated personal design references into a 3D-printed prototype, supervised stone selection and ensured the finished piece matched the client’s vision and comfort preferences.

• Personalized anniversary necklace - Role: design coordinator and quality overseer. She managed the custom design process from the initial sketch to final polishing, liaising between client and workshop to preserve proportions and finish.

• Reimagined heirloom ring restoration and redesign - Role: client consultant and technical coordinator. Fabienne guided the client through options to modernize setting details while keeping sentimental elements, delivering a wearable result that respected the original piece.

Her hands-on involvement in bespoke commissions ensures each custom order has a clear brief, careful prototype review and close follow-up with the workshop, so clients receive a tailored jewel that meets both aesthetic and practical expectations.

Professional enquiries

For speaking engagements, press requests or research collaborations, please send your message to BAUNAT’s communications team with the subject line: "Fabienne Rauw  -  Professional Enquiry." Include a brief description of the request and any relevant dates or documents. The communications team will route enquiries to Fabienne and provide guidance on next steps.