Customize the Ultimate High Jewelry Creation with Loose Diamonds

An exceptional loose diamond is the ultimate starting point for a custom high jewelry creation or impressive diamond engagement ring.

Benefits of Loose Diamonds

Loose diamonds provide many benefits when considering a high jewelry purchase or impressive diamond engagement ring. Below are three key benefits of purchasing a loose diamond:

1. Market availability and Timing

The loose diamond market availability changes dynamically depending on supply and demand. If you are considering a large high quality diamond 7 carats or larger or pink or blue diamond 3 carats or larger, it is often best to start with a loose diamond. When starting with a loose diamond, we also suggest considering a few diamond shapes and a carat range. For example, when looking for a 10 carat loose diamond for a ring, you might want to consider diamonds that are between 9 to 12 carats. This will give you more diamonds to consider since each stone will vary in its exact cut, polish and size ratios. Additionally viewing a few different shapes also allows you to consider more setting options. The right diamond is a very personal choice and your initial focus on one shape may change when you view a few loose diamonds. A loose diamond allows you to focus on the unique properties of the diamond versus being distracted by the setting.

Loose Diamonds — Loose Diamond Emerald Cut Diamond 10.88 Carats

2. Pricing flexibility

Purchasing a loose diamond also gives you more price flexibility and more ways to optimize your budget. If you decide on a loose diamond that comprises your top budget, you can opt for a more basic setting. You can always update the setting later if you are buying an engagement ring or upgrading a smaller diamond engagement ring. When looking for loose diamonds for earrings you often want to spend the majority of your budget on two well matched exceptional diamonds. When starting with loose diamonds for a necklace, there are multiple options to consider if the high jewelry necklace is a pendant or more dramatic custom necklace. You can also compare the prices of different diamond shapes and sizes along with the quality and sparkle of the diamond to determine the best use of your overall budget.

3. Endless design possibilities

Loose diamonds allow the ultimate flexibility when it comes to settings since you are starting with the diamond or diamonds. Your custom high jewelry can be a one of a kind creation that is a reflection of your style and the natural beauty of the diamonds. Our team is happy to provide different setting options or make a custom setting based on a design you have already have in mind. Sotheby's custom settings can be made in platinum or 18K gold with a range complimentary diamond or gemstone options. Many custom engagement rings are including sapphires, rubies and emeralds in addition to diamonds. High jewelry designs also often encompass colored gemstones with diamonds to create bold and colorful jewelry creations.

Loose Diamonds: Custom High Jewelry

While Sotheby’s offers a meticulously curated selection of High Jewelry creations through our auctions and marketplace, we also recognize the allure of bespoke design. For those seeking something entirely their own, we are pleased to source exceptional loose diamonds through our global network of trusted suppliers. High Jewelry, like couture fashion, represents the pinnacle of luxury—defined by the finest materials, masterful craftsmanship, and a personalized approach where every element is tailored to the client. Loose diamonds are often the starting point for such unique creations, offering limitless creative potential. A striking example is the pair of cushion-shaped unmounted diamonds weighing 23.88 and 23.76 carats, which sold for 3,222,000 CHF in May 2025, illustrating both the rarity and desirability of exceptional stones ready to be transformed into one-of-a-kind masterpieces.

Loose Diamond: Custom Engagement Ring

Creating a custom engagement ring from a loose diamond is often the preferred process when looking for a center stone that is 7 carats or larger. Large diamonds that are 7 carats or larger are harder to source in every shape when you are looking for a diamond of the highest quality. Once you are considering a large diamond, we suggest staying within the colorless color scale of D E F and clarity VVS or better and ideally finding an excellent cut diamond. If you have already decided you want to consider a center diamond that is 7 carats or larger, a loose diamond is a great starting point.

Loose Diamond: Colored Diamond

When considering a loose colored diamond there are a number of factors to consider. Yellow diamonds are the most common and readily available of the colored diamonds. Pink and Blue diamonds are the next rarest and green diamonds are generally less available. Orange and Purple diamonds are rare but in generally not as highly sought after by buyers of high jewelry or custom engagement rings. Red diamonds are the rarest but very few are larger than 1 carat which makes them less appealing for high jewelry customers and buyers looking to create a custom engagement ring. Colored diamonds are graded based on the intensity of the color, which also is a material contributing factor in the price for a loose colored diamond. The most desirable colored diamond color grades are Fancy Intense, Fancy Vivid and Fancy Deep. The more common and less desirable colored diamond color grades are Faint, Very Light, Light, Fancy Light and Fancy.

Yellow diamonds that are graded Fancy to Faint yellow are similar in price to white diamonds of similar clarity and carat weight. Fancy intense to Fancy deep colored diamonds of any color are more expensive than similar size and quality white diamonds. When looking for a Fancy intense colored diamond that is larger than 2 carats for any color besides white, it can take time to source a few options. Given the limited market availability of large fancy intense colored diamonds, we suggest being very flexible on the carat weight and the shape of the colored diamond. Since there are significantly more yellow diamonds in the market, you can limit the parameters more when it comes to carat weight and diamond shape.

Advantages to Buying High Jewelry on the Secondary Market

1. Access

Sotheby’s provides exclusive access to a curated selection of High Jewelry from the world’s most prestigious maisons, including renowned designers and established jewelers. As a leading global marketplace, Sotheby’s offers pristine High Jewelry pieces featuring the rarest gemstones and exceptional craftsmanship. Our jewelry specialists work closely with collectors worldwide to source the most coveted and sought-after creations.

2. Flexibility

Sotheby’s offers multiple purchasing options for High Jewelry, including online and in person at our locations in New York, Hong Kong, Paris, and London. We also offer a bespoke concierge service to help source specific High Jewelry pieces not available online.

3. Value

While various boutiques often feature select collections of High Jewelry, finding particular designs, rare gemstones, or one-of-a-kind pieces can be difficult due to limited availability. Sotheby’s provides a curated selection of exceptional High Jewelry, from vintage masterpieces to modern creations, available for purchase without the need to visit a store. Shopping with Sotheby’s allows you to discover extraordinary pieces in one place, saving time while ensuring the authenticity, value, and quality of each piece.

4. Discovery

One of the greatest advantages of shopping in a global luxury marketplace is the opportunity to discover rare, unique, and limited-edition High Jewelry pieces that are no longer available through traditional retail channels. Our curated selection of High Jewelry is continuously refreshed, ensuring that you’ll always find something new and exclusive.

Buy and Sell High Jewelry At Sotheby's

Sotheby's often has impressive High Jewelry available at auction. Sotheby's also has a curated selection of High Jewelry available for immediate purchase on marketplace. If you would like to view a High Jewelry creation, a salon specialist would be happy to assist. Sotheby's is also able to source an exceptional High Jewelry creation from its global supplier network.

Explore upcoming jewelry at auctions in New York, London, Switzerland, Paris, and Hong Kong.
Contact a Salon Associate in New York or Hong Kong to schedule an appointment.
Speak to a Jewelry Specialist about selling High Jewelry.

Trust our worldwide network of leading jewelry specialists from a globally renowned auction house established in 1744.