Pink Legacy vs. Lesedi La Rona: Which Diamond Is the Best Investment?

Rare and extraordinary diamonds have proved to be worthy investments with returns that far outperform most blue-chip stocks. That is what’s driving the competition to land some of the world’s greatest stones. If you’re thinking about diversifying your portfolio, here’s a rock-solid comparison of two triumphant sales.

Pink Legacy	Lesedi La Rona
AUCTION PRICE $50 million	AUCTION PRICE $53 million
THE STATS 18.96-carat fancy vivid pink diamond. Only one in 100,000 diamonds receives this high-quality grading.	THE STATS 1,109-carat rough diamond. Certified as having “exceptional quality and transparency” by the Gemological Institute of America.
THE BUYER Nayla Hayek, CEO of Harry Winston, bought the stone at Christie’s Magnificent Jewels auction in Geneva on November 13, 2018. Denise Ackerman	THE BUYER Lawrence Graff, founder and chairman of Graff Diamonds purchased the stone privately on September 26, 2017. Courtesy of Graff Diamonds
PRICE PER CARAT $2.65 million (a world record for a pink diamond)	PRICE PER CARAT $47,777
DISCOVERED South Africa in 1920.	DISCOVERED Botswana in 2015 by Canada’s Lucara Diamond Corp.
AS BIG AS A Grape Shutterstock	AS BIG AS A Tennis ball Shutterstock
CLAIM TO FAME The largest fancy vivid pink diamond ever offered at any Christie’s auction.	CLAIM TO FAME The biggest gem-quality diamond in more than 100 years.
IT WAS MADE INTO 1 ring Courtesy of Christie's	IT WAS MADE INTO 67 pieces of jewelry—solitaire rings, earrings and pendants Courtesy of Graff Diamonds
EQUAL TO THE WEIGHT OF Shoelaces	EQUAL TO THE WEIGHT OF The Nike Flex RN
COULDA BOUGHT 10,000 purebred Egyptian Arabian horses. Hayek moonlights as a famous horse breeder.	COULDA BOUGHT Half of Andy Warhol’s most expensive painting sold. Graff has been collecting the pop artist’s work for decades.