The oldest pair of earrings could be about 150,000 years old. But while these shell bead pieces might have been beautiful during their heyday, they don’t hold a candle to modern earrings, many of which feature near-priceless gemstones and precious metals. These earrings can cost a small fortune, and some don’t even sell as part of a pair!
The most expensive earrings of all time are called Apollo and Artemis, two distinct pieces that sold for $57.4 million in 2017. These diamond earrings might not match, but they feature similarly flawless colored diamonds. The pricier of the two pieces is Apollo, which sold for $42.1 million.
If you’d like to add a pair of the priciest earrings to your jewelry collection, be prepared to spend millions. After all, the costliest earrings of all time sell for far more than your average jewelry store pieces.
Here Are the Top 10 Most Expensive Earrings of All Time:
- Apollo and Artemis – $57.4 million
- The Apollo Blue – $42.1 million
- Miroir de L’amour Earrings – $17.629 million
- Bulgari Colored Diamond Ear Pendants – $16.099 million
- The Oriental Sunrise – $11.609 million
- Ruby Diamond Earrings – $11.552 million
- Magnificent Diamond Earrings – $9.693 million
- The Imperial Cushions – $9.299 million
- Sensational Diamond Ear Pendants – $8.565 million
- Blue Diamond Earrings – $7.418 million
10. Blue Diamond Earrings – $7.418 Million
Colored diamonds (particularly blue ones) sell for premium prices, especially when they exhibit superior clarity. Though the blue diamonds set into these platinum-and-gold earrings aren’t the most impressive of their kind, their rarity and attractive hue enticed buyers in 2021.
These earrings sold for $7.418 million when they went to auction, and the dangling blue diamonds aren’t the only part that sparkles. Each earring contains more than six diamonds, some clustered tightly together and others set into leaf-shaped platinum pieces.
Sure, these diamonds aren’t the largest or heaviest ever transformed into earrings, but they are undeniably brilliant and inclusion-free (without internal shattering).
Why It’s Expensive
These earrings feature hyper-clear blue diamonds, some of the rarest colored diamonds in the world. These diamonds are so valuable that you could likely remove them from the earrings and sell them for millions on their own!
In short, these earrings are made of some of the most precious and sought-after jewels on the planet, allowing them to sell for an incredible price.
9. Sensational Diamond Ear Pendants – $8.565 Million
Anyone wearing these dazzling diamond ear pendants could be mistaken for royalty. Each piece consists of three striking diamonds, the largest weighing more than 22 carats.
Though you’ll need a strong pair of ears to support these earrings, the added weight is more than worth the trouble, as these pieces sparkle brilliantly, drawing the eyes of everyone in the room. Of course, the auction price of $8.565 million could be slightly prohibitive for some buyers.
Why It’s Expensive
These diamond earrings are undeniably sensational, as they feature exceptional quality colorless diamonds that would make even the most affluent investors break out in goosebumps.
The precious platinum metal supporting these diamonds is also incredibly valuable, ensuring that every component of these accessories is worth treasuring. Remember, platinum is one of the most expensive precious metals on the planet!
8. The Imperial Cushions – $9.299 Million
Do you own any jewelry that has its own name? If so, you’re probably ready to invest in something like The Imperial Cushions.
These earrings are similar to the Sensational Diamond Ear Pendants discussed above, as both feature top-quality colorless diamonds mounted in pricey platinum. However, The Imperial Cushions take things to the next level.
They start with a round-cut diamond, transition to a baguette-cut diamond, then stream into three darling bell-shaped diamond links.
But the true stars of The Imperial Cushions are the massive cushion-cut diamonds waiting at the bottom. Each weighs about 23 carats, making them heftier than the large diamonds on the Sensation Diamond Ear Pendants.
It’s no surprise that these earrings sold for $9.299 million in 2011!
Why It’s Expensive
These earrings seem to be dripping with diamonds, but the main reason they’re worth more than $9 million has to be the gigantic cushion-cut diamonds dangling from the bell-shaped links.
These diamonds are almost flawless, and their high carat value makes them unique. Most diamond earrings only consist of a few carats.
