5 Most Expensive Diamonds To Come From Africa

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, this would imply that some girls have very, very expensive friends.

The pieces of gems are soo ridiculously expensive, that it becomes a wonder where they may have come from.

The history of such valuables can also be very fascinating. Below are 5 of the most precious stones to be mined from Africa, and their history;

The Cullinan ($2 billion): This is the world’s largest diamond at 3,106.75 carats, excavated from the Cullinan mines of South Africa. The Gem was named after its initial owner Thomas Cullinan. The diamond was purchased by the then Prime Minister of Transvaal (modern-day South Africa), who in turn presented it to the King of England, King Edward VII in 1905.

The diamond is currently owned by Charles III, who had it passed down to him from his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

The raw diamond was cut into nine major stones, the biggest of which is the 530.2ct Cullinan I, popularly referred to as the Star of Africa. The Star of Africa now adorns the royal scepter of the British Crown. The second largest piece the Cullinan 2 also adorns another British treasure, the Imperial State Crown.

The Cullinan III to IX were acquired by the South African government and was presented to Queen Mary (l. 1876-1953), the consort of George V in 1910 to commemorate the formation of the Union of South Africa.

Centenary Diamond ($90-$100 million): This precious stone was discovered in the Premier Mine of South Africa, using their X-ray imaging system. The diamond was discovered on the 17th of July 1986. In May of 1988, the diamond was presented in the Centennial Celebration of the De Beers Consolidated Mines.

It was insured for $100 million in 1991. It weighs 273.85-carats, third in size only to the Cullinan I and II.

The diamond’s current whereabouts or owners are currently unknown, although some believe it is still with De beers, while others believe it was sold. The gem was also rumored to have been sold to an 18-year-old entrepreneur of British/Israeli origin, living in the United States, in June 2008. However, De Beers has refused to disclose any information

The Willamson Pink Star/The Steinmetz Pink Star ($71.2 million): This is another diamond that was mined by De Beers company in South Africa, in 1999. It spots a brilliant vivid pink color and weighs 59.60 carats. Because of how rare the diamond seemed it took Steinmetz Diamonds 20 months to cut the gem.

The Pink star was unveiled in Monaco, at an event in 2003. The diamond was auctioned by Sotheby’s Geneva on 13 November 2013 and was sold in 2017 to Chow Tai Fook Enterprises, in Hong Kong for $71.2 million.

Oppenheimer Blue ($57.5 million): Blue diamonds are arguably the rarest diamonds on the planet, and this blue diamond is the most valuable of them all. It was sold for $57.5 million, making it the most expensive diamond ever sold at an auction until 2017, when it was surpassed by the Steinmetz Pink.

It was owned by mining magnate Philip Oppenheimer, before being sold to an unknown buyer. The stone was found in South Africa during the 20th century.

The De Beers Cullinan Blue diamond ($57.4 million): This blue diamond stands as one of the most expensive blue diamonds ever sold. The 15.10-carat precious stone sold for $57 million. It was discovered by Petra Diamonds in April 2021 at its Cullinan mine in South Africa.

De Beers Blue is the largest vivid blue diamond ever to appear at auction. It was sold at a standalone auction held at Sotheby’s Pacific Place gallery in Hong Kong.

Williamson Pink Star Diamond ($50 million): This diamond shares a lot of similarities with the aforementioned pink diamond. It is also called the Williamson Pink Star, as they both share similar features. The key difference is, the Steinmetz Pink was discovered in South Africa, while this diamond was discovered in Mwadui Tanzania.

The diamond was sold for $49.9 million in October 2022, in an auction in Hong Kong, more than double its estimated price. It also set a new world record for the highest price per carat for a diamond sold at auction.

The Williamson pink star weighs 11.15 karat, about 5 times smaller than the Steinmetz Pink, yet only about 1.5 times smaller in price. It now stands as the second most valuable jewel or gemstone ever sold at auction, second only to its predecessor and name-sake, the Steinmetz Pink. The current owner’s identity was undisclosed.

The Blue Moon of Josephine ($48.4 million): This diamond was discovered as recently as 2014 and was purchased by the Hong Kong billionaire, and fugitive convicted felon, Joseph Lau for 9.5 million, which he then named the Blue Moon of Josephine, after his 7-year-old daughter.

The diamond would be sold the following year, at a record price of $48.4 million. It was mined in South Africa in the Cullinan mine.