The rarest diamond in the world

Unlike those that get their color from impurities, red diamonds are pure carbon and extremely rare, with an estimated 20-30 specimens in the world .

Red diamonds are sought after for their beauty, mystery and rarity. Photo: Levon Avagyan

Diamonds come in many shapes, sizes, and colors, from striking pinks to ancient blacks believed to have formed in outer space. Of these, red diamonds are often the most prized and considered the rarest, with an estimated 20 to 30 specimens in existence worldwide, IFL Science reported on June 13.

Most red diamonds are found in South Africa, Australia, and Brazil. They get their rare color from a quirk of the formation process. Unlike diamonds that get their color from chemical impurities, such as nitrogen, in the diamond’s structure, red diamonds are actually pure carbon. Rubies are famous red gemstones, but they get their color from corundum and chromium, not carbon.

The exact process by which red diamonds are formed remains a mystery to geologists. Some experts believe the red color comes from plastic deformation, when pressure beneath the Earth’s surface changes the diamond’s molecular structure, according to Diamond Rocks London. Another explanation, The Diamond Pro says, is that deformations in the soil contribute to the red color.

As a result of this process, most red diamonds are quite small, ranging from half a carat to one carat. Yet they are among the most expensive diamonds in the world, often costing around $1 million per carat. They are so rare that between 1957 and 1987, no pure red diamonds were graded by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).

The world's largest red diamond, the Red Shield or Moussaieff Red, was discovered in Brazil in 1989 and sold for $8 million in 2021. The Red Shield weighs 5.11 carats, or about $1.6 million per carat.

Thu Thao (According to IFL Science )

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