7. Magnificent Diamond Earrings – $9.693 Million
Thus far, the colorless diamond earrings have continually one-upped each other. Prepare for another while gazing at the glimmering beauty of the Magnificent Diamond Earrings, a pair that sold for $9.693 million in 2014.
These earrings might not feature darling bell-shaped links like The Imperial Cushions, but the pear-cut colorless diamonds dangling from them weigh more than 25 carats each! The only aspect of these earrings that might be more impressive is the 18-karat white gold the diamonds are set in.
Why It’s Expensive
What do you get when you combine heavy, high-quality diamonds with exquisite white gold? The answer is an expensive commodity.
Because these earrings are made of some of the most precious materials on the planet, they’ll likely sell for an even higher price if they ever go back up for auction. But if diamonds aren’t your favorite gemstone, don’t worry—the next entry on this ranking consists of stunning rubies.
6. Ruby Diamond Earrings – $11.552 Million
Even though diamonds have a reputation for being the costliest jewels in the world, rubies often outsell them, especially when they’re super clear and feature the iconic “pigeon blood” coloration.
Maybe that’s why these Ruby Diamond Earrings (or should we say ear pendants) sold for $11.552 million when they went to auction in 2016. After all, each sumptuously crimson oval-cut ruby is the perfect color and clarity.
While these stones aren’t the heaviest (weighing just over 9 and 10 carats, respectively), their quality makes them a worthwhile investment and attractive fashion accessory. Of course, the wreath of round-cut diamonds encircling each ruby only adds to each earring’s total value and aesthetic appeal.
Why It’s Expensive
From the circular diamonds to the blood-red rubies, there’s so much to love about these earrings. They exude wealth and power, making them must-haves for the world’s wealthiest buyers.
In fact, the red jewels glittering in these diamond earrings are some of the most expensive rubies of all time! As you might imagine, this fact makes them inherently more attractive, and as a result, more valuable.
5. The Oriental Sunrise – $11.609 Million
Generally, yellow diamonds don’t sell for nearly as much as colorless diamonds, and they certainly don’t fetch the same prices that blue and pink diamonds do. But The Oriental Sunrise, a pair of yellow diamond earrings, is the exception to this unwritten rule.
Though they don’t match perfectly and aren’t entirely flawless, these earrings sold for $11.609 million in 2016.
This higher-than-normal sales price might have something to do with the precise coloration of the bottommost diamonds, which are a distinct yellow-orange bordering on gold.
Why It’s Expensive
The Oriental Sunrise earrings consist of six diamonds, three per piece. While these stones aren’t the most fabulous in the world, they are beautifully cut and set in gold.
Besides, the striking color of the two yellow diamonds makes these earrings unique. As the law of supply and demand commands, anything that’s one-of-a-kind is sure to be more valuable than a common item.
4. Bulgari Colored Diamond Ear Pendants – $16.099 Million
Bulgari (also spelled BVLGARI) is one of the top luxury brands in the world. This brand’s jewelry, watches, and handbags typically sell for thousands of dollars.
But a few select items outdo that average by millions, and the Bulgari Colored Diamond Ear Pendants are a fine example. Both pieces feature a cluster of leaf-shaped diamonds that lead to a pear-cut diamond that dangles delicately at the bottom.
However, these are mismatched earrings. By that, we mean that one earring has a light blue diamond while the other features a pink one. Despite these color differences, these high-quality earrings sold for $16.099 million in 2014.
Why It’s Expensive
There are several reasons why these earrings sold for the same price as a modern mansion. For one, they’re made by Bulgari, one of the leading luxury brands. This brand has a stellar reputation and caters only to the wealthiest buyers, so items featuring its brand name are almost always expensive.
Secondly, these earrings feature rare colored diamonds, both exhibiting astounding clarity and coloration. They’re also chock-full of top-quality colorless diamonds!
But as you’ll soon see, these ear pendants aren’t the priciest pair of mismatched colored diamond earrings.
3. Miroir de L’amour Earrings – $17.629 Million
After setting your eyes on the Miroir de L’amour (mirror of love) earrings, the reason behind their name becomes apparent. These colorless diamond earrings are so shiny and sparkly that they’re essentially functional mirrors.
