Most Famous Gemstones & Record-Breaking Minerals Encyclopedia.

The World of Record-Breaking Gemstones: The “Most of the Most” Encyclopedia

Welcome to the definitive digital collection of Earth’s most extraordinary treasures. This gallery explores the pinnacle of mineralogy and jewelry art, featuring over 100 dedicated articles on the largest, rarest, and most historically significant gemstones ever discovered.

What Defines a “Record-Breaking” Stone?

In this section, we go beyond simple aesthetics to document the absolute extremes of the mineral kingdom. Each linked page provides a deep dive into the unique factors that make these specimens legendary:

• Size and Carat Weight: From the massive 3,106-carat Cullinan diamond to the staggering 22,892-carat American Golden Topaz.

• Rarity and Color: Explore the science behind the world’s rarest hues, including the Fancy Vivid Pink of the “Pink Star” and the radiation-born green of the “Dresden Green.”

• Historical Legacy: Discover the stories of stones that shaped empires, from the cursed history of the Hope Diamond to the royal pedigree of the Koh-i-Noor.

• Durability and Craftsmanship: Learn about the “toughest” stones like Nephrite Jade and the master carving behind works like the Dom Pedro Aquamarine.

A Resource for Collectors and Enthusiasts

Whether you are interested in the geological conditions that create a Fancy Vivid Blue diamond or the auction history of the world’s most expensive rubies and emeralds, our comprehensive guides offer verified data and captivating narratives.

Our encyclopedia covers everything from the “lost” diamonds of the Mughal Empire to modern-day discoveries like the Lesedi La Rona. We also explore architectural wonders made of stone, such as the legendary Amber Room and the Malachite Room of the Winter Palace.

Select a legendary stone from the list below to begin your exploration of the world’s most magnificent jewels:

