Modern Era Discoveries
Ten diamonds from the last two decades that prove rarity is not a relic of the past — extraordinary stones are still being unearthed, cut, and sold at record prices.
1,109 ct rough
D Color · Type IIa
Square Emerald
$53M (rough)
The Graff Lesedi La Rona
In 2015, an X-ray sorting machine at Botswana's Karowe mine detected a diamond so large it couldn't fit in the mine's scanners. At 1,109 carats — the second-largest gem-quality rough ever found — it was named "Our Light" in Tswana. Laurence Graff purchased it for $53 million, custom-built a scanner to analyze it, and over 18 months produced a 302.37-carat square emerald cut — the largest highest-color, highest-clarity diamond ever certified by the GIA.
The Graff Lesedi La Rona · 302.37 ct
Fancy Vivid
Purplish Pink · IF
Cushion Cut
$34.8M (2023)
The Eternal Pink
The most valuable purplish-pink diamond ever sold at auction. Mined in Botswana in 2019, Diacore's cutters spent six months sacrificing half the rough's weight to achieve maximum Fancy Vivid saturation. Its significance is amplified by the 2020 closure of the Argyle mine — historically the source of over 90% of the world's pink diamonds. Sold at Sotheby's New York, June 2023.
The Eternal Pink · 10.57 ct
Fancy Vivid
Purple-Pink · IF
Oval · Type IIa
$26.6M (2020)
The Spirit of the Rose
The largest pink crystal ever mined in Russia. Cut from a 27.85-carat rough from Alrosa's remote Ebelyakh deposit in Yakutia, Siberia. Named after the 1911 Ballets Russes production, the GIA certified it as the largest Fancy Vivid Purple-Pink IF ever — and as a Type IIa. Sold at Sotheby's Geneva, November 2020.
The Spirit of the Rose · 14.83 ct
Fancy Vivid Blue
Pear · Type IIb
$24.3M (2023)
The Infinite Blue
Unearthed in 2020 at the Cullinan mine — the same source that produced the Great Star of Africa, the De Beers Blue, and the Blue Moon. Deliberately cut so its weight carries the number 8, a symbol of infinity in Asian culture. As a Type IIb containing trace boron, it shares the molecular classification of the Hope Diamond. Sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 2023.
The Infinite Blue · 11.28 ct
G Color · VS1
Pear Shape
$21.9M (2022)
The Rock
The largest white diamond ever to appear at public auction. After an international exhibition tour through Dubai, Taipei, and New York, the 228.31-carat pear sold at Christie's Geneva for $21.9 million. The per-carat price was modest compared to fancy colors — reflecting the reality that color rarity commands the greatest premiums.
The Rock · 228.31 ct
Fancy Intense Pink
Ring Setting
$13.3M (2024)
The Eden Rose
Christie's sold this 10.20-carat Fancy Intense Pink for $13.3 million in June 2024 — confirming that top-quality fancy-colored diamonds remain resilient even amid market turbulence. The result reinforced that truly rare stones operate in a segment insulated from commercial-grade fluctuations.
The Eden Rose · 10.20 ct
"The diamond world is not a museum. It is a living, evolving market — and the last twenty years have produced some of the most extraordinary discoveries in history."— Brian Gavin
Fancy Yellow
Cushion Modified
82 Facets
Tiffany & Co.
The Tiffany Yellow Diamond
Arguably the most culturally recognized yellow diamond on Earth. Discovered in South Africa in 1878, the 287-carat rough was purchased by Charles Lewis Tiffany for $18,000. In 145 years, only four people have worn it: Mary Whitehouse (1957), Audrey Hepburn (1961), Lady Gaga (2019 Oscars), and Beyoncé (2021). It has never been offered for sale.
Fancy Red · IF
Trilliant Cut
Est. $7–8M
Moussaieff
The Moussaieff Red Diamond
In the hierarchy of diamond color rarity, red stands alone. Fewer than 50 true reds exist worldwide. The Moussaieff Red, at 5.11 carats, is the largest Fancy Red in the world — graded Internally Flawless by the GIA. A combination so rare it may be unique on Earth. Exhibited alongside the Hope Diamond at the Smithsonian in 2003.
The Moussaieff Red · 5.11 ct
Bluish-Green Tinge
Rose Cut
Indian Origin
Kremlin, Moscow
The Orlov Diamond
Mounted in the Imperial Russian Sceptre and displayed in the Kremlin's Diamond Fund. Legend holds it was stolen from a Hindu temple statue by a French soldier disguised as a convert. Count Grigory Orlov presented it to Empress Catherine the Great around 1774, hoping to regain her favor. She had it mounted in the Imperial Sceptre, where it has remained ever since.
Pale Pink
Tabular Cut
Golconda Origin
Tehran, Iran
The Daria-i-Noor
"Sea of Light" in Persian. One of the largest pink diamonds in existence and the most celebrated gemstone in the Iranian Crown Jewels. Believed to have come from Golconda during Nader Shah's 1739 invasion of Delhi — the same campaign that yielded the Koh-i-Noor. Together with its companion stone, the Nur-ul-Ain, it forms what may be the most important collection of historic pink diamonds in the world.
The Daria-i-Noor · ~182 ct
The Market Is Not a Museum
Extraordinary diamonds are still being discovered, and the global collector base is growing. If you are ready to explore this world, we welcome the conversation.
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