What Is the Most Expensive Diamond Ever Found
The most expensive diamond ever found is the Lesedi La Rona, a 1,109 carat rough gem discovered in November 2015 at the Karowe mine in Botswana. It was sold at Sotheby's in London in July 2016 for $53 million, setting a record for the highest price ever paid at auction for a rough diamond. The stone is a Type IIa, the purest and rarest category of diamond, and its sale was handled by the international auction house Sotheby's through its specialized jewelry division.
In terms of per carat price, the Lesedi La Rona remains the benchmark for high-value rough diamonds. The buyer was a major international diamond company, and the transaction was widely reported by financial and luxury news outlets. The sale demonstrated that large, high clarity stones from Botswana can command prices far above those of polished gems of similar size.
How the Lesedi La Rona Compares to Other Record Stones
The Lesedi La Rona is larger and more expensive than the Cullinan, the 3,106 carat rough diamond found in South Africa in 1905, which was cut into multiple stones for the British Crown Jewels. While the Cullinan holds the record for size, the Lesedi La Rona set the modern record for a single-stone auction price. The stone was recovered by Lucara Diamond Corp., a Canadian mining company that operates the Karowe mine using advanced X-ray technology to identify large gems through its proprietary scanning systems.
Key Comparison Metrics
When comparing the Lesedi La Rona to other famous diamonds such as the Excelsior and the Star of Sierra Leone, its auction price per carat is significantly higher. The stone was sold as a rough gem, meaning it was not yet cut and polished, which adds risk and value. Its clarity grade is internally flawless, and its size made it the largest gem quality rough diamond found in over a century at the time of discovery.
Who Bought the Most Expensive Diamond and Where It Is Now
The Lesedi La Rona was purchased by a consortium of buyers led by Graff Diamonds, the London based jeweler founded by Laurence Graff. Graff cut the stone into multiple polished gems, including the 302 carat Lesedi La Rona diamond, which is now part of the Graff collection. The company is known for acquiring and cutting record breaking stones, and its work on the Lesedi La Rona was documented in major industry reports as covered by Forbes.
Current Ownership and Market Impact
Today, the polished Lesedi La Rona diamond is held by Graff Diamonds and is not publicly listed for sale. The transaction influenced the global rough diamond market by confirming that ultra large stones can achieve record prices even in a challenging trading environment. The sale also highlighted the role of auction houses and specialist dealers in pricing and selling rare gems to private collectors and institutional buyers.