Image: Tyen. Vogue Paris. June/July 2010.
When in doubt, wear red. -- Bill Blass
Red speaks many languages, but no other color speaks red.
I love red!
Did you know red is one of the oldest color names? It has the greatest emotional impact of all colors. Red is sexy and passionate, represents love, luck, dynamism, power, courage and newness (like red-hot news).
Artist Reena Ahluwalia with her Red Diamond Painting, titled ‘Unlock’. See Reena’s paintings here.
Red diamonds are extremely rare. Basically they are very strongly and deeply colored pink diamonds, with the same cause of color, crystal distortion. This combination is so rare that most jeweler and diamond dealers have never even seen a natural red diamond. Red diamonds often have combination of colors known as color modifiers such as pink, purple, orange and brown. While most red diamonds have color modifiers, a pure red diamond is extreme rare, a collector’s ultimate aspiration. Red diamonds are found in Australia, Brazil, South Africa and India.
Over the last ten years, diamonds with green, blue, or red natural color components comprised less than 0.4% of all diamonds submitted to GIA’s laboratories worldwide (including both fancy-color and those on the D–Z scale). Pure hues of red are even rarer, accounting for less than 0.07% of all diamonds examined. [Source: GIA]
The Winston Red Diamond, an exquisite 2.33 carat Fancy red diamond - one of the finest in the world. The breathtaking diamonds were gifted to the The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History by Ronald Winston, the son of distinguished jeweler and gem collector Harry Winston. Natural red diamonds are among the rarest gemstones on Earth, and the Winston Red Diamond stands out as exceptional. At 2.33 carats, it ranks among the largest diamonds ever bestowed with the coveted “Fancy red” color grade by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).
Researchers estimate that less than one in 25 million diamonds is a Fancy red, and the Winston Red Diamond is one of the most exquisite in existence. While some colorful diamonds get their pigmented appearance from atomic impurities in their crystal structure, the Winston Red Diamond’s striking crimson hue is the product of extremely high pressure and temperature conditions deep within the Earth that strained and altered the crystal. The diamond features an old mine brilliant cut, a style that predates the round brilliant cut used in engagement rings today. With fewer, larger facets, this distinctive cut suggests the stone was fashioned before the mid-1900s.
Credit: The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. Photo by Robert Weldon, courtesy of Ronald Winston.
The Winston Red Diamond will be displayed alongside 40 other gems from the Winston Fancy Color Diamond Collection at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. The diamonds will be arranged in a radiant rainbow of color, featuring every shade imaginable from deep teal to soft peach.
The Winston Red Diamond and Fancy Color Diamond Collection are the result of 60 years of dedicated acquisitions by Ronald Winston. Alongside the Hope Diamond, the new display will honor the legacy of the Winston family and showcase the brilliance and rarity of these exceptional gems. Credit: The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, Photo by Robert Weldon, courtesy of Ronald Winston.
Table 1. Diamonds given a Fancy red (unmodified) color grade by GIA that are over one carat and reported in public records (e.g., auction and tender websites, publications), ranked by size. Research and image credit: GIA, Gabriela Farfan, Eloise Gallou. Gems & Gemology, Spring 2025, Vol. 61, No. 1. Unmodified Fancy red diamonds are among the rarest objects of natural history on the planet; only 24 stones over one carat exist in the public record, as identified in auction catalogs and news articles by this study (table 1). Beyond those listed in table 1, there are additional privately owned stones that have passed through GIA and other gemological laboratories but are excluded from these detailed tables as they are not public knowledge.
THE RED DIAMOND. The 5.05 carat square emerald cut Fancy brown-red diamond is not only large for this color classification, but also has a fascinating provenance. The rough diamond that produced the Red's rich history began as a 35 carat crystal discovered in the 1920s in South Africa, which after months of study was fashioned into its current form. Very few red diamonds have been known to have been recovered from South Africa. After years of being held by the Goudvis brothers in Amsterdam, the diamond was seized by the Nazis in 1944 during World War II. It was recovered in a salt mine near Hitler's Berchtesgaden retreat among other diamonds and was initially thought to be a ruby.
