Last night, after doing some research on the world’s most expensive (it’s the 4 .04 carat blue diamond ring by the way) and largest gems I came across a few fabulous sites of what some very rich people want to spend their money on…

This stunning Mercedes has been studded with diamonds and Mink-furnished. It set back Prince Waleed Bin Talal $4.8 million. But then again, he is one of the ten richest in the world and this is only car number 38!
Imagine your boyfriend driving up to you in that?!?

One customer decided that regular looking lipstick and mascara set from H. Couture Beauty which retails for $739 was not enough. She requested the set to be made in 18 carat gold studded with blue, pink and white diamonds. She paid a paltry $14 million! I bet she does her makeup when she stops at the traffic lights!

On the left we have the most expensive wedding gown ever made. Costing $12 million with 150 carats of diamonds and made by Strass and Katz. And this dress has not yet found a buyer so if you’re interested…

On the right is the most expensive dress to actually be worn. A $3,000,00 wedding dress containing 1,100 diamonds and 3,000 Swarovski crystals. The bride is as yet unidentified.

The World’s Most Expensive Gemstone

A stunning flawless 6.04 carat blue diamond was bought for £4 million in Sotheby’s in Hong Kong by Moussaieff Jewellers in London. That is £650,000 per carat.
It may not be the biggest diamond but its deep vivid blue and perfect flawless cut contributed to its expensive price.

The previous most expensive diamond is called the Hancock Red and sold for £450,000 per carat 20 years ago.

World’s Largest Diamond

The Golden Jubilee Diamond is the world’s largest faceted diamond. The brown diamond was discovered in the Premier Mine in South Africa in 1985. Before cutting it was 755.5 carats and it was cut to 545.67 carats.

The largest (rough) diamond ever found was the Cullinan Diamond at 3,106.75 carats. The largest diamond cut from that was the Cullinan 1 or Great Star of Africa at 530.2 carats which held the world’s largest diamond position until the Golden Jubilee.

World’s Largest Ruby

The 23.1 carat Ruby is the largest in the world. It was found in Burma in the 1930s and was donated to the National Museum of Natural History in Washington by Peter Buck. It is set in a platinum ring with diamonds.

The innate value of gold has made it the most covetable material in human culture and its price and use has a long and interesting history. Used as an investment for thousands of years, gold has been bought as a safe hedge against many crises and has a fascinating history.

In our credit crunch times, the price of gold seems more important than eve but as we will discover, it is only after thousands of years that the price of gold is so easily identifiable. In this article we will look at the price of gold over the years and the many factors that have influenced its value.
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Carat weight refers to the weight of the diamond. This is measured in units called “carats”, where one carat – 1ct – equals 200 milligrams. Because the carat value refers to the weight and not the physical size of the diamond, it is important to remember that a 1ct diamond is not actually half the size of a 2ct diamond – it can actually be quite difficult to establish the carat weight of a diamond, especially if it is mounted.

It is easiest to find the weight of a round diamond. It can be estimated to within 1 or 2% by measuring the diameter and depth of the stone, but this must be done by an expert. Other diamond shapes can be estimated in a similar fashion, but their specific shape may make it very difficult to establish an accurate carat weight.

When assessing a diamond, the carat weight is only important as it relates to the other 3Cs. For example, a large diamond will not necessarily by worth more than a small diamond if it has a poorer colour, flawed clarity or a badly-proportioned cut. It is only after assessing the complete balance of the 4Cs that a diamond can be fully assessed and fully valued. When purchasing a diamond for jewllery or an investment, you should be aware of how the diamond rates within the 4Cs and decide which is the most important to you and your purchase. If the diamond is an investment, it makes sense to choose a stone with the highest overall value. But if the diamond is part of engagement ring for example, you might decide that you prefer a less valuable cut because it appeals to you personally, or choose a smaller diamond due to its high clarity and therefore high value. It is only after understanding and assessing the 4Cs that we can really judge the true value of a diamond.

It is commonly believed that diamonds are white or colourless. However only the most valuable diamonds are completely colourless – most diamonds actually have a range of pale brown, yellow or grey tints that can affect their value. Typically the more colour a diamond has, the lower its value is.

The exception are deeply coloured diamonds that display a real colour rather than a pale tint. Pink, blue, black and other colours of diamond can be very desirable and are usually priced depending on the intensity of the colour and fashions for coloured diamonds. Coloured diamonds are also known as “fancy diamonds” and can be found in almost any colour.

When considering “white” diamonds, colour is ranked on a letter scale from D to Z – D being completely colourless and Z being undesirably coloured. As with clarity, a very good colour – or lack of it – will increase the sparkle or brilliance of the diamond, while brown and yellow tints may make it appear dull and lifeless.

In the final part of our 4Cs series, we will look at the importance of carat weight, or the mass of the diamond.