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. |
THE STATS 1,109-carat rough diamond. |
|
THE BUYER Nayla Hayek, CEO of Harry Winston, bought the stone 
Denise Ackerman |
THE BUYER Lawrence Graff, founder and chairman of Graff Diamonds 
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 |
CLAIM TO FAME The biggest gem-quality diamond in more than |
|
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. |
COULDA BOUGHT Half of Andy Warhol’s most expensive painting sold. |
