The World's Most Famous Diamonds

For centuries, diamonds have been held to reflect the human imagination and desire for luxury, rarity, and beautiful perfection. Stories intertwine legends, power struggles and romantic tales around some diamonds in history.

In this guide we take you on a journey to open the doors to the most famous diamonds in the world, and listen to the captivating narratives associated with them that fulfilled them as coveted treasures and eternal fascination. These gemstones encompass the sophistication of the history of our world, from the renown of the regal Hope Diamond to the absorbing Koh-i-Noor.

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Most Famous Diamonds From Around the World

The Kohinoor

Koh-i-Noor, meaning the ‘Mountain of Light’ is one of the world’s most famous diamonds. The stone weighs an incredible 105.6 carats and it is a transparent diamond. It changed hands many times, especially as it was thought that those who possessed the Kohinoor could not be vanquished. Ironically, it was the diamond that was attacked most often because of kingdoms. It had been looted, among other things, by the Persian invader Nadir Shah with the Peacock Throne. During the Sikh Wars the diamond was taken possession of by The East India Company in 1849. 

The Regent

Of many famous diamonds found and looted by colonizers in the Indian subcontinent, the Regent is one such gem. The light blue gemstone that was discovered in Golconda originally weighed a whopping 410 carats. In the cushion cut diamond shape, it was the first diamond owned by British Prime Minister William Pitt.  In 1792 the Regent was snatched away by a number of European royals before going missing briefly but proved to have been recovered shortly afterwards. 

Orlov

The Orlov or Orloff diamond is wrapped in great mystery. Although the gem has been traced back to Golconda, India, nothing is known about its owner. The Orlov is said to have belonged to the third eye of a deity’s statue in a Hindu temple in south India and stolen by a French man. 

It reached Europe, and was named after Count Grigori Grigorievich Orlov, a Russian nobleman and military triumvir who had an armor with Catherine The Great. 

The Taylor-Burton

This famous Taylor Burton diamond is from one of the best Hollywood couples. The pear-shaped diamond of 69.42 carats was a gift by Elizabeth Taylor's fifth husband, Richard Burton. Cartier bought it in an October 2011 auction in New York for $1,050,000. The Cartier Diamond was named after the stone. Less than a day later, Richard Burton bought the same for an undisclosed amount. Elizabeth Taylor was famous for wearing the diamond as a pendant to a party celebrating the 40th birthday of Princess Grace of Monaco.

The Sancy

The Sancy is a 55.23 carat pale yellow diamond. It is from a still larger diamond called the Balle de Flandres. The Balle de Flandres was owned by: Louis I, Duke of Orleans; Henry III, King of France; Manuel I, King of Portugal; Henry IV, King of France; King James VI of Scotland; Charles I and James II, King of France. The diamond’s name comes from Nicolas de Harlay, seigneur de Sancy, a French diplomat and a jeweler.

Daria-i-Noor

Pale pink tabular cut Daria-i-Noor is famous for its exquisite rarity and magnificence.  Daria i Noor means 'The Sea of light' persian. This Diamond was mined from Kollur in India, and originally owned by the dynasty Kakatiya. Their possession was usually in the hands of those who laid claim to the throne of Delhi. Nadir Shah seized the Kohinoor, obtaining it with the Shah Jahan installation within the Peacock Throne stakes. The Diamond had once left the Indian subcontinent as part of the Peacock Throne and ultimately made its way to the rulers of the Qajar dynasty.

The Great Chrysanthemum

The specimen of The Great Chrysanthemum was discovered in South Africa in 1963 and weighed 192.28 carats.It was cut by Julius Cohen, a New York City dealer who bought the rough stone and cut it to show a glorious rich golden brown, chrysanthemum-like color. In 1971 the diamond was exhibited at the Kimberly Centenary exhibition in South Africa. The diamond also featured in the Diamonds-International Academy collection when it was exhibited in the Diamond Pavilion Johannesburg in 1965. Last month, Julius Cohen sold "the Great Chrysanthemum" to an undisclosed foreign buyer.

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The Taylor-Burton

In 1966, this stone was found in South Africa. The rough stone weighed 240.80 carats, and was cut into a 69.42 carats pear shape diamond. The buyer could name this diamond and he bought it on that basis at auction in 1969. The first bid for it was a success for Cartier of New York who named it at once "Cartier." But the next day as a present for Elizabeth Taylor Richard Burton 'bought' the stone, renaming it the 'Taylor-Burton' for an undetermined sum. After he died in 1979, Elizabeth Taylor cashed in the stone and sold it for charity, reportedly receiving $2.8 million. In memory of Richard Burton, she gave this sum to a hospital in Botswana. It's been last reported to be in Saudi Arabia.

The Centenary diamond 

The Celebrities Diamond was found at the Premier Mine through an electronic X-ray recovery system in South Africa. The discovery came as diamond-mining company-De Beers Consolidated Mines-celebrated its one-hundredth anniversary. The diamond sloped in places and was quite rough, with sharp planes and an irregular protrusion in a corner, plus a deep concave in one large surface. This complex shape had no obvious way of being cut so it took 3 years and numerous methods to have the centenary become the brilliant diamond it is now.

The Perfect Pink

A vivid pink diamond in emerald cut with two clear diamonds placed on both sides, the Perfect Pink is a rare stone. 14.23 carat weight-Pink Diamond in 2010-It falls into the category of only a measly few pink diamonds making 10.00 carats or more appearing at auction in 2010, and is one of only 18. Of those 18, The Perfect Pink was the only Fancy Intense Pink graded by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). 

In the End

Diamonds have always sparkled brightest in the world of precious gems, and the world’s most famous diamonds are the very jewels to the world’s embrace. As the stories and legends surrounding these awesome gems close a chapter, there’s a feeling we’re going to miss them, but that they’ll always be fascinating.

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