• The Cullinan Diamond — The largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found weighing 3,106 carats
• The Hope Diamond — The most famous cursed diamond in the world featuring a deep blue 45.52-carat heart
• The Koh-i-Noor – One of the largest cut diamonds in the world and a historic symbol of power
• The Pink Star – The most expensive gemstone ever sold at auction a flawless 59.60-carat Fancy Vivid Pink
• Nephrite Jade Armbands – The toughest natural stone ornaments known for their unbreakable interlocking fibers
• Nephrite Jade Armbands – The toughest natural stone ornaments known for their unbreakable interlocking fibers
• The Dom Pedro Aquamarine – The world’s largest faceted aquamarine carved into a stunning obelisk shape
• The Bahía Emerald – One of the largest emerald shards discovered weighing approximately 341 kg
• The Blue Belle of Asia – The most valuable blue sapphire in the world with an extraordinary cornflower hue
• The Sunrise Ruby – The rarest and most expensive ruby in the world a 25.59-carat Burmese stone
• The Black Prince’s Ruby – The most famous historical imposter stone actually a massive red spinel
• Lapis Lazuli Scarabs – The most sacred amulets of Ancient Egypt representing the night sky
• Olympic Australis – The largest and most valuable uncut opal ever found with 99% gem-quality fire
• The Bismarck Sapphire Necklace – A 98.6-carat deep blue sapphire set in an Art Deco platinum masterpiece
• The Incomparable Diamond – One of the largest internally flawless diamonds a golden-yellow 407.48-carat marvel
• Chinese Jade Burial Suits – The most labor-intensive stone artifacts made from thousands of jade plaques
• The Taylor-Burton Diamond – The most iconic Hollywood romance stone a 68-carat pear-shaped diamond
• The Logan Sapphire – The heaviest set sapphire in the Smithsonian a 423-carat flawless blue gem
• The Graff Lesedi La Rona – The highest quality large diamond ever cut from a historic 1,109-carat rough
• The Dresden Green – The largest natural green diamond in the world colored by natural radiation
• The Moussaieff Red – The rarest color diamond in existence a 5.11-carat Fancy Red diamond
• Tiffany Yellow Diamond – The most famous yellow diamond worn only by four women in history
• The Blue Moon of Josephine – A record-breaking 12.03-carat Fancy Vivid Blue diamond of perfect clarity
• The Hooker Emerald – A 75.47-carat Colombian emerald once part of the Ottoman Empire’s jewels
• La Peregrina Pearl – The most famous pearl in history a 500-year-old gem owned by royalty
• The Henckel von Donnersmarck Tiara – A tiara featuring 11 rare Colombian emeralds totaling over 500 carats
• The Hutton-Mdivani Jadeite Necklace – The most expensive jadeite jewelry ever sold at auction
• The Graff Pink – A 24.78-carat Fancy Intense Pink diamond considered one of the greatest ever found
• The Star of India – The world’s largest star sapphire with a perfect six-rayed star on both sides
• The Rosser Reeves Ruby – One of the world’s largest and finest star rubies from Sri Lanka
• The American Golden Topaz – The largest faceted yellow topaz in the world weighing 22,892 carats
• The Millennium Sapphire – A massive 61,500-carat sapphire carved with famous historical figures
• The Pearl of Lao Tzu – Formerly the largest pearl found a non-nacreous gem weighing over 6 kg
• The Dragon Eye Turquoise – The highest grade of spiderweb turquoise with perfectly symmetrical matrix
• The Queen of Romania Sapphire – A 478.68-carat cushion cut sapphire of massive historical significance
• The Great Mogul Diamond – The most legendary lost diamond of India described as a 280-carat rose cut
• The Orlov Diamond – A massive 189.62-carat diamond set in the Imperial Sceptre of Russia
• The Regent Diamond – Considered the most perfectly cut large historical diamond in the Louvre
• The Black Orlov – The most famous black diamond a 67.50-carat gem known as the Eye of Brahma
• The Empress Maria Alexandrovna Sapphire – A 260.37-carat Ceylon sapphire of exceptional saturation
• The Grand Mazarin – A historic 19.07-carat pink diamond that belonged to four French kings
• The Napoleon Diamond Necklace – A masterpiece of 28 large diamonds given by Napoleon to his Empress
• The Patiala Necklace – One of the most expensive pieces ever made featuring 2,930 diamonds
• The Blue Giant of the Orient – The largest faceted blue sapphire in the world weighing 486.52 carats
• The Carmen Lúcia Ruby – One of the finest rubies in the world an oval Burmese stone of high transparency
• The Chalk Emerald – A superb 37.8-carat Colombian emerald considered the finest of its kind
• The Victoria-Transvaal Diamond – A 67.89-carat champagne-colored pear-shaped diamond
• The Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond – A historic 31.06-carat deep blue diamond with a royal pedigree
• The Star of Adam – The largest blue star sapphire in the world weighing 1,404 carats
• The Gachala Emerald – One of the world’s most famous uncut emeralds an 858-carat intense green crystal