And what’s the gemstone most associated with love and romance? Diamonds, of course!
Still, considering the fact the Miroir de L’amour earrings don’t feature any colored diamonds, the $17.629 million auction price is a little surprising. Then again, these earrings aren’t your typical pendant-like pieces.
Instead, they’re a stunning combination of diamond clusters in the shape of blooming flowers and truly massive pear-cut diamonds. While several of the costliest earrings feature diamonds weighing more than 10 or 20 carats, the Miroir de L’amour earrings have pendulous bottom diamonds weighing more than 50 carats.
Why It’s Expensive
The design of these earrings and their outstandingly large pear-cut diamonds is why they’re so valuable. One can only imagine how drop-dead gorgeous these accessories would look in person.
That said, despite the size (and number) of diamonds featured in these earrings, they’re not the priciest options.
2. The Apollo Blue – $42.1 Million
As we’ve discussed, blue diamonds are some of the priciest and most sought-after in the world. But this single blue diamond earring (Apollo) was actually sold together with the fancy pink diamond earring as a pair of earrings in 2017.
Even though it’s just a single earring, not a pair, this piece featuring a decadent vivid blue diamond takes the cake in terms of price-per-carat. It comes in at a value of $42.1 million alone.
The 14.54-carat diamond is larger and clearer than the blue diamonds featured in the Bulgari Colored Diamond Ear Pendants and Blue Diamond Earrings, which is likely the top reason it sold for such an astounding price.
Why It’s Expensive
This singular earring might seem overpriced if you’re unfamiliar with the world’s most expensive diamonds. After all, it’s certainly not the largest diamond ever set into an earring, and there’s only one!
But the baby blue stone glittering in this earring’s platinum setting is remarkable in terms of clarity, carat, color, and cut—in short, it satisfies the 4 C’s of diamonds. Because this diamond is such an ideal specimen, you could remove the additional two colorless diamonds from this earring and still sell it for millions.
1. Apollo and Artemis – $57.4 Million
The most expensive earrings of all time are Apollo and Artemis, a pair of earrings that sold as individual lots during a Sotheby’s auction in 2017.
The total sales price of these earrings is $57.4 million, though the blue diamond earring (Apollo) was far costlier than its pink counterpart (Artemis), selling for $42.1 million alone!
While most earrings match, Apollo and Artemis are unique creations featuring some of the rarest and highest-quality colored diamonds sold at auction. Due to these diamonds’ clarity, color, and comparatively high weight (measured in carats), the earrings were destined to sell for jaw-dropping prices.
Wearing mismatched earrings is traditionally gauche, but we think the fashion world can make an exception for these pieces.
Why It’s Expensive
When Sotheby’s advertised these earrings before the May 2017 Magnificent Jewels And Noble Jewels auction event, they decided to describe them as “diamonds sent from the gods.” That description alone should tell you that these dangly ear accessories aren’t your run-of-the-mill gemstone earrings.
Though clear, colorless diamonds are some of the most popular among general consumers, especially for use in engagement rings, the wealthiest buyers gravitate toward blue and pink stones. These types of colored diamonds, which are often called vivid or fancy, are comparatively rare.
Finding flawless colored diamonds with the ideal hue can take a lifetime (or several), and the diamonds used to create these earrings fit the bill. In short, it’s almost impossible to find a similar higher-quality pair—which is why they’re so expensive.
In fact, these earrings are some of the most expensive jewelry pieces in the world!
Why Are Some Earrings So Expensive?
The average pair of department store earrings typically retails for $20 to $100. But the world’s most expensive earrings can easily sell for millions!
But why is there such a price disparity? In most cases, the priciest earrings feature the following:
- Rare gemstones
- Precious metals
- Stellar brand reputation
If you’re looking for the best and most valuable earrings to add to your jewelry collection, you’ll want to ensure that your chosen pieces tick all these boxes.
What Are the Most Expensive Earrings of All Time?
The most expensive earrings of all time are Apollo and Artemis, two rare colored diamond pieces that sold for a total of $57.4 million in May 2017.
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