There have only been a very small number of diamonds recovered with "red" as part of their color description. Prior to the discovery of the Argyle mine in Australia in the 1980s, the number of diamonds listed in the literature with red in their description was very small. The 5.05 carat "Red" is notable for its Fancy brown-red color and it large size. Credit and image: Sotheby’s, 2025
Note: The diamond, which was previously known as the "Red Diamond", later was named the "Kazanjian Red Diamond" and now once again resumes the original name the"Red Diamond".
“The Argyle Phoenix” Red diamond, one of the world's rarest gems. Phillips Auctions 2024. Photo by Josh Balduf/GIA.
The oval-shaped “Argyle Muse,” a 2.28-carat fancy purplish-red diamond, was the most expensive stone sold as part of Rio Tinto’s 2018 tender. Image: Rio Tinto Diamonds.Optimum Diamond LLC.
The Argyle Everglow - is a Fancy Red VS2, 2.11 carat radiant-cut diamond from the 2017 Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender, bought by Optimum Diamond LLC. Image: Rio Tinto Diamonds.
2017 Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender. The 58 diamonds in the 2017 tender weigh a total of 49.39 carats, including four Fancy Red diamonds, four Purplish Red diamonds, two Violet diamonds, and one Blue diamond. Image: Rio Tinto
In 2013 - Rio Tinto unveiled rare 'fancy red' diamond at it's annual Argyle diamond tender 2013. For the first time in the Argyle mine's 30-year history, the tender included three extremely rare red diamonds.The largest red diamond on the 2013 tender is a 1.56 carat round gem named Argyle Phoenix in honor of the Argyle underground mine.
The heart-shape fancy red diamond ring by Moussaieff. The 2.09 ct. ring sold for $5,095,872 ($2.44 million per carat) to a private Asian investor in November 2015 in Hong Kong. Courtesy Christie’s
Image: Rio Tinto's rare red diamonds on display. 2013
The most valuable diamond in the 2014 collection is the Argyle Cardinal a spectacular 1.21-carat radiant cut Fancy Red diamond which was sold in October 2014 to one of Argyle's exclusive retailers, Glenn Bakker Jewels, for an undisclosed sum. In its 30 year history the Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender has offered only 13 Fancy Red diamonds, with only three being larger than one carat. Image: Rio Tinto Diamonds
A 1.42-carat, oval-cut fancy red VS2 diamond sold for $2.16 million or more than $1.5 million per carat at the Christie’s Magnificent Jewels Sale, December 2014. Image: Christie's
The Argyle Cardinal, from the Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender 2014, is a 1.21ct radiant cut Fancy Red diamond, named after the Northern Cardinal, a rare North American bird known for its deep red plumage and sweet voice. Image: Rio Tinto Diamonds
The Argyle Pink Diamonds 2014 Tender Fancy Red collection will be the highlight of Rio Tinto's annual Pink Diamonds Tender, which this year comprises 55 diamonds. Image: Rio Tinto Diamonds
Fancy red diamond collection from the Argyle Pink Diamonds 2015 Tender. Image: Rio Tinto Diamonds.
The 2015 Tender, known as the Connoisseur’s Collection, is made up of 65 diamonds weighing a total of 44.14 carats, including four fancy red diamonds which can attract bids of more than $1 million per carat. “It’s a very tightly managed extraction process because of the value. It’s less cause of celebration but more cause for very accurate record keeping and sharing of that information through the business so we can start forecasting. It takes about a year from the time we extract to actually going through the planning process and polishing process,” said Argyle diamond mine manager Josephine Johnson.
The Argyle Prima, a 1.20ct Pear Fancy Red diamond. Argyle Diamond Tender 2015. Image: Rio Tinto Diamonds.