• The Ethereal Carolina Divine – The largest faceted Paraiba tourmaline a neon blue gem of extreme rarity
• The Aurora Butterfly of Peace – The most complete collection of 240 naturally colored diamonds
• The Andamooka Opal – Known as the Queen’s Opal a magnificent 203-carat semi-black opal
• The Blue Heart Diamond – A 30.62-carat heart-shaped blue diamond often mistaken for the Hope Diamond
• The Oppenheimer Blue – The largest Fancy Vivid Blue diamond ever to appear at auction at 14.62 carats
• The Princie Diamond – A 34.65-carat pink diamond from the ancient Golconda mines of India
• The Portuguese Diamond – A 127-carat diamond that glows with strong blue fluorescence in daylight
• The Sancy Diamond – A historic 55.23-carat pale yellow diamond shaped like a shield
• The Archduke Joseph Diamond – A 76.02-carat D-color colorless diamond of internal flawlessness
• The Star of the South – The first Brazilian diamond to achieve fame a 128-carat cushion cut
• The Pink Legacy – A 18.96-carat Fancy Vivid Pink diamond with exceptional color saturation
• The Winston Blue – The world’s largest flawless Fancy Vivid Blue diamond a 13.22-carat pear shape
• The Farnese Blue – A 6.16-carat blue diamond that passed through European royalty for 300 years
• The Martian Pink – A rare 12.04-carat round Fancy Intense Pink diamond sold for a record price
• The Sweet Josephine – A 16.08-carat Fancy Vivid Pink diamond set in a platinum diamond ring
• The Allnatt Diamond – A 101.29-carat Fancy Vivid Yellow diamond of the most intense saturation
• The Cora Sun-Drop Diamond – The world’s largest pear-shaped Fancy Vivid Yellow diamond at 110 carats
• The Florentine Diamond – A lost historical 137-carat light yellow diamond with a double rose cut
• The Shah Diamond – An 88.7-carat yellow diamond engraved with the names of three Persian rulers
• The Darya-ye Noor – The Sea of Light a 182-carat pale pink diamond and one of the largest cut
• The Nur-ul-Ain – The Light of the Eye a 60-carat oval pink diamond set in a royal tiara
• The Moussaieff Blue – An exceptional 8.01-carat Fancy Vivid Blue diamond of incredible fire
• The Red Cross Diamond – A 205-carat canary yellow diamond with a visible Maltese cross effect
• The Uncle Sam Diamond – The largest diamond ever found in the United States from Arkansas
• The Pearl of Kuwait – An enormous 64-carat natural pearl considered one of the finest in the world
• The Peregrina Pearl Pendant – A masterpiece featuring the world’s most famous pear-shaped pearl
• The Kimberley Diamond – A 70-carat flawless champagne diamond cut from a massive rough
• The Black Prince’s Necklace – A legendary assembly of over 100 deep red garnets from medieval hoards
• The Great Chrysanthemum Diamond – A 104-carat pear-shaped diamond that changes color in different light
• The Enigma – The largest carbonado black diamond ever sold weighing 555.55 carats
• The Golden Jubilee Diamond – The largest faceted diamond in the world a 545.67-carat yellow-brown stone
• The Millennium Star – A 203-carat pear-shaped diamond the world’s second-largest top-color flawless
• The Ocean Dream – The only natural Fancy Deep Blue-Green diamond of its size at 5.51 carats
• The Pumpkin Diamond – A unique 5.54-carat Fancy Vivid Orange diamond worn to the Oscars
• The Spirit of de Grisogono – The world’s largest cut black diamond weighing 312 carats
• The Centenary Diamond – The largest top-color D and internally flawless diamond at 273.85 carats
• The Steinmetz Pink – A 59.6-carat Fancy Vivid Pink diamond of unparalleled color saturation
• The Heart of Eternity – A 27.64-carat heart-shaped Fancy Vivid Blue diamond from the Premier Mine
• The Blue Empress – A rare 14-carat pear-shaped blue diamond set in a white diamond necklace
• The Kazanjian Red Diamond – A 5.05-carat red diamond one of only three in existence over 5 carats
• The Argyle Pink Jubilee – The largest pink diamond ever found in Australia at 12.76 carats
• The Mouawad L’Incomparable – The most valuable necklace in the world with a 407-carat yellow diamond
• The Marie Antoinette Diamond Necklace – A controversial piece of history containing 647 flawless diamonds
• The Blue Diamond Sceptre – A ceremonial staff from the Thai Crown Jewels featuring a natural blue diamond
• The Peacock Throne Emeralds – A collection of the world’s largest Colombian emeralds from the Mughal era
• The Malachite Room – The largest architectural use of precious stone using 2,000 kg of Russian malachite
• The Amber Room – The Eighth Wonder of the World made from six tons of amber and gold leaf
• The Queen’s Burmese Ruby Tiara – A tiara featuring 96 rubies meant to protect the wearer from disease
• The Great Table Diamond – A legendary 242-carat flat diamond believed to be cut into the Darya-ye Noor
• The Excelsior Diamond – A 995-carat blue-white rough diamond cut into 21 smaller gems
• The Star of Sierra Leone – The fourth largest gem-quality diamond ever found weighing 969 carats rough