Top 5 most expensive diamonds: No. 5 - De Beers Centenary Diamond

What makes the Top 5 so expensive?

The most expensive diamonds are not always the biggest stones. The price of a diamond depends on the factors purity, color and place of origin. Expensive diamonds such as the ones in this top 4 are often in possession of museums or royalties. The GIA, the Gemological Institute of America, determines the value of a diamond. This organization provides the rating of the Carat, the Color, the Clarity and the Cut. In short, the good old 4 C’s which apply to every diamond.

Carat of the Centenary Diamond

De Beers Centenary Diamond is a 273,85-carat diamond. This is the third largest diamond that was found in the Premier Mine. This mine belongs to the firm De Beers.

Color of the Centenary Diamond

The GIA graded this diamond a D color. This is the highest rating for colorless diamonds. Therefore, it is also one of the whitest diamond with this size. Of the “top colored” diamonds, only the Cullinan I and II are larger than this diamond.

Clarity of the Centenary Diamond

The clarity of this stone is “pure”. This is a very rare clarity. Every year, only a couple of diamonds with this purity are found. Let alone this size.

Cut of the Centenary Diamond

The diamond received its name on May 11, 1988, at the 100^th anniversary of the ‘De Beers Consolidated Mines’. After they announced the name, they cut into the current shape. Of the 599 carats rough stone, a large 273-carat diamond remained. The final form of the Centenary Diamond was revealed in May 1991. The shape is remarkable. After removing the rough edges, an egg-shaped stone of 500 carats remained. At the time, designers created thirteen different sketches for the diamond cut. De Beers choose the design for the final cut. The design De Beers chose was a shape that was perfect to adorn the turban of a Maharaja or Sultan. The diamond has a modern heart shape cut, but without the nick at the top. The Centenary has 247 facets. 164 facets are on the upper and lower part. On the belt (the widest part of the diamond), there are another 83 facets.

De Beers Centenary Diamond now

The Beers insured the diamond for over 100 million US dollars. For a couple of years, the people of England borrowed the diamond to exhibit it in the Tower of London. After this, they probably sold the stone because De Beers told they are no longer the owner. The current owner of the stone remains unknown. Do diamond intrigue you? You can see a lot of special diamonds in our diamond tours. Want to know more? Get in touch with one of our diamond consultants.