The Argyle Diamond Tender 2015 collection includes five "hero diamonds" which have been individually named, inspired by the world of ballet in recognition of Argyle’s partnership with the Australian Ballet. Image: Rio Tinto Diamonds.
Just how rare are some of these red diamonds, you might ask?
Well, there is only one such red diamond in the world, the largest fancy red diamond in the world- Trillion cut Moussaieff Red Diamond at 5.11 carat! It was once known as the Red Shield Diamond, it's a diamond with no color modifier. The Moussaieff Red was discovered by a Brazilian farmer in 1990, this brilliant-cut gem is an incredible rarity: a red diamond of more than two carats.
Image: 5.11 carat, trillion-cut Moussaieff Red Diamond
Fancy reddish-orange diamond weighing 3.15-carats. Christie's New York Magnificent Jewels Sale held on December 10, 2012. Image: Christie’s.
Here's a look at a few more famous red diamonds!
Image: 0.95 carat Hancock Red diamond.Photo by Tino Hammid via GIA
The 0.95 ct Hancock Red, auctioned by Christie’s New York on April 28, 1987, it was sold for $880,000. The Hancock Red Diamond was part of the collection of Mr Hancock, a farmer from Montana, who was rumoured to have purchased the diamond for $13,500 in 1956. What made this diamond special was its colour: Fancy Purple-Red. Only one in 100,000 diamonds qualifies as a ‘Fancy’ colour. Image credit: © GIA & Tino Hammid.
Image: The Kazanjian Red Diamond. The gem was discovered in the 1920s in Litchenburg, South Africa. When found, it was a hefty 35 carats uncut. After cautious cleaving and polishing, the gem emerged a 5.05-carat emerald cut. In candlelight, the Kazanjian Red Diamond appears as vivid as a drop of blood splashed on a white diamond. Source: NY Times.
$1 Million $ Kimberley Treasure Coin with a 0.54 ct. red diamond by Rio Tinto. A world exclusive by The Perth Mint. Crafted from 1 kilo of 99.99% pure gold, the one-of-a-kind Kimberley Treasure coin features a bounding ‘red kangaroo’ and a radiant 0.54 carat red diamond. Selected from the Argyle Pink Diamond Tender, the most exclusive diamond sale in the world, the specially cut gemstone is hand set between the animal’s front paws. Valued at $1 million, the Australian legal tender Kimberley Treasure is the most breathtaking collaboration between the two organizations yet. Image: The Perth Mint, 2016
Image: Christie's. A world record price for a red diamond! This 1.92 carat, Fancy red diamond ring sold for over $3.2 million at the Christie's auction, May 2013.
Image: The Red Wonder Cross. It was designed by Oren Seren, Master Diamond Cutter of Seren Diamonds, and features 11 fancy red diamonds (0.42-0.93 carats), as well as colorless and blue diamonds, set in white gold. Source: http://www.serendiamonds.com/
Image credit: Scarselli Diamonds. The Ember Diamond, the largest reddish-orange diamond recognized by the GIA. http://www.scarselli.com/
Image by: Stephen Hofer. The Rob Red Diamond, 0.59-carat.
In the past I have authored posts on, Koh-i-Noor Diamond, Top Ten - Largest Diamonds Discovered In The World, Splendors of Mughal India, The Magnificent Maharajas Of India, Mystery & History Of Marquise Diamond Cut, Ór - Ireland's Gold, The Legendary Cullinan Diamond, Bejeweled Persia - Historic Jewelry From The Qajar Dynasty, Famous Heart-Shaped Diamonds, Type II Diamonds, Green Diamonds, Red Diamonds and more. Being a curious artist that I am, over years, I have spent countless hours in self-driven studies on diamond, jewelry history and research. All good stuff, as I have accumulated a great deal of interesting knowledge, something that definitely informs my jewelry design and other artistic creations. I wrote these blogs for simple reason - to share my collected knowledge with all who are interested, so that more can benefit from it. Take a look and enjoy! -- Reena