People have loved gemstones since antiquity. The Romans thought diamonds came from falling stars, and the Greeks believed them to be heavenly tears. Since gems have been considered precious for most of human history, they are a way to store wealth, as they always appreciate in value. People have used gemstones for protection, to ward off evil, for supposed healing properties or simply to show off their wealth.
The biggest, most expensive gemstones have always been popular throughout history, especially with royalty. Diamonds from India and South Africa, sapphires from Sri Lanka, rubies from Burma (Myanmar) and emeralds from The New World were, and still are, highly prized.
Many famous gemstones on our list were owned by a succession of royal or noble families and often changed hands during war or conquest, or they were given as gifts from one ruler to another. Some are still part of royal treasuries, although many have passed into private hands, and a few are considered priceless given their histories and uniqueness. Actress Elizabeth Taylor also deserves a mention as someone who loved expensive diamonds and had a private gem collection to rival that of any royal family.
So, which ones are the most famous? Here’s our list of 30 famous, rare gemstones that people will pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to own.
Bottom Line: Koh-i-Noor
The Koh-i-Noor Diamond first appeared in 1628 on Mughal Shah Jahan’s famous gem-encrusted throne. An invading Persian ruler, Nader Shah, seized Jahan’s treasury in 1739. He took the diamond to wear in an armband.
The stone eventually passed to the last ruler of an Indian Sikh kingdom, Duleep Singh, a 10-year-old boy. When the British East India Company annexed the kingdom in 1849, Singh either was compelled to give, or gifted, the Koh-i-Noor Diamond to Queen Victoria. Today, the gem sits in the late Queen Mother’s crown, part of the British Crown Jewels.
